One of the best thing about Los Angeles is that a getaway is less than two hours away. I experienced one of the greatest quick trip out of the city. The purpose of this trip was definitely to just eat and drink. In this blog post, I will share my itinerary of my trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.
Getting to Santa Barbara
Of course you can drive, but I decided to take the train to add to the adventure. I pre-purchased the tickets via Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. We took the 9:15am train and arrived to Santa Barbara around 11:30. On the way to Santa Barbara, I got a business class ticket because you are offered complimentary beverages and pastries. On the ride, we also bought mini bottles of wine because if you’re not driving, you might as well turn up.
Our return train we had a coach ticket. The train was a bit delayed. We were supposed to leave at 6:45 but left closer to 7:20. We did not get back to Los Angeles until after 10. It seemed like our return had more stops. My suggestion is to be mindful of the travel times
Where to Eat
Cajun Kitchen
Cajun Kitchen was a great starting point. We opted on taking an Uber to the location, which was about a 7 minute drive, opposed to walking which would have been about 20 minutes from the Santa Barbara Train Station.
I ordered a peach bellini to accompany the crab cake benedict and potatoes, which was absolutely delicious. My friend order a glass of prosecco and jambalaya that she enjoyed.
The service was great and the meal was also fairly priced.
The Harbor Restaurant
We stumbled into the Harbor Restaurant for a quick bite. I had the caesar salad and a bowl of clam chowder. I figured that clam chowder would be great near the water. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t that good either. This wasn’t a planned outing but was enough to hold us over.
Santo Mezcal
While the food looked delicious, we stopped into Santo Mezcal for just drinks and chips. I had to the Jamaica margarita which I loved. The salsa was also tasty.
McConnell’s
You know you need something sweet after a meal. A simple walk across the street from Santo Mezcal is McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams. They have some great flavors but I opted for Santa Barbara Strawberry on a waffle cone. It was so fresh and delicious. I absolutely loved it.
What to do
Wine Tasting
We only did one wine tasting at Deep Sea wine. The wine was not good. However, the tasting room was really close to the dock where we were getting on the boat.
Boat Tour
One of the best decisions was to take the boat tour. Celebration Cruises offers one hour boat cruises throughout the day. We opted for the VIP tour, which is $35 and gives you access to the top deck. We were fortunate to see a small whale. You will also get to see the sea lions hanging out.
