Recently, my family and I spent a weekend in Santa Barbara, which is a city on the central California coast that is known for it’s sandy beaches and Spanish vibe. It is approximately 2.5 hours from Orange County. We wanted to getaway for a couple days before the kids went back to school. I redeemed my Chase Hyatt anniversary award nights to stay at the Mar Monte hotel, formerly known as the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara. The beachfront hotel is across from East Beach and is walking distance to Stearns Wharf. Also, it’s near the famous and colorful Chromatic Gate.
There are many awesome things to do in Santa Barbara from swimming at the beach, hiking in the mountains to exploring interesting Spanish architecture. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, some places were closed. However, we were happy that we got to explore some of Santa Barbara’s beautiful landmarks.
Chromatic Gate
Have you ever wanted to walk through a rainbow? Well, you can do that at the Chromatic Gate. Itβs 21 feet tall, weighs 12.5 tons and designed by the renown artist, Herbert Bayer. Tip: Go at sunrise or sunset to avoid the harsh sun on the Chromatic Gate.
Where to find it: 633 East Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
Hilton Blue Chair
Across the street from the Chromatic Gate is the Hilton hotel and it has a giant blue chair on the front lawn.
Where to find it: 633 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
Yellow Garage Door
Did you know yellow is the color of happiness, creativity, sunshine and optimism? This colorful yellow garage door can be found at Funk Factory SB.
Where to find it: 208 Gray Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Mesa Lane Beach
Mesa Lane Beach is a narrow beach and accessible during low tides for walking. The beach is mostly underwater during high tide. Tip: Check the tide chart before going.
Where to find it: 2341 Edgewater Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Stearns Wharf
Stearns Wharf is one of Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmarks. It is a wooden pier that is home to restaurants, shops and it offers beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean.
Where to find it: 217 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Paseo Nuevo
The Paseo Nuevo is a Spanish style, outdoor shopping center in downtown district. There are two staircases next to each other near Eureka restaurant. These stairs make pretty background for your photo.
Where to find it: 601 Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Old Mission Santa Barbara
This beautiful Spanish mission that was founded by the Franciscan order. It was the tenth of 21 Franciscan missions in California. The museum and tour are closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Where to find it: 2201 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
County Courthouse
This beautiful Spanish architecture style courthouse was designed by William Mooser. The courthouse is surrounded by landscape gardens and lawns. There is an observation platform at the top of the El Mirador Tower to see the incredible view of the city. However, it’s closed during the pandemic.
Where to find it: 1100 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Lizards Mouth Rock
Sunrise or sunset is the best time to see the Lizard Mouth Rock, which is the mountain top rock formation overlooking the city. The road to it is narrow and curvy. The sun glare, which occurs right before the sunset can make it harder to see the road ahead so be careful when you drive to there. However, the view here is incredible and worth the drive. Tip: Keep an eye out for the wooden sign that says Lizards Mouth Rock as it can be hard to see from the road. Round trip is 0.5 mile.
Where to find it: 6325 W. Camino Cielo, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
Overall, we enjoyed staying at the Mar Monte hotel due to it’s perfect location and had a wonderful time exploring Santa Barbara. If you do enjoy this article, remember to pin it for future reading.