Santa Barbara

 Over the weekend we visited Santa Barbara. The catalyst for this trip was our desire to spend time with our dear friends, Casey and Amanda. As we discussed potential locations, I mentioned my interest in seeing the Monarch Butterflies during their migration through California. Amanda's co-worker suggested visiting the grove in Goleta, right by Santa Barbara. We were all interested in visiting Santa Barbara so it was settled. 

Alison and I took Friday off of work and drove to Santa Barbara. It is a little longer than most of the other California destinations we visit and ended up taking ~12 hours. Including two stops for gas, food, and to use the bathroom. Overall we made great time and the drive was uneventful. 

Alison and I stayed quite a ways outside of Santa Barabra in Solvang. We chose Solvang because the hotel was a good deal. We only partially realized how far it was outside of Santa Barabara, but it turned out we really liked Solvang. Solvang is a cute little town that went heavy on Danish-style architecture and lots of Danish shops - so of course Alison chose to stay here since she has such strong Danish roots. 

We met up with Casey and Amanda on Saturday morning for a hike to some hot springs near Montecito, CA. It was an ideal morning for a hike and we were thrilled to catch up while we enjoyed the beauty of the hills, hot springs, and ocean vistas. The hike was supposed to be a loop, but true to form we missed a turn somewhere along the way and found ourselves on top of a large hill overlooking Santa Barbara. At that point, we realized we had made a wrong turn and trekked back down the way we came. 

In the afternoon Alison and I want back to Solvang to get cleaned up. While we were there we grabbed lunch at a local place and did some exploring. There is a little Christmas shop in Solvang - Alison loves Christmas shops so we spent some time looking for a few ornaments to bring home with us. We were successful. 

In the evening we met back up with Casey and Amanda in Santa Barbara proper. We mostly hung out around the State Street area. This area is quite vibrant and full of restaurants and shopping. Santa Barabara is a beautiful place. Our first stop was McConnell's, a local ice cream shop. It was amazing. Right up there with Salt & Straw in flavor and quality. We walked to Stearn's Wharf where we watched a spectacular sunset before getting dinner at Flor De Maiz. It was a fresh Mexican place - so good. 

On Saturday we took the morning a little slower. When Alison and I got up we went to breakfast at Paula's Pancake House, which is a happening place to get breakfast in Solvang. It was very good. After breakfast we met up with Casey and Amanda at the Goleta Butterfly Grove. 

Seeing the annual butterfly migration through California has been on my to-do list for over a decade, ever since I lived in Capitola back in 2010-2011. Each year between November and February tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Monarch Butterflies living west of the Rocky Mountains congregate in groves along the California coast to escape the freezing temperatures. In November 2020 Alison and I visited a butterfly grove in Pacific Grove. That year due to extensive wildfires there were only 2,000 Monarch Butterflies counted in all of California and zero were in Pacific Grove. Ever since 2020 I have kept an eye on the annual butterfly counts and I have been looking for a reason to try to visit a butterfly grove again. This trip provided that opportunity and fortunately the butterfly population, while still low historically, has rebounded from the record lows of 2020. 

Seeing the thousands of butterflies in person was remarkable. We parked and had a short easy hike to the grove. As we hiked we would see the occasional Monarch flit pass. When you first arrive at the grove it can be a bit deceptive. At first you notice a handful of Monarchs hanging from a tree. It isn't until you look closer that you realize that what looks like leaves are actually thousands of Monarchs clustered together. It is a really incredible sight. Alison, Casey, and Amanda indulged me as I stood for a long time and took in this sight and I took so many pictures. Seeing the Monarch Butterflies in the grove was everything I hoped it would be. 

There are ~7,000 Monarch Butterflies clustered on this tree. You could easily walk by without noticing them if you weren't paying close attention. 

The grove is a short hike from the ocean. So we left the grove and headed to a cliff overlooking a beach. The view was magnificent. After soaking in the view and ocean breeze we headed back through the grove to our cars. I couldn't pass the butterflies without stopping for one more look. 

Alison and I also stopped by Chaucer's Books a local independent bookstore in Santa Barbara. It wasn't our favorite local bookstore, but they did have a good selection. Alison and I chose three to take home with us - a children's book: The End Is Just the Beginning, which prominetly features butterflies; a book for Alison: The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism, since one of Alison's passions is journalism; and a book for me: Serpent, Siren, Maelstrom & Myth: Sea Stories and Folktales from Around the World, since one of my interests is mythology. As we were checking out the teller noticed my shirt was from when I ran the New York Marathon, turns out he also ran it in 2002. We bonded over that shared experience. Chaucer's Books was worth the stop. 

We met up with Casey and Amanda at the Santa Barbara harbor and spent the evening walking around Santa Barbara. Of course of first stop was McConnell's for some ice cream - so freaking good. Then we made our way to the peir to watch a magnificent sunset, after which we took a stroll along the beach. We enjoyed the beauty around us and enjoyed talking. As the evening waned away we found an Italian place for dinner - Mizza. The food was excellent, but perhaps the best thing about this restaurant was the fire table we sat at. As the hostess was seating us she asked if we would like to sit at the fire table. She barely had the words out of her mouth before I gave a forceful "Yes!". I mean who wouldn't want to sit at a fire table. It was the perfect setting to enjoy a final meal together. Afterward we had a nice long walk back to our cars, but when we got there Alison was loathe to say farewell. The time did pass too quickly. Casey and Amanda are some of our nearest and dearest friends. We treasured the conversations and adventures we shared this weekend and we cannot wait for our next shared adventure.