Back on the beach..

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Santa Barbara - we realised quickly that we really should have come here for independence day. Oh well. Thats the thing about America - you keep finding lovely litle towns, and sometimes cities, which turn out to be far far better than the dodgy 1980's daytime soap opera of the same name suggested they could be. Ciara expected it to be full of rich old people with big 80’s hair & shoulder pads. Like the rich man’s Florida or something! Thankfully she was mis-informed!

The town is situated perfectly on a lovely sandy beach, with a long wooden pier, which isn't all that exciting to be honest. The main street is a different story. All along State Street there are cafes, bars, restaurants and pokey little shops. the street is lined with huge big trees and and looks really great, especally on a sunny day. Every hundred yards or so, a small alleyway branches off State Street, revealing a maze of shops cafes and even more restaurants all hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the main street.

Ciara expected it to be full of rich old people with big 80’s hair & shoulder pads

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In one of these alleyways we found a fountain full of tortoises just swimming about, and ciara got up close and personal with a window cleaner and Ben Franklin!

The nightlife was pretty good for a small town. Plenty of Irish bars (as usual), some good restaurants, and a English pub with a warm welcome for everyone (except wankers - see the photo!). We found a bar which brewed its own beers which was a nice change from drinking corona for the last 4 weeks!

We really enjoyed our night here. State St. is easily accessible, with a bus running up and down all day. theres a really helpful tourist centre with an eccentric but friendly English lady dolling out maps. We would definitely come back, but it was time to leave and head to Santa Monica and see if we could spot Paris Hilton breaking her driving ban.