California Vacation
in Santa Barbara

My daughter's adventure began as we made our descent into California vacation in Santa Barbara. "Are we over the ocean and are those mountains?!" What a beautiful sight. As we taxied on the runway and approached the terminal we noticed that there were no long tunnels attaching to our plane, instead they opened the door and we walked down the stairs to the runway. We walked toward the terminal and noticed the blue skies, cool air and the palm trees. What a change from the warm, humid air of Ohio.

We visited many playgrounds on our visits. One was especially nice nestled among some very old, tall trees. Across the street was a park with a beautiful walking bridge and many large goldfish. The flowers were beautiful and fragrant.

As my daughter's week began she vowed to spend as much time in the sand and ocean as possible. She saw several sea lions, pelicans, seagulls and fish. One of her favorite walks was out on Stern's Wharf. You could spot lots of sea life as you walked out, but I think her favorite destination was the candy and ice cream shops. The grilled cheese sandwich at Moby Dick's was superb! (This was mom and dad's favorite too!)

She spent a lot of evenings walking along the beach with us as we watched rollerbladers and cyclists. It was also fun to stop and watch the kids work out in the skateboard pit. One of her favorite destinations on this walk was the antique Merry-go-round and the playground in the park.

My daughter enjoyed the times we could walk down State Street and pop into any store we wanted. One store she found a beautiful mask with feathers, of course she had to have it.

There were many fountains to admire and restaurants to eat in. She could walk forever one way, but by the time we reached the end of State Street she begged to take the trolley back. For 25 cents who could argue! We watched the many musicians, magicians and mimes along the way. The fruit market held many treasures. The strawberries were excellent and the plants my daughter decided to bring home in her backpack were unusual.

Our most wonderful adventure in Santa Barbara was an old stage coach stop called Cold Spring Tavern. What a find! Talk about stepping back in time. This place had charm. The spring that ran down the mountain was cool, but the miniature house that she could get in was even better. The food was the best surprise, Wow!! She didn't want to leave until she could explore the whole area.

Would Santa Barbara be a good place to take your kids, ask mine! I'm sure she can tell you all about the many wonderful places she discovered. Oh, she wants to go back this summer!