Day Date to Santa Barbara

While we are so excited to add to our family, we have truly enjoyed our time together as a couple.  We wanted to relish our last opportunity for a special day date before our life totally changes so we planned a day of nothing but fun in Santa Barbara.

We started the day with breakfast at Chick Fil A.  Really, you can't go wrong there.

Then we hit some unexpected dead stop traffic between Ventura and Carpinteria.  If you are familiar with that stretch of road, you know there aren't any potty stops.  My poor 9 month pregnant bladder nearly exploded.  I was very seriously considering peeing into my Chick Fil A cup or dropping my trousers in front of all the stopped cars along the 101.  Luckily I made it to a bathroom with my internal organs and dignity still intact.

Then we toured the Santa Barbara Mission.  I had never been and really enjoyed the gardens and history.  Did you know Juana Maria (woman who was abandoned on an island for 18 years....the book Island of the Blue Dolphin is about her) is buried in the cemetery there?

My belly in all my 9 month pregnant glory!

We enjoyed mariachi music and church bells ringing for a wedding at the church.

These cacti are so cute!

Skulls on the mission wall?!

Next we headed to the SB Museum of Art.  Its a pretty small museum so you don't need a lot of time to see the collection.  They do have a few Impressionist greats that were fun to see.  Plus the hobo in front of the museum shouting that "Art is Evil" was pretty entertaining.

We wandered for a short while along State Street.  We perused overpriced Paris themed baby shops (uh....$50 for a onesie anyone?) and discovered Chocolats du Cali Bressan.  That little chocolate Buddha is heaven on earth!!!

Poor Buddha lost an arm before we could take a photo!

 

Fun on State St.

Our favorite part of the day was dinner.  We went to The Palace Grill for Cajun food.  We waited in line listening to a Creole Band with an accordian and sampling appetizers.  We ate Jambalaya and Chicken Marsala...delicious!  We also had Louisiana Bread Pudding Souffle while the whole restaurant broke into singing Louis Armstrong and toasting one another.  Great food, amazing service and a fun atmosphere!  Perfect top off for our fun day!