Holiday on the Central Coast of California
When my husband and I got married, we made the mistake of having our wedding during the week of Thanksgiving. Through the years, most anniversaries have been spent traveling to or from relatives for family gatherings. This year, our 25th anniversary fell on the day before Thanksgiving. As we were hosting the holiday, and we knew it would end up another ignored event, we planned a getaway for a few days afterwards. Sunday came, all the leftovers were gone, and we ventured off for a drive down the central coast of California for a few days to be spent exploring Santa Barbara and some of the surrounding towns (and wineries!). It was a wonderful getaway and I thought I would share some images of the Holiday Season on California’s Central Coast.
Santa Barbara has a style all of it’s own when it comes to dressing up for the holiday season. I would describe it as somewhat “Coastal Mission Christmas.”
I would never have thought to pair palms with poinsettias, but it was a glorious combination.
Notice the adorned seal in the background?
And of course, the lobby of The Biltmore was over-the-top spectacular.
I thought I had a pretty substantial nutcracker collection – until I saw this array!
Orchids, missionary statues, and holiday ornaments. Really beautiful.
Okay, not very festive, but I loved these tiles and just had to share!!!
Off for a bit of shopping and some nibbles.
An early Christmas present from my sweet hubby. Well, this is Santa Barbara, right?
The end of a beautiful day. And then . . . there is a knock at our door . . .
I believe I could get used to spending every anniversary in Santa Barbara!
On Friday, I will share photos of the sweet town of Solvang, a Danish-influenced village near Santa Barbara. We spent an entire day perusing its shops and bakeries.
And the winner of Laura’s tea towel giveaway is . . .
Congratulations to Ellen McCaulley for winning Laura’s giveaway contest ! Ellen had so many great ideas for every personality. Ellen: you will be hearing from Laura soon!
See you Friday!
