Santa Barbara Fiesta Weekend

Accommodations

We were lucky enough to AirBnB the famous El Zapato house designed by Local architect Jeff Shelton.  Mr. Shelton has designed such building at El Jardin and the Ablitt Tower which also grace the Santa Barbara downtown area.   

Fiesta Parade

Although not the official reason for our trip we were delighted to learn that it was Fiesta Weekend, also known as Old Spanish Days, in Santa Barbara.  The Old Spanish Days Parade includes over 600 horses making it the country's largest equestrian parade.  The people in Santa Barbara take their parades SERIOUSLY and set up for the parade the day before.  

 

Fiesta And Old Spanish Days

Fiesta brings out the reveler in everyone. Between the parties and parades, there is always a good time to be had.

Smashing confetti-filled eggs on the heads of friends, strangers and even to an occasional police officer is a long-standing tradition at the parade and the after parties.   

It is not uncommon for Fiesta-goers to find confetti in cracks and crevasses for weeks after the actual celebration.

Sailing the Channel and saying Goodbye

The actual purpose of our visit was to spread the ashes of a friend at sea in the channel off of Santa Barbara's coast.

Our Captain "Spencer" from Santa Barbara Sailing Center navigated us around the channel with the utmost of expertise.  

 

Palace Grill 

The Palace Grill is known for many things. Mostly the wonderful service and their great food.  They are also famous for their Cajun Martini. Marinated for 24 hours these martinis have a flavor that I have never been able to replicate even though I have tried several times.  

Be sure to order your souffle early as it takes about 30 minutes to bake.  We opted for the dark chocolate souffle but there are several wonderful desserts to choose from including a bananas foster.

East Beach

For some of the best sunsets in Santa Barbara make sure to visit East Beach where you can also play volleyball during the day.

East beach provides courts that are often used by professional beach volleyball players for practice during the day.

Also, be sure to check out the Santa Barbara Zoo across Cabrillo Blvd from East Beach.

Solvang

The quaint Danish town of Solvang just north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Valley makes a great stop for those who are traveling to or from the north.  This charming little town provides a plethora of shopping and dining venues to choose from.


Be sure to stop by the Solvang Shoe Store and take a picture with the famous Red Shoe as featured in Huell Howser's visit to Solvang - Road Trip.