The holiday road. To this point, right at 1000 miles worth.  But first:  One of the reasons to stay off of the strip was so that I wouldn’t have to deal with people waking me up on their way in from their night out.  So, to the woman who decided to have a conversation in the hall at 4am, thanks.  I wanted to get on up and get going anyway.  We had prepped the girls in advance that today would be lots of riding and true to form for this trip, they were awesome.  But seriously, whoever designed I-15 from Vegas on in had very little to work with.  the scenery outside the car didn’t change for hundreds of miles.  Only once we passed Victorville did the sights begin to go from desert depressing to overcast and foggy.  Wait, overcast?  Foggy?  Isn’t this supposed to be Southern California where the sun shines?  Not today my friends.

That’s ok though.  We absolutely made a silk purse from a sow’s ear on this one.  The boss had done her homework researching some places to drive past once we arrived in Los Angeles.  After weaving our way through most of Los Angeles County we made it to our first stop, Barnsdall Park.  The park would have afforded 360 degree views of the city and the surrounding hills, if we could’ve seen ’em.  The clouds made it difficult but we were able to briefly catch a glimpse of the the Griffith Park Observatory and even just briefly, the Hollywood sign.  Since we were on Hollywood Blvd., we moseyed on down and took in the sights.  We caught glimpses of the Dolby Theater, the Chinese Theater, lots of the stars on the Walk of Fame, and then we pointed towards the ocean.  We cruised down Sunset Blvd. and saw the Chateau Marmont and The Whiskey A Go-Go.  After that it was an easy drive through Beverly Hills taking everything in.  Eventually, we made it to Santa Monica.

Once there, we opted to grab some lunch and ducked into a joint called Pizza Antica.  The pizzas here were amazing.  The girls all shared a Margherita Pizza while I decided to have the pizza with shaved broccoli, caramelized onions, and bacon.  Wow.  The food was wonderful and the service was great as well.  Since we opted to share our meals, the bill was very reasonable.  I wouldn’t hesitate to return to the is restaurant.  It helps that the food was a quick walk to the Santa Monica Pier.  I had high hopes for the pier, but honestly it was just sort of meh.  The beach was wide and we were able to put our feet in the sand, but since it was 65 degrees and cloudy, it didn’t feel like much of a beach day.  Nevertheless, we had our fill, bought a few souvenirs, and pointed the family truckster north towards Santa Barbara.

The disembodied voice on my phone that tells me how to get from place to place (I call her Marilyn) noted that it was about 80 miles to our hotel and that it would take 2 and a half hours to get there.  I thought to myself, surely no.  It can’t be that bad.  It was.  The traffic was abysmal.  Because there is so little space for so many people between the mountains and the coast, traffic was a challenge.  We didn’t let it bother us and Marilyn, the boss, and me successfully guided our hearty crew into Santa Barbara.  I will say that the Pacific Coast Highway is nice on this stretch though Malibu was a bit of a surprise.  I was expecting fancy but what I got was Myrtle Beach on the Pacific.  Oh well, the disappointment would be short-lived.

Santa Barbara.  Oh, Santa Barbara.  How have I never graced your streets before?  This town is a vision.  Spanish architecture, a laid-back vibe, wonderful shopping, and great dining.  That’s just to start.  I didn’t even make it down to the Ocean.  We checked into our wonderfully 1950s but completely updated La Quinta on State Street around 5 this evening.  We were assigned room 114 which is in one of the bungalows out back with its own patio.  After quickly dropping off our stuff we decided to see what State Street had to offer.  The shopping was pleasant and we all had success in our purchases.  From a cool shirt for me to a cool shirt for Lucy, we all had fun.  Sadly, our lunch was long-gone so we were in need of sustenance.

Had I been told when I was planning this trip that I’d be eating at a German Brat Haus (Hoffmann’s) in Santa Barbara, outside, in June, in 65 degree weather, I wouldn’t have believed you.  Yet the food was fantastic and since I could opt out of the bun, it was just the right amount of food.  Also, we had stopped by the Lilac Patisserie earlier and bought a brownie cheesecake that needed our attention soon.  After a few more stops including a hat shop and a grocery store we made it back to our room. Santa Barbara is a great town.  I would come back here in an instant to spend more time prowling her streets, checking our her buildings, and strolling through the shops.  This town does seemingly have everything.  For my money, this has been the best non-natural place we have visited.  It wouldn’t be fair to compare the Grand Canyon with Santa Barbara.  I mean, I like grapefruit and I like apples, but they are different, right?  But if you had me choose between Granny Smith’s and Gala, well, friend, Granny Smith is gonna win every time.  So thanks to you Santa Barbara for being a great high spot for our day.

Now, we bed on down.  We are all looking forward to a relaxed day tomorrow.  We only have a  short drive ahead of us so we can take our time.  We can sleep in, enjoy our patio, and spend some time on the beach.  Now, if I can only get that sun to show himself…