San Diego Mama Favorite: Santa Barbara

My family and I took a short trip to Santa Barbara a few weekends ago. It is only a 3 hour drive so it makes for a perfect weekend getaway. I thought I would share a few of the favorite things we did...in case you were looking for a fun spring vacation.

Day 1
We drove straight to Stearns Wharf, where we rented a surrey bike and rode along the coast for about 3 miles. Our 2 year old loved every minute....though I wouldn't recommend this if you are 32 weeks pregnant.

Then we ate lunch at a restaurant on the wharf called Longboards. The food was yummy and the service was quick...though not terribly friendly. Be careful on the way out...I got pooped on by a bird.

We spent the afternoon driving around Santa Barbara exploring the city by car, while our daughter napped. We drove by the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, but didn't go in. They looked like a lovely way to spend the afternoon, though.

We finished the day off with a dip in the hot tub at our hotel. Note: We stayed in Ventura, to save money on hotel rooms...plus all the Santa Barbara hotels were booked. However, I wish I had paid the extra money and just stayed in the city. While it was a beautiful drive back and forth to Santa Barbara, it was a little too much driving for one weekend.


Day 2
We started the morning at Chase Palm Park, so our daughter could get all her wiggles out. The park was empty but fantastic. There was a pond as well as a carousel, which I think was my daughters favorite park.

Then, we headed over to the El Presidio State Park. This wasn't our favorite part of the trip, but it was fun to see a bit of the history.

We ate lunch at a local pizza place, though we were hoping to eat at Paesano's Pizzeria (1429 San Andres St, Santa Barbara)...it was highly recommended by several websites, but was closed on Sundays.

We drove around in the early afternoon while my daughter napped again. Then, we spent the remainder of our afternoon hanging out at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (which is free on Sundays...if you go before June 15 they have a great exhibit featuring the art of childrens books) and enjoying the downtown atmosphere.

We had a wonderful time. If you have any favorite haunts in Santa Barbara...please share!