Stuck in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Yacht Club Balcony Patio

Today marks a week that we have been docked in Santa Barbara. The weather has been so nice here. During the day it’s sunny and warm until the late afternoon and evening when the wind picks up and the sun goes down. Then it is COLD. We were hoping to get rid of the winter clothes by the time we got around Pt. Conception.

We have extended our stay because there are some storms happening intermittently, making it hard for us to make it over to the Channel Islands. You definitely need some good weather when you are over there. 

So our most recent plan is to stay here in the SBYC slip 

Our slip at SBYC

until Wednesday and then head over to Santa Cruz Island and stay there for a few days. Then Saturday we plan to go to Channel Islands Harbor Yacht Club in Oxnard and stay there for a few days. At this particular yacht club you get the first 3 days free.

Since we have been here in Santa Barbara we have done lots of walking…long distance walking! We walk everywhere. One day we walked to Trader Joe’s to do our grocery shopping (6 mile RT). One afternoon we walked to the Tuesday Farmer’s Market (4 mile RT). One day we walked to the Santa Barbara Mission (6 miles RT , well actually 10 miles due to getting lost and completely discombobulated by Siri)!  Yesterday was a walk to Saturday’s Farmer’s Market which we walked 6 blocks out of our way and had to walk 6 blocks back (so…probably 6 miles).  But every day we have taken long walks somewhere. A short walk day was about 4 miles roundtrip. 

We’ve seen some very interesting sights here in Santa Barbara. One day we visited the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, which is right here in the Harbor and spent most of the day there. There was so much to see we had to go back to the boat to take a break for lunch then return later spending the rest of the day until closing time. 

The museum was really cool. The only part I did not like about it was that I got in as a senior…a 65-year-old senior! I’m not sure if the discount was worth the humiliation.

(My mother wore a Wave Uniform exactly like this one displayed)

Two days ago we walked to the Santa Barbara Mission. It was a very long outing but worth the walk. It sits on a beautiful piece of property with the Santa Ynez Mountains in the background and the front of the Mission faces the Ocean. The grounds are huge and lush. There is a museum and a cemetery still on the grounds dating back to the original mission and presidio settlement period. I loved the old architecture, wall murals and sculptures inside the church. The Mission is a big part of California History.

*A bit of trivia: The Mission Santa Barbara’s name comes from the legend of Saint Barbara, a girl who was supposedly beheaded by her father for following the Christian Faith.

On our way back we passed the Santa Barbara Courthouse and decided to take a peak inside. Again…we observed gorgeous grounds, lovely Spanish architecture and a mural room. Lastly we took a hike up to the Clock Tower Observation Deck to see the breathtaking sweeping vistas.

We’ve been to two Farmer’s Market’s here. Apparently Santa Barbara has one every day.  Some are bigger and better than others. Tuesday and Saturday’s are the most popular.

On all of our walks to the Market’s or Grocery store’s, Rick carries a huge back pack which holds our fleece jackets for the walk back, a bottle of water for us and one for the dog (and her water dish), and my purse. Then on our return walk back to the boat, the backpack is quite a bit heavier, loaded to the brim with groceries.

One day walking back from a Farmer’s Market, after walking many miles, Rick’s back pack loaded to the gill’s, we observed a woman who’s car had died in the middle of the intersection. Rick decides to push her through to the other side.  As he starts pushing her with all of his strength….getting nowhere, he realizes the woman doesn’t even have the car in neutral. So eventually they work it out and Rick and a nearby bicyclist joins in pushing the woman across the street. Mission accomplished.

Yesterday, the 15^th, it was stormy and it rained on and off during the day. We stayed inside the boat for most of it and got caught up on cleaning and blogging and reading. We had the diesel heater going which helped keep the chill off. In between downpours, I was able to walk Harley.

Stormy Rainy Double Rainbow Day

Today is not raining but it’s cold and windy. Very windy! The wind is blowing about 35 mph right now and later today, according to the weatherman, there are supposed to be gusts up to 70mph. I’m so glad we did not go out to the islands today as originally planned.

The rest of the week should get back to warmer less windy days. We are really looking forward to that!

Hope to have some fun posts for you after spending time at the Islands.