Every time Jason and I visit his parents in Southern California, we try to have at least one day trip somewhere fun - there’s so many beautiful places in Southern California and we want to take advantage of it! This time, we decided to do an overnight trip to Santa Barbara. We loved our time there and would love to go back one day. Keep reading to find out what to do in Santa Barbara!

Where to Stay

Hotel Milo

In my search for hotels in Santa Barbara, Hotel Milo kept popping up as a fantastic place to stay. I looked into it and ended up reaching out to them for a collaboration, and they said yes! I was so grateful for my stay at Hotel Milo. Their property spans a few blocks with multiple fire pits, 2 pools and a hot tub, and balconies and rooftops with wonderful views. Did I mention it’s also right across the street from the ocean? Another great perk from Hotel Milo was their complimentary bicycles. Jason and I rode along the beach at sunset, and the next morning we biked down to a café and had coffee and breakfast. It was so delightful! If you’re not sure where to stay in Santa Barbara, Hotel Milo is the easy choice!

Where to Eat

Caje Coffee Roasters

We rode our bicycles down to Caje Coffee Roasters in the morning and just loved it. It’s a greek cafe with a beautiful outdoor/indoor space. We ordered the breakfast burrito, which had gyro meat and amazing tzatziki sauce, and also the vanilla phyllo. There are multiple locations and each one has a slightly different menu. We went to the one on 1316 State Street, AKA the “Arlington” location. It is definitely the most instagrammable!

Los Agaves

For lunch we stopped at Los Agaves for some Mexican food (you can’t go to Santa Barbara and not get Mexican food). They have a large menu, and thankfully their staff is very friendly and willing to explain everything and house favorites. I ordered the Agaves Enchilada, which includes fresh shrimp and fish with pepper and onions, topped with chipotle sauce and mango pico. It was so delicious! And the servings are large so I saved my second enchilada as leftovers. It also came with rice and a salad.

The vibes are casual but also cool, with paintings of Frida Khalo and pottery.

They also have a buffet of salsas and sauces to try with complimentary tortilla chips. Yum!

Oku Sushi

For dinner we went to Oku Sushi and it was such an amazing choice. We were seated on the rooftop, which is right across from the ocean. The only thing I would change is getting an earlier reservation so we could watch the sunset. We both were pretty full from lunch so we just ordered one rainbow roll each. It was so buttery and melt-in-your-mouth. Definitely a great pick! If you’re wanting a more party vibe, make sure to sit inside where the action is.

What to Do

Self Guided Jeff Shelton Architecture Tour

I saw a picture of the Ablitt House on Pinterest and I thought it was a place in Spain. When I clicked on the image and saw that it was in Santa Barbara, I started planning a trip ASAP. We make a yearly trip out to Southern California to see my in-laws, so why not? We ended up doing a self-guided Jeff Shelton Architecture tour and saw 3 of his buildings. They’re all so unique, quirky, and stunning. You can even download a walking tour map on his website!

Bike down the Pier

Hotel Milo has complimentary bikes, so we biked down the pier at sunset. It was so fun and really beautiful! It’s a great way to see Santa Barbara and admire the water.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

For years I have wanted to see the poppies in California. Since they got so much rain this winter, they were blooming! Which meant that I took every opportunity to see them. We went to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and it was stunning. My favorite part was the valley - it was covered in poppies with the mountains (or “hill” as SoCal people say) in the background. Jason’s favorite part was the Redwood Trees. The Botanic Garden had a great variety of plants and areas.

If you have a membership at your local botanic garden, check to see if they partner with other gardens. We are members at the Chicago Botanic Garden, so we got free admission to this one!

State Street

We walked up and down State Street and had a good time just chatting and strolling. It’s full of shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. It’s so charming and a good place to hang out and take it easy.

Santa Barbara Courthouse

I heard about people loving the Santa Barbara Courthouse, but I wasn’t convinced it was worthy of being on our list of things to do. Until a local stopped us on the street and asked if we were tourists (hello my huge camera I always carry) because we had to see the courthouse. She gave us directions and it was only a few blocks away, so we hopped on our bikes and rode over!

Ok, so when people rave about the courthouse, I now know that they are not being dramatic. It is so gorgeous! The architecture alone is fabulous, but we got to walk around inside and it’s just stunning. If you’re going to get arrested, do it in Santa Barbara because being in that courthouse is just incredible. They also have a clocktower you can go to and see a 360 view of the city!

Have I convinced you to visit Santa Barbara yet? We spent 2 days there and had such a good time! We could have spent 1 more day there just relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

Also, another shoutout to Hotel Milo for sponsoring our stay! We had such an incredible time!

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