Santa Barbara
Nightlife and what to do in Santa Barbara, California USA Explore Santa Barbara through our first-hand travel stories, photos, routes, practical tips and…
We're really heading south now, getting closer to the California girls and beach bums. This is where the Baywatch vibe kicks in, with those iconic lifeguard towers lining the beaches. The temperature is climbing, so most of our activities are centered around the beaches. We arrive in Santa Barbara, a place we’ve been looking forward to. At first, it’s a bit tricky to find a motel that’s reasonably priced and centrally located, but luck is on our side, and we find one just a 2-minute walk from "the Strip." The motel is on Mission Street. "The Strip" refers to the area filled with clubs and bars. The beach in Santa Barbara is absolutely gorgeous, and the water is warm. We decide to head down to the beach, which is a 10-minute walk from the motel. We soak up the sun, swim, and just relax. Close to the beach, there are options to rent bikes, tandem bikes, and rollerblades at reasonable prices. We opt to rent a tandem bike for a couple of hours. Riding along the beach is an incredibly beautiful and enjoyable experience. In the evening, we go out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. There are a few Chinese spots along the Strip, and they come highly recommended. The prices are lower than at traditional American restaurants, and you can find a decent bottle of wine for around $10. Meanwhile, prices at other restaurants along the Strip start at double that. After a bottle of wine, it’s time for a night out in Santa Barbara. The nightlife is REALLY GOOD; it’s something you have to experience. There’s an awesome vibe, and the countless bars are packed closely together. We stumble upon an Irish pub for the first time, where there’s a thick layer of peanut shells on the floor. It feels cozy, with people munching on nuts and tossing the shells on the ground. It’s actually a thing you’re supposed to do! We chat with a ton of people and end up getting pretty tipsy! The prices are actually quite good—especially at the Irish pub. When you buy drinks, they might cost about the same as in Denmark, but you get twice the amount of alcohol each time.