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!
First Stop- Lunch!
After a quick stop by the new house (I’m sure more to come on that!), the three of us headed to SY Kitchen for lunch. Kate’s written about it before, so I was excited to try it out.
The food was great, and I loved the bread from Bob’s Well Bread in Los Alamos. Alas, it was closed by the time we got there, but it’s on my list for the next visit. Love a good bakery!
SY Kitchen, 1110 Faraday St, Santa Ynez, CA 93460
Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, 550 Bell St, Los Alamos, CA 93440
Browsing the shops of Santa Ynez Valley
Kate, Steve and I wandered around some of the shops and I was struck by the western vibes over and over again. I am convinced that Kate is going to need to move away from coastal grandmother and towards “cowboy granny” (just made that up!)
And just because it’s western, don’t think you’ll be getting any bargains. I was shocked at the prices at some of these stores. Someone has a lot of money in these neighborhoods- check out Santa Ynez General if you doubt me on this!
Need a new cowboy hat?
KJ Murphy’s was definitely the coolest place in Santa Ynez Valley… lots of hats and a wonderful old bar. There was a fellow in the back shaping (?) hats for customers. And despite fairly warm weather, there was a nice fire in the fireplace.
KJ Murphy’s Custom Cowboy Hatter, 569 Sagunto St, Santa Ynez, CA 93460
What a difference from Santa Barbara
It’s just a very different scene than Santa Barbara- and I am excited to explore it as a guest of Kate’s. Not sure if I’ll be picking up a hat or spurs anytime soon, but maybe Kate is! 🙂
Even the home decor shops were promoting the western lifestyle…
And I’m not sure if this is a Halloween addition or year-round, but I liked seeing this in Solvang…
