Preface: Welcome to one of my Short City Adventures. These are shorter not due to any lack of affection for the featured locations, but because the visits were either brief, offering just a glimpse of the city, or because the cities only have a handful of attractions. Join me and discover whether these cities might interest you.
Santa Barbara, “just” another coastal city in California? Unlike having clear likes and dislikes toward a city like Paris, my feelings toward Santa Barbara are mixed and unclear, just like the misty summer breeze there.
We stayed in Isla Vista, the university side of the city, which made it quite difficult to get downtown without a car. Although confined in Isla Vista, we were able to explore the streets and surprisingly encountered some strangely-shaped houses, get hit by the salty, fishy humid sea haze, and enjoy our favorite white wines. The restaurants in town weren’t that satisfying, so we cooked at the apartment a lot.
It was June – sunny and humid, but never hot. I began to understand why people love California. It was the first time I had ever seen the mist in the city that shaded everything. The orange sunset with palm trees in the foreground is the California of my dreams. The dream turned to a bit of a nightmare when we got closer to the coast – the smell became more fishy. Black seaweed washed up with the waves, like barriers preventing people from going too deep into the water, which was probably for the best. As someone with a phobia of bugs, I felt really uncomfortable with the sand hoppers on the beach.
Santa Barbara might not be my ideal place to live, given its inconvenient accessibility and sprawling layout. However, with a glimpse of the California dream – the misty haze mixed with music, refreshing salted air, and endless desert landscapes – I could drink it all in.
The Real Santa Barbara: Sunny Days and Misty Dreams
Preface: Welcome to one of my Short City Adventures. These are shorter not due to any lack of affection for the featured locations, but because the visits were either brief, offering just a glimpse of the city, or because the cities only have a handful of attractions. Join me and discover whether these cities might interest you.
Santa Barbara, “just” another coastal city in California? Unlike having clear likes and dislikes toward a city like Paris, my feelings toward Santa Barbara are mixed and unclear, just like the misty summer breeze there.
We stayed in Isla Vista, the university side of the city, which made it quite difficult to get downtown without a car. Although confined in Isla Vista, we were able to explore the streets and surprisingly encountered some strangely-shaped houses, get hit by the salty, fishy humid sea haze, and enjoy our favorite white wines. The restaurants in town weren’t that satisfying, so we cooked at the apartment a lot.
It was June – sunny and humid, but never hot. I began to understand why people love California. It was the first time I had ever seen the mist in the city that shaded everything. The orange sunset with palm trees in the foreground is the California of my dreams. The dream turned to a bit of a nightmare when we got closer to the coast – the smell became more fishy. Black seaweed washed up with the waves, like barriers preventing people from going too deep into the water, which was probably for the best. As someone with a phobia of bugs, I felt really uncomfortable with the sand hoppers on the beach.
Santa Barbara might not be my ideal place to live, given its inconvenient accessibility and sprawling layout. However, with a glimpse of the California dream – the misty haze mixed with music, refreshing salted air, and endless desert landscapes – I could drink it all in.