Given it being Valentine's Day Eve, it seems quite appropriate to review a Santa Barbara gem. The…read morelocals--particularly UCSB students--know it as "Kissing Point." You don't need to use your imagination why: Simply venture here at sunrise/sunset and you'll be macking with whomever is closest to you due to the natural romance in the Californian air. It also helps that the temperature is sometimes +10* warmer since it is in the mountains. ;) History: Kissing Point is about a third of the way up (or three-quarters of the way down depending on your route) Old San Marcos Road. This was the original stagecoach route to cross over the mountains prior to the current San Marcos Pass/Route 154 between 1861 and 1901. There are a few weathered historical markers along the way but anyone will easily be impressed by the hard work put into carving out the road. How to get here?: The easiest route to reach Kissing Point is by exiting off the 101 Freeway at Patterson Rd and going toward the mountains, turn right on Cathedral Oaks, then turn left when you've reached San Marcos Rd. Kissing Point consists of only two unmarked dirt pull-offs (one now with bollards due to erosion). There is also a third and fourth pull-off much further up hill but with very limited space. What do I see?: The views are from the Santa Ynez Foothills down into Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley with easy landmarks being the Santa Barbara Airport, University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Old Town Goleta, the Pacific Ocean's Santa Barbara Channel, and almost all of the Channel Islands in the distance on a clear day (from north to south: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz--the most obviously, and Anacapa Islands). I am spoiled to have this scenic drive only minutes from my house since it offers not only some of the best aerial views (ie particularly from Kissing Point) but also a backroad option to access Route 154 that goes over the Santa Ynez Mountains toward popular destinations including Lake Cachuma, Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, and Solvang. A few tips: - I have included the precise location on the Yelp map, in addition to GPS coordinates, in the Quick Tips. - Check out my video of the drive down this twisty road with views for days: https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select_video=OgU4LsTKlJ7Eqyh60KKdcA&userid=4DyMRBKrokax6d8LCI3GAw. - People love to drive extremely fast up and down (including myself). Be cautious of mountain bikers and motorcycles, particularly around the two hairpin U-turns toward the top. - As the signs heed, put on your headlights during the night AND day. - Please clean up after yourself. Unfortunately there is plenty of trash and glass bottles left behind. Don't be this person.

Was a fun roadtrip got there a bit late and it was cloudy unfortunately but it was still a…read morebeautiful sight and relaxing to sit and view with your significant other

Want to visit a town that is proud of their danish heritage? Come to Solvang…read more Like how Bruges, Belgium is big on chocolate shops, here bakeries are everywhere with loads of tourist souvenir shops. There are free public parking lots. Ice cream, trolley rides and a miniature Little Mermaid statue are here. A few wine tasting rooms, restaurants and lodgings are visible.

GETTING HERE: Head…read moreNorth on the 101 and at the city of Buellton you'll navigate to the 246 East. REVIEW: ^^^^^^^ Once again, Yelp is not keeping the photos. There are several photos. I have attached that are visible on the.com but are not visible on the app. Oh, how I love Solvang! As a kid, I would come up here once a year and walk around and buy a piece of fudge for the drive home. As an adult, I cannot believe the amazing history that is held in this city! First and foremost, the Mission Santa Ines is a MUST see and do. Beyond that, the streets have historical-looking buildings and shops that will take you straight to Denmark: shopping, bakeries, restaurants, wine tasting experiences, etc. etc. It's an incredible environment to immerse yourself in that is a great way to take a quick "staycation" if you're in Santa Barbara, Ventura, or even Los Angeles Counties. Via a quick search on the G train, the city of Solvang was founded in 1911. Also see: https://solvangusa.com/ There is so much to do and see in Solvang! Check it out and be sure to get a piece of Solvang fudge! Enjoy!

I absolutely LOVE Santa Barbara and this wharf/pier area. We have been coming here for years and…read moreenjoying the beauty and tranquility of the ocean and its surroundings. My son and I came here yesterday around 5:30pm and found street parking about a 10-15 minute walk away from the entrance. It can get very crowded during the day with no parking spaces available, but luckily we found one. Even the walk there was beautiful, with the ocean in the distance and the smell of seawater in the air. There are restrooms right at the entrance which were pretty dirty, as expected from a beach restroom. Once you walk up the pier, there are several shops, restaurants and relaxation areas where you can just chill and enjoy the stunning views of the ocean. You can come here solo, on a date, with your kids, dogs, anyone! It's a perfect place for anyone who enjoys the beach/ocean. We didn't see anyone swimming, but there were plenty of people walking around. After some walking around and chatting with fellow tourists ourselves, we went to the back corner of the pier where we watched the sunset. It was such an extraordinary sight to see, right on one of my favorite beaches. I forgot to mention you can of course park on the pier itself. The first 90min are free and it's $4 per hour after that. Thank you, Santa Barbara, for another beautiful trip.

This is a strollers paradise, an ocean viewers' delight, a sun soaking pleasure, a snack food…read moreentrepreneur's joy and a beverage sipper's blissful promenade. This is most definitely a pier walk you don't want to miss while visiting Santa Barbara! Stearns Wharf is the oldest operating solid wood wharf in California, and it lends to its beautiful aesthetics. This is one of the best 2,000-foot stroll you'll ever have. We were amazed at just staring into the vast rippling waves of the ocean - which relaxes you within minutes. Give yourself a minimum of 1 hour, preferably more, you'll enjoy every step!

This is such a unique and amazing experience! I had no idea this traveling exhibit even came to…read moreSanta Barbara until I saw an announcement on Facebook. I couldn't believe it was free and open to the public. I made sure to get there ten minutes before it opened on the first day. I'm glad I did because the line quickly backed up. Shoes and sharp objects are not allowed in the exhibit and only 40 people are allowed in the exhibit at a time. They suggest that you take about 20 minutes each to enjoy the exhibit. You're encouraged to sit, lay down, relax and absorb. There's a gentle soundtrack playing, curated specifically for each exhibit. Each chamber is so interesting and relaxing. Everyone was very respectful and courteous which made the exhibit even more special! I'm following architects of air on Instagram so that I know when their exhibits will be back on my area.

Amazing Tour of one of Johnny Cash's first homes with first wife Vivian and four daughters . Our…read morehostess and tour guide Lisa was amazing!!! Knowledgeable warm interesting and inviting .. loved the whole experience. Highly recommended.

Perfect!! Amazing!!!! Coolest place ever!!! It's just the way interior is so cool. How about the…read morepink room??! Wow!

I was hoping more from the Old Town Goleta, being close to Santa Barbara and all…read more The main street seemed like a dusty area, old, tired, just a few stores and restaurants that we browsed, nothing appealing here. Pretty laid back, but it has no charm or appeal. I give it a higher score because of the area with the cool butterfly reserve, the bluffs, beaches and the South Coast Railroad Museum, all great places to visit. The main street? I'd skip it!

Great little city. Surrounded by some interesting history. A nice Main Street with ample options…read morefor food and stuff to do.

Beautiful sculpture called Chromatic Gate by Herbert Bauer in Santa Barbara. The Austrian-born…read moreartist studied at the Bauhaus under Wassily Kandinsky. Walk around the sculpture from all angles, frame yourself in a photo. This was in a park by the water. I do remember a man made fun of my polka dot dress.

I'm all for Public Art especially because it is free for everyone! I usually stop and check out…read morethe meaning of why and by whom it was created. I was checking out "Local Flavor" on Yelp and this was the first place listed. I had to go see it. It is located at the corner of Calle Puerto Vallarta & E. Cabrillo Blvd. in Cabrillo Park. At 21 feet tall, you can spot it from down the street. Plus it does stand out with it's blue, purple, red, mauve, orange and yellow colors! This gate was installed in 1991 and it had become faded and easy to miss, so it was restored! The restoration was completed in 2013. The new paint is highly durable aircraft specialty paint. Hopefully, it will last longer than the initial paint! Herbert Bayer is the man behind this art. He designed it but passed away in 1985 before it was built. This Gate is a Memorial to Herbert and his wife, Joella. You may recognize Herbert Bayer's other works. For example, Arco's red diamond shape called the ARCO "Spark" logo. And for Angelenos, we have a sculpture in Downtown Los Angeles called the Double Ascension. It is located in front of the City National Plaza (previously known as Arco Plaza) surrounded by a pool of water. He also designed the Articulated Wall which looks like a stack of French Fries, located in Denver, CO. I've seen these three in real life and with research, realized each one was created by Bayer! As stated in other reviews, this makes for a nice Photo Op and is Instagram worthy! If neither of these is your thing, then just come see it as an Art Installation. The next time I come back to Santa Barbara, I would love to see this lit at night!

What a wonderful community gathering to bring holiday joy to all! Folks selling holiday treats…read moreoutside their homes to add to the vibe. We got to hear some Christmas caroling. It was overall so clean too with trash cans lining the neighborhood. There is so much foot traffic and car traffic here so that was a surprise! I really loved seeing the canned drive container too! Thanks to the Gemini community for opening their neighborhood to us all! My only suggestion would be portapotties but I'm sure that would be an added expense. Maybe if it was token driven to help offset costs?

Wow! It was amazing! This is the definition of holiday spirit! The houses were decorated…read morebeautifully! Most had themes, and some of the houses really went all out! My favorite was the house with the dog theme, they even had pup Christmas carols playing! Some residents also get involved as part of the experience. One was driving an old style classic truck with a Christmas tree and Santa in the trunk bed. Another was dressed as Santa riding around on a Segway wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. There were a few food vendors, from residents setting up a stand to sell cookies and hot cocoa to food trucks. We started right as the sun set and it was the perfect time as there was less crowd. Although some houses had not turn on their display at that time we were able to see it on the way back to the car. I find it much more enjoyable to walk than to drive. You get an up close view and can really appreciate the efforts that is put into it.

Wow! Like we stumbled upon the perfect street of trendy beautiful shops of children's clothing,…read moresnacks, wine tasting and more. More modern by centuries than Los Alamos with lots of wine tasting, restaurants and shopping. We entered several stores and I pretty much found and bought things from each one.

How do you not love this place. A very cute Hallmark movie town but with a major punch of cuteness…read more It's alway quite busy during the weekend so parking can be a tight squeeze but there's plenty if you just drive around. The town square isn't that big as everything is centered right in the middle. Loads of cute boutique and gifts shops. And of course all the amazing shops and tasting room. One after the other which makes it nice so you don't have to drive anywhere. Besides the tasting room, there's a couple breweries with great beer on tap. Perfect for an afternoon on the patio and just people watching and enjoying the day. Most places will have some kind of live music during the weekend. There's also an olive oil tasting room. But if you're looking for dining, loads of amazing places for an excellent meal. From something fast and easy with the cafes to fine dining. Bar le cote and Nellas kitchen are a favorite of mine. If you're looking for some places for a nice night cap or a drink, there's always The Tavern at Maddie's Inn. There's something for everyone. A cute town that is tucked in wine country that most people will drive by and not even know about it.