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

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!

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!

My husband and I visited on May 22, 2026. The views from this second floor tasting room and patio…read moreare wonderful. While the patio isn't covered, there are a handful of umbrellas for the dozen or so tables. The staff were friendly and remembered where we were on the tasting journey. The wines were tasty - I focused on the reds while my husband tasted white and red. The 2023 Ganache was my favorite of the reds. We look forward to our next visit.

Went on a day trip with my wino tasting friends and had to stop by here. Not only is the wine…read moredelicious the views of the ocean are breathtaking and also very peaceful. We ordered the basic wine tasting and still delicious. I would recommend more umbrellas to cover us from the sun and actually be outside. We remained inside for much of the time but other than that, all good.

The SB Public Market has a nice assortment of restaurants. We didn't really expect such a…read morewonderland of food and drink, and yet here it is. Went in to visit the new Seoulmate Kitchen. We kept hearing how authentic their food is, and they also have a delicious menu of Matcha and Cafe Specials. After walking in and noticing all the other food options, we all split up to visit the other spots within, and we then met at one of the many communal tables to share each other's selections. At our large table we had food from Corazon Cocina, Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodles, Wabi Sabi, Little Bird Kitchen, and Que (West Coast BBQ). They all paired nicely with draft beers and cocktails from Cooney's at the Market, and we even got desserts from Rori's Artisanal Creamery. Staff at each venue was very helpful making food suggestions, and even pointed out some of their own favorites there at the SBPM.

My first impression is that Whatever you are craving for you can get it here. A diverse selection…read moreof food vendors under one building. Not fast food type but a decent meal in a quick pace environment. Friendly and quick service. Like a food court type of arrangement but so much more. My favorite is seoul mate kitchen which offers some classic dishes with a fusion twist. I love the bento box here. Pick a protein among beef, pork belly, chicken Or tofu. It also comes with rice, half marinated egg, cucumber, carrots , and three veggie side dishes. A full meal without the need to do much thinking. Next is the ca'dario pizza, we got the parma pizza. I cannot stop eating it... maybe it is the crust Want to try the rori's artisanal creamery. There was a "be backed" sign on the register. We Waited for 10mins or so and had to go. Now i have one more reason to come back and visit. Parking is pretty convenient. City parking close by and offer first 45 minutes free parking,

So fun and so amazingly decorated. The service was super slow but the decorations make up for it…read more The cocktails were creatively named but didn't taste super special. Decent tho. The pizzas were delicious! I would go back for this any day. Love the vibes and would def go again.

Had a great time enjoying the drinks at this holiday location. Everyone was really kind and polite…read more We met some other patrons and the hostesses were great to talk to; since we were seated near them. Very interesting drink offers: I loved my Old Fashion and my wife really enjoyed the Mutha-f@€ker in the cute santa pants cup. It was a $10 entrance fee but went for a great cause and we did get a Christmas beanie with lights. How can you go wrong.

Beautiful work and you can talk to the actual artists and makers. Amazing venue...nothing like the…read morebeauty, weather and underlying excitement in the air here!

One of my favorite things to do in Santa Barbara! Lots of local vendors with unique pieces of artread more

THE most beautiful spot for a wedding!! Not easy to book (as many have the same idea) but we were…read moreflexible with our dates & I think that helped.

Cool free activity to do in Santa Barbara. This place is huge and you can wander around the…read morecourthouse for as long as you like. The place is beautiful and a great part of Santa Barbara. A must if you're in the area!

My husband and I spent 2 hours or so enjoying a charcuterie board and wine tasting at Au Bon…read moreClimat. Thank you to Gisselle, for the beautiful job with each tasting. Recommended by our close friends, this was a lovely experience. We had reservations about 30 minutes post opening, inside there was one other couple enjoying conversation and tasting with their host. We chose to sit outside on the patio, enjoying the warm weather. Thank you for the lovely experience and bottles of wine. I cannot wait to enjoy our Pinot Noirs!

We had such an amazing time! Our server Josh was so knowledgeable, and we had such an amazing…read moreexperience tasting all of ABC's delicious wines. We will definitely be back :)

What started out as gloomy day; quickly became sunny as the clouds parted for us upon arrival. It…read morecouldn't have been timed more perfectly. This fun eventful evening kicked off at the Saint Remy rooftop. Who knew this amazing part of the hotel existed! I surely didn't. The servers were so kind to greet us and we began with a refreshing piña colada drink called "Airplane Mode". This definitely gave me the feeling of being on a tropical vacation. The charcuterie board and Mezze board was such a beautiful presentation. Loaded with meats, veggies, cheese, fruit, olives, warm pita bread and dips. It truly was the perfect noshing food to match the variety of drinks we got to try. The margarita shooters consisted of sweet, spicy and classic. All of them were perfectly made and enjoyable. The balsamic glazed seasonal vegetables were also delicious. The veggies had a nice grilled flavor and the balsamic vinaigrette gave it a nice tangy kick. I also got to try the chimichurri steak bites. Although the meat was a little chewy and tough for me, but the flavor was there. Overall a beautiful event on the rooftop of Saint Remy. Thank you Jara and Saint Remy staff for hosting this magical event!

Let's take a moment and talk about the views! That alone was such a treat!…read more The charcuterie board was spectacular to look at and may I say delicious!! The steak bites with Chimichurri were delectable! Delicious tropical drinks and then you add a beautiful sunset I felt like I was on vacation somewhere in the Caribbean!! My favorite drink was their welcome cocktail (Bar Director's choice, which I think was a kind of Piña Colada), but their margarita shooters were also amazing! With three flavors to choose from: classic, sweet, and spicy! Saint Remy thank you for being so generous with us!! The whole place has this amazing and relaxing vibe! Thank you so much for everything Jackie! Jara you are just phenomenal! Thank you for everything you do!