SAnta barbarA, CA

First day of our driving adventure started off perfectly with a four-hour delay from Mountain View and a very rushed and poorly packed car. However, the sun was shining bright and with the final Harry Potter audiobook playing on the stereo, we said goodbye to Theodor’s birthplace and left our home for the past two years.

After a quick stop for surprise tacos at a local bakery (?), we reached our first stop, Santa Barbara in the early evening. We drove straight for our first restaurant, which was located in a beautiful old hotel. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to think so, as we were practically the only people there.

Following dinner, we headed for Hotel Hideaway, a small, six-room boutique hotel with a nice beach house-like feel. Alexandra made herself the hero of the day by saving a batch of cookies from being horribly burnt. Our reward — glasses filled to the brim with champagne.

Next morning we ate breakfast made by a nice French lady in the large and beautiful sunroom, and Theodor especially enjoyed their homemade cookies and banana bread. It was a cloudy day, but pleasant, and we took a stroll through the historic city center towards the pier. Strangely enough, we found ourselves to be practically the only people walking around the city. As we reached the end of the pier, we were pleasantly surprised to see both seals, sea lions and dolphins swimming around.

We took a brief walk through the Funk Zone, but since construction work and a sleeping baby do not mix well, we ended up going for ice cream before heading to lunch, because we’re adults. However, a guy in the Zone gave an explanation for the seemingly empty streets — apparently, the locals only emerge with their guns out, when the sun’s out. True enough, once we came out from lunch, the sun was shining bright, and the streets were packed with people. Sadly, it was time for us to leave for our next destination.