{trip report} Day 3: Santa Barbara Harbor & Brophy Bros.

Check out the Mission, drive through the town, walk around a bit, but make for damn sure you go to Brophy Bros. Restaurant and Clam Bar. The view, the staff, the food, not sure what was my favorite, but this place ranks in my top memories from my entire trip. 

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Few things warm my soul more than an active fish market – smells and everything. Clearly Caleb was intrigued as well. 

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Not sure how this happened, but for my favorite meal, I didn’t capture but one picture…of my second oyster. It was amazing – the fresh taste of the ocean, earthy and lemony. I was probably too busy scarfing super fresh little shrimp with tons of horseradishy cocktail sauce, then a warm bowl of the best clam chowder I’ve ever had to shot pictures. Wrap me up with a heaping bowl of seafood pasta and this place gets my vote. The resulting food coma was glorious. This mid-afternoon meal replaced lunch and dinner. 

My brother had a sharkfish (or something) and wasn’t impressed, but my parents enjoyed the salmon dish they split. The atmosphere swayed us incredibly positive either way. 

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My parents smiling while we walked around the harbor. We stopped and looked at boats for sale along the shops and dreamed about life in Santa Barbara. It could happen! This was the first place we visited in California that I could see myself living. The house styles, the ocean, the general calm of grown up successful hippies does a place really well. 

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Have you been to Santa Barbara? What did you think in comparison to other California towns?

My morning inspiration

This week I’ve been rehashing my trip to California more than a month ago. It’s been so fun to finally go through all my pictures! This set is my Friday inspiration – I hope you find as much calming energy as I do when I look through these. Enjoy! 

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These were taken early in the morning on the pier that once belonged to William Randolph Hearst’s family. We started day four of the trip here, across the highway from the entryway to his castle, this place was incredible. You’ll notice how few houses there are in the background. This serene stretch of land in central California is dreamy and calms me down whenever I look at it.

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I love being in the middle of nowhere and by an ocean at the same time. Where do you go to seek inspiration?

{trip report} Day 3: Mission Santa Barbara

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On day three of the Highway 1 trip we headed to a town that my mom told me was her favorite in California. As she reminisced her own family’s roadtrip in the 60s, I knew this place was going to be special. Santa Barbara is magical. The hilly land with blue as far as the eyes can see – the sky and the ocean. 

We went to the Mission Santa Barbara and, while I’ll reserve my opinions on colonial rule and it’s impact on the “New World,” I’m happy to report those Spanish friars make some great looking buildings. 

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Ready for some unintentional porn?

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Yep – I’m mature…taking pictures of this in the middle of the cemetery in a Mission. With skull and crossbones looking over me. Good, Eliza, good.

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There’s this massive tree in the middle of the grounds and under it are some 4,000 people buried over the course of the years. The energy there isn’t sad though, it was just plain calm and beautiful.

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The chapel had incredible acoustics and my mom belted out a song in the middle of it!

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The art hung on the walls was dark, but very pretty. It was really dark inside compared to the beautiful light everyone else around the grounds. And there were some great features hidden throughout. The warm building designs meshed nicely with the darker art on the walls. 

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The fountain in front of the Mission had stunning flowers, these pictures don’t do them justice. 

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How cute are they? Shortly after this picture was taken, I was pooped on by a bird. Good luck, right?

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Mission Santa Barbara is a must visit in Santa Barbara, but doesn’t need a full day. We could’ve done the entire thing – museum, church, grounds – in about an hour or two max. Afterwards, walk around down town Santa Barbara and work up a good hunger.

Once you’re good and hangry, head to the harbor. Seriously. More to come on that. 

Mani(cure) Monday & Wanderlust: White Sand Beaches

After a very long hiatus from my silly hobby of painting my nails and putting them up here…I’m back! I love nail polish and traveling. Combining the two today. A manicure inspired by Caribbean white sand beaches and turquoise waters. I’ve never been, but its on the travel bucket list.

Pretty pictures of where I’d love to go:

Source: sniqueaway.com via Eliza on Pinterest

Source: pinksandsresort.com via Eliza on Pinterest

 

The manicure that’s going to keep me dreaming about the beach all week and leading into my California vacation:

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Essie: Turquoise and Caicos

OPI: Skull and Glossboness

Topcoat: Essie, No Chips Aheads

Source: pinterestschunt125.blogspot.com via Colette on Pinterest

 

 

Quarter Century Bucket List – Wish me luck!

I had a birthday this week, the big 2-4. Might not seem like a big deal, my coworkers think I???m crazy, but I feel old. Not because 24 is actually old, but because (almost) a quarter century is a heck of a lot of life to have lived! I figured this is a good time to make my bucket list ??? not for my whole life, but just for the year. Small goals are easier to achieve, right? I???m fashioning this bad boy after a list I read by a good friend Jeana (she manhandled her list, I plan to be as successful).

By the end of summer:

???????????? Volunteer once per month
???????????? Church every other month
???????????? Donate one third of my closet (hence only keeping the things that I wear)
???????????? Purchase all white sheets and comforter (ultimate luxury that is both impractical and utterly gorgeous)
???????????? Purchase television
???????????? Worry less
???????????? Drink more
???????????? Or should that be drink more and worry less?
???????????? Learn how to use the weight machines at my gym
???????????? Begin weight training
???????????? Join a rugby team (played in college, miss it dearly)
???????????? Wear more high heels
???????????? Eat more with my girlfriends and explore Chicago restaurants

???????????? Cook more food, eat more interesting foods (these two go hand in hand)

By the end of year 24:

???????????? Real estate education (because I don???t want to be uneducated when I buy my first house and because it has been a life long dream)
???????????? Snowboarding trip to Colorado (and meet the boyfriends family)
???????????? Visit brothers
???????????? While visiting brothers in LA – surf, find a gem at the swap meet, do ANYTHING reckless (drag race, motorcycle ride on the coast, dune buggies, Vegas?)
???????????? While visiting parents in Georgia see the historical places I should have already experienced but instead I visited the pool.??
???????????? Go to lunch, brunch, breakfast, dinner or coffee with my grandma more often (she is fascinating)

Wish me luck!
-E