March, 2020 | Petite Retreater

Five Things To Do In…Santa Barbara

Scenic Santa Barbara offers beautiful landscapes, magnificent sunsets and many great things to do while visiting the “American Riviera.”

Santa Barbara, California, is rich in history – from the Chumash Indians who inhabited this coastal area more than 6,000 years ago, to the Spanish soldiers and missionaries who came in the 1700s, to the silent film industry that made Santa Barbara the hot spot for film production in the early 1900s. (Humble brag: many silent film stars frequented Rancho Oso, including Charlie Chaplin! Rancho Oso features teepees, safari tents, covered wagons, and cozy cabins.)

Today, Santa Barbara remains a hot spot – but now its about the beautiful landscape, the magnificent sunsets and all the great things to do here in the “American Riviera!” Here are just five don’t miss things to do in SB:

Visit Chumash Painted Cave Historic Park: At this small park outside of Santa Barbara, visitors can view actual cave paintings created by the Chumash Indians thousands of years ago using a palette created from earth pigments including charcoal and limonite. Located inside a cave in the Santa Ynez Mountains, the drawings are protected by a grate so viewing may be during daylight hours.
Chumash Painted Cave Historic Park outside of Santa Barbara.
The Old Mission in Santa Barbara was founded in 1786 and is one of the longest, continuously operating missions in California. The church that currently stands is actually the fourth built here and was constructed between 1815 to 1820. Its classic Greco-Roman design is said to be taken from the style of the architect Vitruvius, whose Roman structures date to 27 BC. Several different tours of the Mission can be taken that include both self-guided and docent-guided – check out santabarbaramission.org for details.
Bask in the beauty of the gardens of Lotusland – a 37-acre estate of the late opera singer Madame Ganna Walska that contains 25 distinct gardens open to the public. The gardens were designed to always have something in bloom year-round, but if you’re specifically interested in the lotuses, visit in July and August. LotusFest! 2020 is currently planned for June 28.
Water Garden at Lotusland
Does anyone remember the 2004 Oscar-nominated film Sideways about a guys’ road trip to Santa Barbara wine country? If you’re a fan of the film, or a just a fan of the wine, you can follow the itinerary of the film’s main characters by downloading “Sideways-The Map” from santabarbara.com. Or, you can just choose to take one of many wine tours offered in Santa Barbara that include a Cupcake and Wine tour (our favorite!), a Wine and Bike Tour, or the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tour. Visit www.winetours-santabarbara.com for all the fun details.
Wine tours are a popular choice across Santa Barbara vineyards, along with hiking trails along the Santa Ynez mountains.
Get Out and Hike: the weather is almost always accommodating for a lovely day hike in Santa Barbara and planetware.com has very nicely put together a quick list of 10 Top-Rated hikes (www.planetware.com/california/santa-barbara-hiking-trails-us-ca-72.htm) for some ideas. Inspiration Point, while rocky and steep, is considered a moderate hike, and hikers say is worth the view. If you want a glimpse of the harbor seals at the Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary, consider hiking the flat trail at the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve. A pup-friendly trail would be Rattlesnake Trail. Shaded, thanks to the oaks and sycamore trees, the trail provides great views and is also popular with birders!

Western cabins at Rancho Oso in Santa Barbara, CA.

While working your way through this list of things to do in Santa Barbara, be sure to double up on fun by staying in a teepee, covered wagon, safari tent, or cozy cabin at Rancho Oso! You’ll also have the opportunity to do some horseback riding, right onsite.

Brush Up on your Pet Travel Tips

IG: nishatnguyen • Tiny House Riley at Tuxbury Tiny House Village in South Hampton, NH.

Just like you would ensure the safety of your human traveling companions, it’s important to stay on top of the best advice when it comes to traveling with your pets. It’s never a bad idea to acquaint, or re-acquaint, yourself when it comes to pet safety when traveling. Here are a few to keep in mind –

You may think your pet loves a car ride, but a quick trip around the neighborhood is very different from a long road trip. The tip here is to see how they do on longer trips by taking a drive and increasing the time each drive. Do this several times and you’ll quickly find out when the timer should be set for a quick pit stop that includes a short walk to stretch the old legs, all six of them!
Pet-friendly yurts from Yosemite Lakes in CA.
Pack their bag! Besides food and water, there are a few things your pet shouldn’t leave home without and those include: a few of their favorite toys, comfortable bedding or blankets to remind them of home, and a complete listing of their vaccinations, medical history and any medications (including a vet-prescribed or approved anti-nausea and/or anti-anxiety if your pet suffers from nervous stomach or is just plain nervous). Make sure you have their tags and chip information as well as an extra leash or two. And, for your fellow travelers, the necessary supplies for cleaning up after your pet.
Tiny House Lincoln at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village in Welches, OR.
Make sure your pet has his own space in the vehicle and while it may not be too spacious, focus on making it comfortable and safe. Pet carriers or specially made pet car seats are best for small dogs and, of course, experts recommend that pet restraints, or pet seatbelts, provide the safest way for car travel with pets.
Aside from your pet’s regular items, be prepared for emergencies. A pet first-aid kit should include activated charcoal or milk of magnesia for accidental ingestions, non-stick bandages, antimicrobial spray (like Vetericyn which is good for dogs and cats), Pedialyte, scissors, and swabs. Or, check out chewy.com and let them take the guesswork out of it with prepacked first-aid kits for pets. Another good idea is to check with your vet – they may have a pre-printed list of items to include in a pet first-aid kit. A final note – make sure that you have printed a few pics of your pet in the unfortunate event they roam away from your glamping accommodation and you need people to help find him/her.

Schedule Pet Expeditions. Sure, it’s your vacation, but you brought along your best friend so make sure that some time during the trip is focused on something they would like. Google pet-friendly places in your destination and see what pet-friendly restaurants, parks, and trails are available. Plus, think of all those cool Instagram posts of your trip together!

Tiny House Otto at Leavenworth Tiny House Village in Leavenworth, WA.

Respect the Vinyl: National Record Store Day

National Record Store Day is June 20, 2020, celebrate by paying homage to the vinyl that brings music to your ears.

When it first hit the airwaves, the idea of National Record Store Day was to spend a specifically designated date visiting your local record store to support the business. The first National Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008. Skip forward to present day, and Record Store Day is celebrated on every continent. The concept was definitely “number one with a bullet.”

And, little known fact, Record Store Day should be called Record Store Days, because typically there are two designated days to celebrate, one in April and the other being Black Friday, which falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year National Record Store Day will be recognized on June 20. We’ve done the tour and rounded up a few stores near your favorite locations to visit, whether on National Record Store Day, or any other day you want to pay homage to the vinyl that brings music to your ears!

Seattle, Washington: Neptune Music Company, 4344 Brooklyn Avenue NE

Visitors say that although a small space, Neptune Music has everything you could imagine from a music standpoint which includes a knowledgeable owner, tons of records, and a unique selection. Another plus, it’s located in the basement of the Neptune Theater, a still-functioning music venue opened in 1921 in the hip and historic University District of Seattle.

Portland, Oregon: Mississippi Records, 5202 N. Albina

Complete with listening stations, this record store also features a large supply of the good old 45 in its vast collection that includes everything from rock and blues to international music. They also have a selection of vintage electronics. Please note the store’s policy is CASH ONLY.

St. Petersburg, Florida: Bananas Vinyl Warehouse, 2222 16^th Avenue N.

This is one big record collection! Bananas two-story warehouse holds more than three million LPs and records and receives more than 1000 new additions to the collection weekly. Plus, there is the nearby retail store (2887 22^nd Avenue N). One visitor remarked “if Bananas doesn’t have it, it doesn’t exist.” Note to visitors, the warehouse is vinyl only while the retail store has CDS, DVDs, and more.

Boston, Massachusetts: Cheapo Records, 538 Mass Avenue, Cambridge

Cheapo Records has been around since 1954, so they must be doing something right. Located in the Central Square area of Cambridge (just a quick T-ride from Boston), the shop is said to have more than 100,000 vinyl albums as well as 100,000 45s. Consistently rated five stars by visitors, you can most likely find just what you’ve been searching for at Cheapo.

Cincinnati, Ohio: Shake It Records, 4156 Hamilton Avenue

Located in Cincinnati’s eclectic Northside neighborhood, the Shake It Records experience begins with the store’s colorful façade and continues inside the 1,000 square foot store that is chock full of music from the 25,000-piece vinyl collection to the 15,000+ CDs available. Independent labels are the main act here, but mainstream selections can be found as well from rock and roll to country classics.

Chicago, Illinois: Dave’s Records, 2604 N. Clark Street

Dave’s is a true record store – meaning it sells records only. You won’t find CDs or vintage 8-tracks, just vinyl, vinyl, and more vinyl in the store’s 40,000-plus collection. A small space but the perfect spot to find the rarest gems to the newest releases from the world of vinyl. Head to Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and look for the sign in the window that reads “No CDS. Never had ‘em!! Never Will!!” and you’ll find the treasure trove known as Dave’s Records.

Visit www.recordstore.com for a listing of record stores near you across the US

That’s just a quick list of the hits – but if you find yourself looking for a record store, visit www.recordstore.com for a listing of record stores across the US. And, if you’re spending time at home like so many of us are, don’t forget to check out if your favorite record store has an online store, as well.