Santa Barbara Archives - Two California Sisters

Sampling gourmet vegan food at Oliver’s in Montecito

vegan food Small plates Olivers Montecito CA — A few small plates to share

Reposting from June 2020: I’m heading to the Central Coast to see Kate and a few friends, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to repost one of Kate’s first updates. The vegan food really was delicious at Oliver’s!

Last night we ventured out for vegan food, our first dinner in a restaurant since COVID-19 arrived. My friend Lauren and her husband have rented a vacation house in Santa Barbara for the month of June to escape to the sun from Seattle. Lauren’s husband (who is also named Steve, like my husband) is a die hard vegan so we wanted to be good hosts and take him to the latest vegan food hotspot.

My husband and I very rarely eat even vegetarian meals, so we were a little skeptical going into it. I had heard rumors that the food was good (despite being vegan) from a few non-vegan friends. And when I looked at the Oliver’s site, I knew it was going to be a beautiful space. And it was time for us to broaden our vegan food horizons.

Enjoying the western vibe of the Santa Ynez Valley

During a recent trip to Santa Barbara to see Kate, we headed out to the Santa Ynez Valley to check out their new house in Solvang. I haven’t spent much time in the area, and I was really surprised to see how “western” it is. It reminded me quite a bit of Texas in some respects. I took a bunch of photos of western vibes to share with you all. And a few shopping tips as well!

It’s the final weekend for the corn maze in Solvang!

Steve and I are spending a lot more time in the Santa Ynez Valley. So when we stumbled upon a corn maze in Solvang, we had to stop to check it out. It’s the final weekend before the maze and pumpkin patch wraps up for the year. So I wanted to share why I think you should head out there!

Getting inspired by wonderful houses on a Santa Barbara house tour

After Amy shared her Lamorinda house tour experience this spring, I was eager to find a Santa Barbara house tour. There is a national organization called AIA – American Institute of Architects that hosts Architect Tours across the country. They have hosted these in Santa Barbara for quite a while, and I have always wanted to attend. We didn’t have one for the last couple of years, but we did in early October this year.

Strawberries at the Tuesday night Santa Barbara Farmers Market

Steve and I stopped by the Santa Barbara Farmers Market this week. The market is really wonderful, but we don’t make it there as frequently as we want. Saturday mornings just tend to get filled up with other activities. So when I remembered that the market is open on Tuesday nights, I planned an outing with Steve.

Great ideas to make a Spring trip to Santa Barbara fantastic!

On a recent Spring trip to Santa Barbara, Sophie, Kate and I hit some of our old favorites and a few new ones too. I’m sharing some of the highlights from our wonderful visit. Looking back at the trip- we did a fair amount of eating!

It’s time for Spring gardening in Santa Barbara!

It’s an annual ritual– spring gardening! Our house in Santa Barbara does not have a big yard, but we were able to find a couple of little spots to try out our green thumbs. This weekend, we went by Ace Hardware and picked up a few tomato and strawberry plants. I’m looking forward to feasting on our bounty this summer!

food vegetables red tomatoes — Hopefully, this is what they will look like in August! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Diving into Santa Barbara’s history at the Historical Museum

During a recent visit to Santa Barbara, Kate took Sophie and me on a day of culture. We stopped at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art first and then walked the short distance to the Historical Museum. The two museums are actually a great pairing; you could easily stop for lunch or an ice cream in between the two- that’s a pretty wonderful afternoon, if you ask me! And it’s an efficient way to learn a lot about Santa Barbara’s history in just an hour or two.

front of Santa Barbara Historical Museum — The Santa Barbara Historical Museum is located in a lovely little building in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.

Wonderful art immersion at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Visiting the Santa Barbara Museum of Art has been on my to-do list for quite a while, so when Kate recommended a visit during a recent SB trip, Sophie and I jumped at the chance.

Shopping, beach and great food: A day in Montecito

During a recent trip to Santa Barbara, Kate organized a day in Montecito for the three of us, Kate, Sophie and me. It was a terrific day! The weather was amazing, and we got to do some shopping, eat at two delicious spots and spend time on a beach walks with the dogs. Really, I can’t imagine a better day! If you are planning a day in Montecito, I’ve got some great spots for you to try.

Jenni Kayne shop — Table setting at Jenni Kayne, complete with California sunshine