It’s a Thursday evening at Somerset on Anapamu Street in downtown Santa Barbara and the hand-crafted cocktails are flowing — my husband enjoyed the Duck Hunter’s Old Fashioned complete with duck-washed bourbon, while I imbibed on a Somerset Collins made up from vodka, Texas grapefruit, clarified rhubarb and "tarragon air."
Somerset’s interior decor is so mid-century modern it could give Palm Springs a run for its money, Harvest Gold and all. But it was the eclectic and thoughtful food and cocktail menus that had both locals and visitors streaming through the doors as we sat and enjoyed the last rays of sunshine on the back patio before day turned into night.
Lucky for us our “Epic California Road Trip,” as we had dubbed our week in the sunny state, began on the first Thursday of the month, which in Santa Barbara means live music on the streets, gallery tours and drink and food specials across the downtown area. Just down the road from Somerset, we later scored an open window seat at Benchmark Eatery where we were able to take in the lively scene while sipping even more cocktails and ordering off the small-plate menu -- we ordered a second plate of the Brussels sprouts because they were so good.
There’s a vibe to Santa Barbara, also known as the American Riviera, that’s hard to put into words. While it’s extremely casual, family and pet-friendly, and welcoming, there’s also an underlying sense of money — old and new. But, unless you strike up a conversation with complete strangers (as I’m prone to do), you would never guess the young guy with the skateboard and man-bun sitting next to you is head of a successful dot-com start-up or that the older man rocking the Jimmy Buffet look, complete with aloha shirt and Teva sandals, is a real-estate mogul. (We met both types.)
It was the same when we checked into the Belmond El Encanto, which opened in 1918 as a discrete get-away for the rich and famous and, later, members of the Hollywood elite, including Clark Gable, Hedy Lamarr and Carole Lombard. Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also a regular visitor. The Belmond El Encanto recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation that includes the creation of a postcard-worthy infinity pool perched on a hillside offering views of the red-tile roofs of Santa Barbara, the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands.
This impressive property has an old world, understated elegance and charm that doesn’t hit you over the head with gilt-emblazoned decor, but instead offers a more laid-back feel and impressive attention to detail down to the personalized stationary and monogrammed pillows in the guest suites. The combined architecture of California Craftsman and Spanish Colonial throughout the Belmond is enhanced with artwork by local artist Charles Arnoldi.
The Belmond is also obviously popular with the locals. As we wandered around Santa Barbara several locals we met, who had no idea we were already staying at the Belmond, enthusiastically recommended the resort as a must-visit location for lunch or dinner.
On our second night in Santa Barbara we enjoyed a very different experience and stayed in a vintage Airstream trailer at AutoCamp, a goal that had been on our travel bucket list since seeing it on TV a couple of years before.
Not sure what to expect, we discovered AutoCamp is on the edge of downtown Santa Barbara on a very busy main street and the Airstreams take up five trailer pads at the front of a decades-old, mobile-home park.
The advantage of the busy location is that we were within walking distance to many shops and restaurants. A popular dive bar is located almost directly next door and an even more popular, family-friendly Mexican restaurant, Los Agaves, is just a block away. Los Agaves has been named as one of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. We also could have barbecued on the electric grill on our patio, but after a busy day of exploring and sight-seeing we decided to take advantage of the pizza shop just steps away from our trailer.
Each Airstream trailer is a nod to vintage Americana complete with two beach cruiser bikes and helmets, air conditioning, spa-quality bath products and robes, a pink flamingo lawn ornament and a pair of Adirondack chairs. It was in those chairs where we spent the majority of that lovely summer evening, glass of wine in hand, after a busy day.
Getting there: Santa Barbara is an incredibly beautiful city with lots going on and is a deal when it comes to getting there from Vancouver. When we flew Air Canada in June, the cost was about $140 CAD one way each and a recent search found flights for about $170.
If you go, you’ll also want to check out:
Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail
Before we left for Santa Barbara, we had at least 10 people tell us we had to check out the Urban Wine Trail, which offers an opportunity to sample some of the finest wines produced in Santa Barbara County, all within blocks of downtown and the beach.
Over the past few decades this district, which spans the area between the ocean and Highway 101 and is adjacent to the Amtrak station, has become home to contemporary tasting rooms, cafes, galleries and shops. Converted warehouses and buildings decorated with graffiti murals and modern art set the tone for this hip part of town. Surfboard shapers, winemakers and up-and-coming chefs all practice their crafts here. Tiki bar aficionados will want to visit Test Pilot for a cocktail.
We’ve recently discovered in our travels that hop-on, hop-off tours are a great way to get the lay of a strange city before deciding where to spend the most time. Our tour, narrated by a very entertaining guide, took us to points of interest including the Santa Barbara Courthouse, Santa Barbara Zoo, Museum of Natural History and historic Santa Barbara Mission.
The mission is a must-see to begin with, but we were lucky enough to visit the same time as the I Madonnari Italian street painting festival was taking place so it was even more spectacular. During the festival street painters transform the mission plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colourful, large-scale images in support of the Children's Creative Project, a non-profit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Polo season starts in May and the Belmond El Encanto Mayors Cup is held July 7 to 9. Matches take place every Sunday through Oct. 8 at the nearby Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club where you can sit in the lounge, enjoy local wine and beer tastings, and take part in the famous mid-game divot stomp.
Stearns Wharf and Santa Barbara Harbor
Visit the West Coast’s oldest operating wharf and one of Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmarks, which offers dazzling views of the coastline and the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Explore a quaint collection of shops, restaurants and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center. Check out the haul of fresh fish each week at the Saturday Fisherman’s Market. Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available and whale watching and sailing excursions depart from the Harbor’s SEA Landing. Lil’ Toot water taxi provides easy access to and from Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf.
SoCo, a largely industrial neighborhood south of Cota Street and east of State Street, is an emerging hub of craft brewing, food and arts and crafts. Built on the site of an old feed mill dating back to 1904, the Mill is a new local artisanal market that houses Potek Winery, Third Window Brewing Co. and Wildwood Kitchen, a barbecue joint. Tasting rooms include Telegraph Brewing Company, Pure Order Brewing Company, Carr Winery and Jaffurs Winery. The popular Santa Barbara farmers market takes place Saturday mornings on the corner of Cota and Santa Barbara streets.
@sthomas10
