Santa Barbara

August 28—September 5, 2011:  Forget San Francisco, Santa Barbara is where we left our hearts. Sunny days, uncrowded beaches, the old mission, and the general ambiance were just what we needed. Who could blame us for dawdling here? The decision to skip down the coast at a pretty good clip was the right one for us because it got us out of the fog and cold and into sunshine, where we reveled in the chance to catch our breath. We relaxed a lot-- reading, watching movies onboard, exploring State Street, hanging out on the beach, and seeing a few of the sights. There were the regular boat chores like grocery shopping and laundry, and a few minor things to fix (stuffed full sea strainer, plugged fuel line) as well. We had a great evening at the The James Joyce, an Irish bar on State St., listening to Ulysses S Jasz, a group that plays classic New Orleans Jazz. I would love to go there again!
We left Santa Barbara on Labor Day and headed back to the Channel Islands to spend a couple of days in some small anchorages before heading down to Catalina. Here and here are pics after leaving San Francisco.