Nicolas ARST

The last time I posted an article on nicolas-arst.com was after my Philippines trip last summer. Time to get back at it! This January, thanks to a very special person (♥), I was lucky to spend my birthday weekend in Santa Barbara, CA. I thought I will share few pictures and information here.

Santa Barbara is located at about 3h drive of Los Angeles. If you are road-tripping the West Coast or are simply looking for a weekend getaway close to LA, this is definitly a great option to consider. In between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, this city and its surroundings offer amazing landscapes, nice restaurants and great activities.

We stayed at the Hotel Californian right in the Santa Barbara waterfront, in the Funk Zone. The pictures that I took below give you an overview of the Moroccan- design inspiration of this hotel (who else want this cognac leather couch and those coral armchairs?). The lobby is really incredible; same for the rooms. The staff was very friendly and accommodating too.

There is a ton of good restaurants options in Santa Barbara. I didn’t take pictures of those places but here are the ones we tried during this weekend and would recommend to you:

Brunch: Goat Tree - https://www.thehotelcalifornian.com/santa_barbara_restaurants/ - a perfect place for a nice breakfast / brunch. This place is part and right by the Hotel Californian. Do yourself a favor and tried the oatmeal (pic in my Insta-story, Santa Barbara Highlights). They also have a bunch of healthy toasts (salmon, avocado, etc.).
Diner: Finch & Fork - https://finchandforkrestaurant.com ; Loquita - http://loquitasb.com big crush on this Spanish restaurant (walking distance from, the Hotel Californian)! The revisited paella is amazing and the patio situation is beautiful at night.

As you may be aware of, Santa Barbara is located in a wine region. If you do not want to drive, no worries: there are a lot of urban wine tastings in the city. However, if you have a little bit of time, go explore Solvang and Los Olivos. The roads to the wineries are beautiful (pictures below).

We stopped at Rusack Vineyards in Solvang for a red wine tasting (Pinot Noir & Syrah if I remember correctly). They have a nice patio where you can relax and enjoy their wines. I would definitely advise to stop there. If you have any vineyards you would recommend in the region for wine tasting, please do not hesitate to share in the comments section below!

To summarize, with its numerous restaurants, luxurious hotels and fun wine tasting, Santa Barbara is the perfect Weekend Getaway in California. January was a great time to go as we have avoided a city crowed with tourists. Until next time SB!

PS: my next post will be about Colorado. Stay Tuned!