Happy Spring Break, friends!!! For those of you enjoying some time off right now or next week, I’ve put together some fun day trips and one of my favorite weekend getaway spots. In this busy fast paced world, it’s so nice to take a breather, even if its just for a day. I’ve made that even easier to do by sharing a play by play of some of my favorite cities to visit, restaurants/bars & hotels I recommend! Happy Easter to all as well!
Santa Barbara Weekend Getaway
This, by far, is one of the most gorgeous beach cities I’ve visited in CA. It’s about a 2-3 hour drive along the coast, with beautiful beach views along the way and is a hip and accessible downtown/beach city. You want to stay near or on State Street if you’re looking to be walking distance from the downtown area.
(Hotel Santa Barbara)
(View from our table @Moby Dicks)
(Santa Barbara Pier)
(He’s so Handsome!!)
We stayed at Hotel Santa Barbara and felt it was the perfect location. For a casual breakfast I recommend Sambos; their fresh blueberry muffins are the best & it also has a beach front location. As for appetizers, drinks and dinner spots, we really enjoyed Moby Dick’s for apps and cocktails to start the night. This was about a 10-15 min walk from the hotel on the board walk, which allows you to get a feel for all Santa Barbara has to offer. For dinner we went to Cadiz Restaurant & Bar a Italian/Seafood cusine & absolutely loved the ambiance and location which was just outside of our hotel.
During the day we explored a went on a hike at Inspiration point also located just 20 min outside of where we were staying. The last day we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo. I have to say I was very impressed, they did a beautiful job of recreating the natural habitat that the animals lived in. It was a rather larger zoo than any I’ve been to before. This was by far one of Justin’s favorite highlights of our trip! It was like he was a kid again, seeing all the animals. 
If you’re looking to enjoy a romantic dinner in a more private location then you most definitely have to check out Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach. Justin surprised me with a mystery date one of the nights we visited SB and I just thought it was so gorgeous and a perfect place for some one-on-one time together with beautiful beach views and elegant atmosphere. This is about 15 min away from the hotel but totally worth it!!
(Date Night @ The Red Piano Bar)
For after dinner drinks and dancing, I highly recommend The Red Piano Bar. This was also located just outside of our hotel. It’s a cozy red piano bar on State Street, which has a ton of other places to hop around to.
Catalina Day Trip
(Newport Beach Flyer)
(Exploring The Botanical Gardens)
(Mom outside of Original Jacks County Kitchen)
(View from the top of our hike)
(Great Family Day Trip)
We took the Catalina Flyer leaving out of Newport Beach. It was a beautiful 45 min ride over to the island. We stopped and had breakfast at one of the local spots called Original Jacks County Kitchen. From there we walked around and enjoy the local shops & beach, which is all within walking distance from where they drop you off. We then took a taxi up to the botanical gardens, which was just beautiful with amazing views!
LA Day Trip
(Santa Monica Pier)
(Santa Monica )
(Shutter on the Beach)
Melrose – This is a super hipster street in LA just 15 min away from Hollywood. One of my favorite spots to visit for brunch is Blue Jam Cafe & if you like hot dogs then you have to stop at Pinks famous Hot Dog stand! You’ll find a mix of vintage stores and unique and edgy LA style clothing. You can easily walk a few miles and enjoy a drink, shopping and have the full LA vibe experience.
Santa Monica – This is located on the beach. Lots of art, shopping and plenty of restaurants to visit here. We did a day trip last summer to celebrate a job promotion for Justin. I thought what better way to celebrate than a little LA fun before he got back to business. We started with some drinks and a quaint and fabulous view at Shutters on the beach. This beachfront hotel is a must try. It’s a smaller more quaint style hotel, still with a crisp and clean interior. From here we walked down the boardwalk to Santa Monica and enjoyed some corn dogs and did a little shopping. We walked around for a few hours and enjoyed the LA vibes all within walking distance from one another. To end our trip we went to The Bungalow, which is a bar with a very cozy feel. It reminds me of a bungalow beach house with comfy chairs, huge bar and a beach view! This is just a few minute drive from the pier.
Santa Monica would be a great place for a day date or even a family day trip!
(The Bungalow)
