2011 Santa Barbara Day 3

The plan for the day was to go for a bike ride. After breakfast at hotel, we picked up a pair of bikes at the hotel spa about 9 a.m.. We had discussed bringing our own bikes, but I had dismissed the idea. When I saw the hotel bikes, I regretted it; they were heavy, single speed cruiser bikes.

We rode 3 miles from the Four Seasons to the Stearns Wharf. From there, we turned and rode up State Street. Our first stop was the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The courthouse is situated on an entire block within the downtown core of the city, a site of 4 2/3's acres. The general design and layout of the courthouse follows a modified Spanish castle plan. We did a walking tour including visiting the tower and the Mural Room. Unfortunately, it was foggy and there was not much of a view of the city from the tower. Completed in 1929, the building is a California Historical Landmark.

From there, we decided to head to the Santa Barbara Mission. It was only a little over a mile away, but it was a steady uphill climb. On single speed cruisers, it was a lot of work. At the mission, we did a self guided tour. The area that you are allowed to tour is fairly small, but well maintained. The cemetery and its giant fig tree were interesting. The church is long and narrow.

It was downhill from the mission back towards the beach. I made quick stops at the Presidio and the Lobero Theater. We had a leisurely lunch at the Wine Bistro on State Street.

After lunch, we rode north from Stearns Wharf to the yacht club before turning around and heading back to the hotel. Sharon stopped along the way and took a picture of the Santa Barbara Ukulete Club for Morgan. In total, we covered more than 13 miles. It seemed like a longer ride. Returning the bikes, we stopped at the room and then walked into Montecito. We wandered by the restaurant where we had reservations for dinner and Sharon stopped in a few shops. In total, we walked another 2 miles!

For years, Sharon has been haranguing about getting a massage. I finally relented. After a quick drink at the hotel bar overlooking the ocean, we went to the spa and got a couples massage.

We finished the day with a late dinner at Lucky's in Montecito. When we wandered in a little before 8 p.m. and the place was packed. We had a very good dinner; Sharon had braised short ribs, while I had abalone. We shared a bottle of Sea Smoke Pinot Noir. This was a much nicer dinner than the first night at Tydes.