Simply put, Santa Barbara is a haven for excellent restaurants (despite being the home to the first "Egg McMuffin" from McDonalds!) often combined with exceptional visual surroundings and the comforts that only a Mediterranean climate can bring. The following restaurants are located in the Santa Barbara area. This is just a partial list. If you have a recommendation for a restaurant please email it to dave@pon.net One look on Yelp under Santa … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Shopping
We always love to mix a little bit of shopping into our travels, especially in Santa Barbara. The city features numerous boutique shops, historical shopping centers, and galleries. Paseo Nuevo is one of our favorites; it is located between State and Chapala Streets in downtown Santa Barbara. Look for the orange trees planted along the walkways near the entrance to Paseo Nuevo along State Street. Usually there are oranges on the trees and … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Annual Events
January February March April May June July August September October November December January -Hang Gliding Festival on January 1st. Local pilots fly over ocean bluffs and demonstrate precision flying. Phone Number (805) 965-3733 -International Film Festival. Annual Event. Very popular. Premiers and screenings of U.S. and international films. Walk up and down State Street stopping at theatres showing … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Thursday Farmers Market
Every Thursday night (except in the case of inclement weather) the main street, Higuera, is closed to all vehicles - and barbecues, produce vendors, and entertainment fills the streets (6pm to 9pm). The tradition of the Thursday night market started in the 1800's when instead of barbecues the locals would gather around a large pit in the ground on Higuera street. Wild bears from the county and bulls were put into the pit and left to fight. After … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Nearby Destinations
All cities, attractions and sites below are listed in alphabetical order AVILA BEACH is located next to a small bay in the 'shadow' of the Diablo Valley Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Sometimes when shifts get off at the power plant a long line of cars will empty out all at once (this power plant is set to shut down in the year 2025). Avila Beach is a short drive from San Luis Obispo - only about 15 minutes. After taking the Avila Beach … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Restaurants
The following is a partial list of restaurants in San Luis Obispo and the immediate vicinity. Downtown San Luis Obispo has numerous restaurants with many lined up along Higuera Street. San Luis Obispo also seems to have an inordinate amount of small family owned high quality chain restaurants - usually chains under 10 restaurants with one branch located here. Also plenty of gastropubs, Italian restaurants, burgers and BBQ. In short, this is a … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Wine
PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY This region is rapidly growing and is starting to become very well-known. This area is an excellent alternative to the high priced Napa Valley. This region is situated about 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean - about 30 minutes north of San Luis Obispo. Today there are well over 200 wineries in this region - one of the neat aspects of these wineries is that many are small and family owned. Often tasting is by … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – More Info
For more information on the city of San Luis Obispo and the county of San Luis Obispo visit: www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com San Luis Sunset Swap Meet is held every Sunday morning (weather permitting) beginning at the cheery hour of 4:45am in the morning. However, most vendors are not yet setup at this hour. Dave's recommended time to arrive at this Swap meet is around 7am. It is held just south of town in the parking lot at the Sunset … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Attractions
Moorten Botanical Garden has been in existence for more then 70 years; the gardens contain over 3000 varieties of desert plants from around the world. This garden is also a bird sanctuary. They are located at 1701 South Palm Canyon Drive - right at the corner of El Camino Street - about a mile in from the state route 111. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 4:30, and Sunday from 10 to 4. NOTE: They are closed on Wednesdays. Weddings, … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Dates
Date Palms can be found in many locations in the Coachella Valley. Dates are among the oldest of the cultivated fruit in the world. Many of the dates in the Coachella Valley come from the Middle East including many varieties from Iraq. Three of Dave's favorite places to purchase dates are Hadley's Date Gardens, Shields Date Gardens & Oasis Date Gardens. The three listings below are retail outlets and all will ship dates via the mail. Visit … [Read more...]