Santa Barbara - the American Riviera

The American Riviera is a deserving classification for Santa Barbara. Driving Pacific Coast Highway from LAX to Santa Barbara gave me the chance to appreciate the beauty of this portion of the California coastline, with the city of Santa Barbara the treasure at the end of this journey.

The drive took me through Santa Monica, Malibu, Oxnard, Ventura and Carpinteria on our way to Santa Barbara. These California beach communities are the epitome of California casual. Although the property value in these towns are well into the millions of dollars, the shops and restaurants are very tired on the outside; worn down from years sitting in the sun and the salty air of the Pacific. Somehow the state of the buildings adds to the character of the region.

I was lucky enough to have perfect weather once I arrived in Santa Barbara. Lots of sunshine, blue skies and terrific sunsets. Although I was in town for work, I was able to enjoy breakfast on the beach each morning and dinner on the water at night - the perfect way to start and end a day.