Amazing Hospitality
During our stay in Santa Barbara, Teresa and I not only discovered a new city but made some new friends -- Matt and Erin. They both attended graduate school Anna. While we waited for Anna and Jason to arrive from the east coast, Teresa and I stopped by Matt and Erin's for dinner. They kindly had invited us without ever meeting us in person.
They live in an awesome home just off State Street. My favorite feature is the large from porch. We were treated to an excellent dinner and drinks. Conversation was easy, and everyone enjoyed themselves. I was surprised how fast time flew by. Anna and Jason arrived before we realized the late hour. Everyone said their hellos, and we went off to bed. Anna and Jason stayed up late to watch the North Carolina basketball game.
On Sunday, we began our guided tour of Santa Barbara. Matt drove us around the Mesa to the Douglas Family Preserve. Our first stop on the Mesa was a hidden beach that is only accessible by a ton of steep steps. The walk down the cliff to the beach was easy, but the walk back up took my breath away. A short drive away is the preserve. Its an amazing piece of waterfront real estate was saved from real estate developers by Michael Douglas. After he purchased the property, he donated to the City of Santa Barbara. We walked along the coastline gazing at all the natural beauty.
We worked up a good appetite, and decided to head back into town for lunch. Matt and Erin suggested a small Mexican take away, but the line was around the block. Their alternate plan took us to the marina for lunch at Brophy Brothers. The restaurant is located in the west harbor with crazy views of the marina, city and mountains. I ordered tuna with a Firestone Walker Double Barrel Alie. Its a decent local brew. Overall, It was such a nice change to see people out and about on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone was eating, drinking and enjoying the perfect weather.
For the rest of the day, Matt, Jason and I lounged around the house. The girls walked through a local art show by the beach. In the evening, we bar-b-qued. For dessert, we walked McConnell's Ice Cream and Yogurt Shop. I had a Turkish Coffee Shake. The ice cream was blended with rich and dark coffee; you could see and taste the grinds. It was so tasty.
The next few days were completely relaxing. We start the morning with coffee and breakfast from the Daily Grind; it was only a short walk from Matt and Erin's house. I casually completed my workdays. Teresa, Anna and Jason toured Santa Barbara County. They visited small beach towns, went hiking and tasted locally wines Santa Ynez Vineyards. We continued to make amazing dinners and generally hangout with Matt and Erin. We even played a new game to me called Apples To Apples. It is an association game were you guess how others create relationships between words. I never had a good hand. We watched the NCAA final; I felt sad for Anna. She is such a huge Caroline fan; I'd love to see her celebrate a National Championship. I felt everyone was having such a great time. I know I didn't want our stay to end.
Alas, we had to fly back to Portland Tuesday evening. After I finished work, I joined Anna, Jason and Teresa for one last journey to State Street. We wanted to find an outdoor spot from drinks and settled on the Sandbar. We talked our way into seats right along the sidewalk and ordered a few rounds of margaritas. I was jealous of Anna and Jason; they were finishing the week by driving up the coast to San Francisco. They planned to visit Big Sur, Monterrey and other lovely spots. Its amazing how much there is to see and do on this new to me coast. We also reminisced about our short time in Santa Barbara. Matt and Erin were awesome hosts, and they made us feel right at home. The city is gorgeous, and there is so much to see and do. I was so happy to be enjoying life with a group of people. At times, we've missed that group atmosphere in Portland.
We milked happy hour for all its worth. After a quick stop back at Matt and Erin's to say goodbye and thank you, Anna and Jason dropped us off at SBA. I was sad to say goodbye, and I hope to see everyone very soon. It was also saddening to leave such a wonderful city. I know I'll be back in the summer, but that seems so far in the future. Again, I can't say enough about Matt and Erin's hospitality. They didn't know Teresa and I from Adam, but treated us so well. You don't always have opportunities to make new good friends, but I think we have.
