Two weekends ago, Jack and I visited Santa Barbara for a birthday getaway. I booked an incredible Airbnb for the weekend, which I was lucky to get since I booked last minute. The place was absolutely breathtaking; complete with a private guest entrance, large serene pool, lush gardens and our own barbecue area in the backyard. The property itself was secluded in the hills of Santa Barbara. I could have stayed there forever. To make me love the place even more, it poured rain on the second night so we cuddled up with takeout Thai- the next morning I awoke to the most refreshing smell of rain and mist over the mountains. I absolutely love Santa Barbara. And that is precisely why I am going to give you all a list of where to stay, and what to do!

Where to Eat in Santa Barbara:

1. Olio Pizzeria– Great casual place off State Street and not too crowded on weekends! We got a fantastic pistachio arugula salad to go with our pizza.

2. Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar– Located in the Public Market, so we ordered take-out since it can get crowded in there! We were not disappointed.

3. McConnell’s Ice Cream– Go to the one on Mission Street, they also serve frozen yogurt! They have world famous ice cream and such interesting flavors! I got the peanut butter cup vanilla combo that I love, but Jack ordered a boysenberry rhubarb to-die-for flavor.

What to Do:

1. Santa Barbara Mission- Such neat history! We did a photoshoot here at golden hour so it was closed, so make sure to go when it’s open and you can go inside!

2. Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens- We took a lazy afternoon to stroll through the gardens. Since it was fall, we didn’t see many flowers, but we found fall foliage in SB!

3. Butterfly Beach- It’s in Montecito directly across from the Four Seasons… Need I say more?

Where to Stay:

1. Our Airbnb- Just magical. Reserve here.

2. Bacara Resort- If you are looking to splurge! Totally worth it! If not, you can just pop over there for some lunch or your viewing pleasure.

Hope you all found this helpful!

Let me know if you end up doing any of these things!

Love,
Lauren

Photos: Jack Van Leeuwen & me 🙂

Outfit Details: Dress- Bel Kazan, Bag- Serengetee, Wedges- Viscata