A Weekend Away in the American Riviera
Sunshine, the sea, sand between your toes, and wine… Doesn’t that just sound like the perfect relaxing way to getaway?
Well, that’s just what you’ll find in the beautiful coastal city of Santa Barbara, California. With a climate and geography similar to the Mediterranean, this enchanting city has taken the name of the “American Riviera” and rightfully so! It’s got the allure of the Italian and French Riviera’s but if you’re located in the US you won’t be breaking the bank to get there. It’s the perfect weekend getaway, relaxing and stunningly beautiful. Just a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles, CA it makes for the perfect road trip! If you would rather visit by train the city offers discounts on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight trains as part of their Car Free program. If you choose this option you’ll also receive further kickbacks on hotels, museums, wine tasting, food tours, and more! There is also the Santa Barbara airport if you want to fly directly to the city.
With endless golden sand beaches, walking and biking paths, hotels dotted all along the coast offering stunning oceanfront views, and a downtown full of wine tasting, art, museums, and other fun activities, there is so much to do here! If you are after a weekend of relaxation it’s certainly perfect for that too. I love to find walkable cities and this is definitely one of them!
Hotel Suggestions
During this visit to Santa Barbara I stayed at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront
The grounds are beautiful, they serve a wonderful breakfast, it’s located right by the beach, and just a short walk to the main “Funk Zone” of town. This hotel was originally named “The Fess Parker” after the late Fess Parker, the actor known for his portrayal of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in the 1950’s-60’s. He purchased the land for the hotel in the late 1980’s and had a dream (with much opposition) of building a lavish oceanfront hotel. And that’s just what he did! Now a Hilton property, it is still jointly owned by his son and daughter.
Other accommodation options in the heart of it all:
Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara ( Now Riviera Beach House, perfect for car free lodging, located in the Funk Zone near the Amtrak station)
Hotel Californian (located by the beach in the Funk Zone)
The Kimpton Canary Hotel (located downtown by the Paseo Nuevo shopping street)
Hotel Milo Santa Barbara (located across from West Beach)
A little bit of Santa Barbara history & some must-see locations…
The city is decorated with many beautiful murals that paint the story of its history. One of those murals is about the origin of the name (as seen above) Santa Barbara, named for Saint Barbara in 1602. The story goes as follows… Barbara was the daughter of a pagan but converted to Christianity. Furious, her father beheaded her with his own sword. He was struck down by lightning and she was canonized as Saint Barbara, the patron saint protecting against thunderstorms and fire. Pretty crazy story right?! Saint Barbara died in the 3rd century and this didn’t actually happen here in California but still quite the saint to name your town after! The area was founded and named by a Spanish explorer in 1602 but the Mission was not established until the 18th century when the Spanish came back to occupy and Christianize the area. The Old Mission Santa Barbara is considered to be one of the most beautiful and well preserved Spanish Mission’s in California and was one of our favorite places to visit. An interesting fact about this mission, it is the only mission with twin bell towers!
Another location that is a must see is the Santa Barbara Courthouse, one of the most beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival-style buildings I have ever seen. A popular wedding destination for this very reason. You can explore the grounds and many of the rooms, including my personal favorite, the Mural Room. Wall to wall and ceiling to floor, the entire history of Santa Barbara is depicted all around the room (as seen below). Truly an incredible work of art! The clock tower at the top of the Courthouse is an excellent vantage point to view all of Santa Barbara. If you are one to chase sunsets like me, it is certainly an excellent place to catch the sun setting over the sea.
The art scene in Santa Barbara is incredibly vibrant and certainly is one aspect of this city that makes it so beautiful and unique. Even just walking down the path along the ocean you will find the the local artisans displaying their handiworks and artworks for sale. I could spend days just admiring all of the art in the city but there certainly is much more to it than that!
Ok, so what is this “FUNK ZONE” anyways..?
Now if you are into wine and wine tasting then Santa Barbara will be your wine paradise! The Funk Zone is an area located between the beach and downtown Santa Barbara and is comprised of 13 blocks of pure fun. Within these 13 blocks there are over 20 wine tasting rooms as well as breweries, galleries, cafes, and destination-worthy restaurants. The Funk Zone is just one of the 5 neighborhoods along the Urban Wine Trail in Santa Barbara. You can purchase a wine tasting card for the Urban Wine Trail here. The membership card is $150 and will get you one free tasting at all 28 wineries on the wine trail as well as 10% off wine purchases. There are more than 220 wineries in Santa Barbara and over 170 tasting rooms.
Some Funk Zone favorites:
DV8 Cellars- Their slogan says it all, “Deviate from the norm.” A mom and pop winery that does zero distribution, the only places you can get their wines are by visiting them in Santa Barbara or by joining their wine club! All of their wines are Rhone varietals and there’s a story behind that! The owner used to go to Formula 1 races in Monaco every year and fell in love with Rhone wines, so much so that he decided to start making his own in California. The owner was also in a rock band called “Wildside.” They certainly live up to their name here and make some great wines!
J. Wilkes- Just recently opened this tasting room after relaunching the label. Jeff Wilkes worked for the Miller Family, 5th generation California winemakers, for over 20 years and decided to start his own winery in 2001. He made his last wine before passing away in 2010. The Miller’s relaunched this label in his memory. Beautiful tasting room, wonderful wines, and a beautiful tribute!
Paradise Springs- Such a beautifully decorated tasting room! The first “bi-coastal” wine brand in the US. A Virginia winery that’s made it’s way all the way out to the West Coast! The Santa Barbara location opened at the end of 2017 after the Thomas Fire (one of the largest wildfires in California history.) Actor Billy Zane (Titanic) created the label for their Pink Ash wine as well as the beautiful painting hanging behind the bar in the tasting room. The gray hues in the painting were actually painted with ash from the fire. One third of all proceeds from sales of their Pink Ash wines go to fire and mudslide relief.
Deep Sea Winery- This was one of my favorite locations to go wine tasting as it’s the only winery on Stearns Wharf. You can sit outside on the deck and enjoy your wine with a beautiful view of the coastline as well as the Santa Barbara Harbor and the mountains! They’ve got multiple rooms and wine bars, games to play, and books to read, encouraging you to make yourself cozy and stay awhile!
Santa Barbara Winery- The first post-prohibition winery in Santa Barbara and it’s still operating successfully! Many award winning wines to choose from on their tasting menu. You can visit the barrel room and hang out while drinking your wine!
Places to Eat?
Santa Barbara is full of wonderful options for foodies, especially for seafood lovers! The Lark is one of the top restaurants in SB and where I enjoyed a wonderful multiple course meal. It’s located in the Funk Zone and the dishes are drool-worthy. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts are a MUST! They serve a drink here called “Sticky Fingers” which was the winner of Visit Santa Barbara’s “Official Drink of Santa Barbara” competition. It’s made with all locally sourced ingredients: bay laurel, mezcal, gin, wildflower blossom honey, amaro meletti, lemon.
If you’re looking for a quick bite or coffee, head to Goat Tree. It’s a gourmet cafe located inside the Hotel Californian. A go to spot for coffee and pastries at all times of the day!
Museums?
There are so many amazing and interactive museums for those of all ages! On the wharf we visited the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, a marine education center that has some hands-on learning. You can walk through some of the sea life exhibits, hold a sea star, touch a sea anemone, and maybe even see some baby sharks! The MOXI Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation is another great spot to bring the kids! There are botanical gardens and art museums, a zoo, a railroad museum, even a doll and teddy bear museum!
Whether it’s a getaway with the family, a romantic getaway, or a solo getaway, the American Riviera will not disappoint! A relaxing and beautiful place to be, where you’re surrounded by mountains and the sea!
Know Before You Go
The Santa Barbara Courthouse is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tours start in the Mural Room on the second floor every day at 2 p.m., and also at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. You can also go up to the top of the clock tower to get a view of Santa Barbara.
The Old Mission Santa Barbara is open daily 9am-4:15pm
Wine tastings avg ~$15-$25/pp per winery.
A special thanks to Visit Santa Barbara for providing all of this information. For more information on visiting and to plan your visit to Santa Barbara, head to their website here.
