Life By Appointment: Santa Barbara Photo Diary

The picturesque town of Santa Barbara was the perfect destination for our mini-vacation last weekend. Our 2 days there were full of beautiful sights, good eats, and lots of rest and relaxation.

Saturday morning, Mr. J and I walked into town to grab some fresh pastries and coffee from D'Angelo's (highly recommend the almond croissant and poppy twist). We then headed over to Metropulos to pick up some gourmet sandwiches to bring with us on our hike to the 3 Pools Beyond 7 Falls, which is a hidden trail off of the more popular and well-marked Tunnel Trail. Now I've done my fair share of hiking when we lived in Denver, but I was not prepared for the canyoning and rock-climbing skills required to reach the 3 pools. Fortunately, we ran into Bob, a friendly and experienced local hiker, who guided us through the tough climbs. After the hike, we sauntered down Santa Barbara's "urban wine trail" and stumbled upon the soft opening of the Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company. We ended the day by stuffing ourselves with fresh crab and lobsters at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company on Stearns Wharf.

We enjoyed a lazy Sunday exploring Santa Barbara's downtown and its gorgeous coast. And the best part of the weekend? Having Monday off to recuperate and prepare ourselves for the (shortened) work week ahead!