Things To Do
The Funk Zone
A revitalized former industrial district, the Funk Zone is home to some of our favorite breweries, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants in the city. Breweries: • Llama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop and Topa Topa Brewig Co. share a space and you can order great upscale bar food from The Nook, located inside • Validation Ale has a nice outdoor space with cornhole • Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. also has a nice patio space Wine tasting rooms: • Pali Wine Co. Wine Garden has a lovely patio • Santa Barbara Wine Collective is in the heart of the revamped industrial buildings • Municipal Winemakers is located in the front of an old dive shop, with funky vibes and natural wines Restaurants: • Helena Avenue Bakery has excellent baked goods and breakfast/lunch • Mony's Mexican Food for great Mexican, especially their burritos • Lucky Penny for wood-fired pizza, and you can bring it into Fig Mtn Brewing • Shalhoob's for Mexican-influenced BBQ • The Lark for upscale American. Get the brussels!
Stearns Wharf
A great activity for anyone and especially great for families, you can either drive or walk out onto the wharf. Some highlights: • Great Pacific Ice Cream Co — grab a cone and walk around for some great people watching • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center has great, interactive exhibits for kids (Katherine's dad Peter also volunteers there!) • Deep Sea Tasting Room for some wine tasting on the wharf • Santa Barbara Shellfish Company or Moby Dick Restaurant for seafood (pro-tip if the wait times are too long is to order takeout from Moby Dick and eat at the public picnic tables out on the wharf)
Santa Barbara Harbor
Another great area to explore, it's fun to walk around and look at the boats, grab a bite to eat or visit the maritime museum. Our recommendations: • Take a stroll along the Harbor Walk and even out to Point Castillo for great views of the harbor • Grab some fresh uni or oysters at the Santa Barbara Fish Market or sit on the patio at Brophy Bros for excellent seafood including our favorite fish and chips in town • Check out the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (good for kids and adults alike) and make sure to take in the view from the rooftop before leaving • Rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards (or take a guided tour) from Paddle Sports Center to explore the harbor
Beaches
There are some great beaches in Santa Barbara and the water temperature is swimmable (if still a little cold) this time of year. Butterfly and Ledbetter Beaches are favorites for a beach day, and East and West Beaches are great to walk along and people watch.
State Street
This is another fun area to walk around with lots of restaurants and shopping. There is a 10 block stretch of State Street between Sola and Gutierrez Streets that has been closed to cars, offering a fun pedestrian promenade to explore.
More Museums and Activities
In addition to the Sea Center and the Maritime Museum, there are several other great options, especially for those traveling with children: • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History • Santa Barbara Zoo • MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
Ojai
Ojai is a very special place and where Katherine's family lived for over a decade. A quick trip from Santa Barbara, this charming town offers cute boutique shopping, good food, and some beautiful outdoor spaces to explore. If you choose to make a trip some of our recommendations are: • Bart's Books, the world's largest outdoor bookstore • Farmer and the Cook — an Ojai institution that is part organic market, part bohemian cafe • There are lots of great hikes around Ojai including trails in the Los Padres National Forest and walking trails in the Ojai Meadow Preserve • The Ojai Arcade and surrounding downtown areas have lots of cute boutique shops to explore • Topa Topa Brewing Company for good beer and delicious Southeast Asian-fusion bites from Little Sama Ojai • The Dutchess for a more upscale dining experience, featuring Californian-Burmese food
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is another great day trip or location to extend your stay. This beautiful area is full of charm, great wine tasting, and delicious food. • Los Olivos is a small, charming town with cute shops and dozens of wine tasting rooms • Solvang is full of Danish-style architecture, winery outposts, and delicious pancakes • Ballard is home to our favorite hotel (The Ballard Inn) and bakery (Bob's Well Bread at the Ballard Store) in the area
