It all starts when the M-F slash 9 to 6 schedule starts to eat up my energy and left me feeling empty and exhausted even during the weekends.
It was a loud and clear signal for me: time to take a break from whatever is in my mailbox or in front of my desk.
Of course I reached out to my girlfriend telling her this idea of a short trip to nearby cities as we both live in LA. And with no hesitation we agreed upon Santa Barbara – short distance, easy drive, and a much quieter town comparing to other ocean cities along PCH.
H A P P Y T U M M Y
And of course, girls, the first stop we went to was McConnell’s Fine Ice-cream in downtown Santa Barbara. The line wasn’t too crazy but the amount of options was crazy – I saw at least 20 options on the menu and definitely lost my mind trying to decide.
The time finally came – we decided to get two singles with half & half so that we can try 4 flavors at the same time (we really thought that we were smart about this).
The flavor was absolutely stunning! We got:
- Sea Salt Cookies & Cream (MUST TRY)
- Pistachio
- Strawberry
- Chocolate
In two hours, not surprisingly, we landed ourselves at another foodie spot: Santa Barbara Shell Fish Company.
Located at the end of the Stearns Wharf, this is definitely the go-to place for fresh seafood along with the best ocean views.
Fresh lobster roll that hit my taste buds as hard as they can – the natural sweetness of seafood really refreshed me from the 2.5 hours drive. Along with the frequent sea breeze and the occasional laughter from the next table – it really freed me from my everyday city life.
Not to mention a whole fresh rock crab for $20+ only! It was a deal that I would never find in Boiling Crab/Kicking Crab… Also the fresh uni for uni lovers, I was fascinated with the combinations of fresh scallop at the bottom, uni at the top. And never ever forget about clam chowder. We were full to the max — happily.
C O Z Y S T A Y
When I and my girlfriend were planning for the trip at home, we debated on whether to stay at the hotel versus Airbnb. I was glad that we chose Airbnb – a local experience that I would’ve sadly missed.
A hidden residence area 10 minutes away from downtown Santa Barbara, our little cottage was a hidden treasure that brought us steps away from nature.
And, what’s new? Yunni has to take a photo everywhere she goes. Presenting the new bucket hat I recently got from Ikea, bringing practical elements into fashion life. If you ever visit IKEA, don’t question yourself and go ask the staff, they will direct you to the right aisle.
3 PM.
The only sound we heard was the wind, our breath, and the bird & bug friends outside singing along. No email, no phone call, no text message. A sip of sparkling water. The flowers outside are sending us messages that we will never decode.
V I T A M I N S E A
The pier was pretty crowded with travelers like us. Puppies were jumping around, kids running carelessly, and sweet couples kissing each other at the end of the deck.
A cute turquoise bike suddenly caught our eyes – what a perfect match for this scene, can’t help but photo record this moment. In 10 minutes her owner showed up – a cute teenager girl with her backpack. We expressed our liking for the bike and went on. She smiled.
One funny fact: we were both wearing Brandy Melville outfits that we just purchased in Santa Barbara haha. Guess we were not fully prepared for our trip, but spontaneity sometimes sparks enjoyable surprises too.
M O X I M U S E U M
One special thing about Santa Barbara was how everything was not simply about having fun and relaxation, but also somewhere you can find education, innovation, exploration through the five senses. And that’s where the MOXI museum is.
The museum was built for kids, but not just for kids. This place is full of interactive technologies that teach us about music, physics, universe, nature, and more. Many art pieces or technological equipment are actually built by middle school children.
This is what makes our future generation better. And it is the experiences that made us who we are.
H E N D R Y ‘ S B E A C H
Ready to take a surrey ride with us to the beach? Let’s go!
If you are ever in town, surrey ride is a good way of exercising as well as enjoying 2 miles of beach view without getting too tired. You can easily find local rental shops that offer $20+ for 2 hours of surrey rental, which should be plenty since they have limits on where you could ride to.
Who else loves the sun more than we do? I guess it would be sunflower (or maybe you too!).
I randomly saw these sunflowers when we went to Wholefoods and thought it would be a perfect prop for our beach photos, and it absolutely worked!
And when will we ever give up on the opportunities to indulge ourselves in the world of seafood? The answer is never!
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach is the perfect location on Hendry’s beach for seafood and brunch. Crab cake benedict was so rich in tastes, shrimp cocktail for tomato lovers, and seafood pasta that played a perfect finale for our short journey.
Thank you my friends – I am so grateful that you read this far.
Stay tuned for my next journey, it shouldn’t be too long away from now. 💗
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