We moved out to the Santa Ynez Valley earlier this year. It is about 40 mins from Santa Barbara but a very different experience. It is the home of the local wine industry which is what initially brought us out here, but we have loved finding lots of new fun outdoor activities in Santa Ynez Valley. There are great restaurants, hikes, big rides and it is just a slower pace of life.
We have lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for 6 months or so now and felt we had our arms around the restaurant scene until last week. We live close to the Danish town of Solvang and often walk our dog Lolly through the neighborhood. We stumbled open a restaurant called First and Oak last week. We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a prix fixe dinner at First and Oak this past week. Wow! We found a good one.
Kate and I did so many fun things during my recent trip to visit her and Steve. And a lot of them involved movement and health (the rest involved ice cream!) There was lots of walking, hiking and swimming, but my favorite might have been the outdoor yoga at Olde Oak Meadow Yoga.
We did some fun things during my recent visit to see Kate and Steve- some new things, which I really enjoy doing. So when Kate asked if I was interested in checking out nearby Los Alamos, I jumped at the chance.
I’ve got a great recommendation for a lunch spot the next time you are in Santa Ynez Valley. It’s called Petros– and it’s absolutely charming. It was a lovely Saturday, and I decided that Cheddar needed a nice lunch. He’d been rooming with his two doggie cousins, and he needed some solo time. So I treated both of us to an outdoor Greek lunch at Petros.
I recently shared my review of a few coffee shops in the Santa Ynez Valley. Yep, I didn’t just drink coffee during my visit! I also scoped out the new Auberge hotel, the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos. My family loves an Auberge property! But not to be too much of a downer, but I’m not convinced this is the place to spend your precious travel dollars.
Champagne tasting!
Horses, cows and pigs 🙂
Beautiful scenery and walks…
Yes, that’s what our life in Santa Ynez Valley has consisted of recently!
Steve and I attended a great wine and food weekend in the Santa Barbara wine country a few weeks ago. The Taste of Santa Ynez Valley is a four day, six town celebration of the restaurants, wineries and activities across my new home. I’ve written before about how much I love this area. And the wonderful November weather makes this a don’t-miss event!
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!
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!
