We made it down to sunny Santa Barbara yesterday afternoon in about 3.5 hours, although that included a 1 hour stop in Solvang – a really pretty Danish styled town dating back to 1911.

The actual shopping area of Santa Barbara is really nice, kind of like Los Gatos but 10 times bigger. We failed to find mummy some new sunglasses but succeeded in persuading Olly to get 40 winks in the pushchair 🙂

We then checked into the hotel – as we walked through the main entrance to the hotel Elliot just said “Yes, this is a nice hotel !” 🙂 He was not wrong, but then it is 3times the price of the hotel in Cambria from the previous night.

BOTH our cameras have got flat batteries now so photography has had to fail over to the iPhones sadly, so I guess we must have taken LOTS of photos.

Dinner last night was very nice at the Harbor Inn (think that it’s name) on the Santa Barbara pier. Elliot just couldn’t figure out why their was buildings made over the sea …

Olly has successfully been hard work at every meal time so far excepting the McDonalds in the car at lunch yesterday – little monkey 🙁

Last night we got the boys into bed and sat out on the little patio with a bottle of red wine and some Trader Joes kettle corn – think We’ve mentioned the corn before – v moreish… 🙂 Great end to a lovely day (meal time excepted)

Today looks to be a day on the beach 🙂

We got a little over half way and stopped for an overnight stay.  Route 1 down the California coast is a very picturesque drive – would be even better if the sun was shining the whole way.  It is however, a LLLOOOOOONNNNNNGGGG ass way 🙂

We have broken it’s back now however and stopped in a little town 140 miles North of Santa Barbara.

Can’t post any of the photos that we have taken yet however since the cameraman forgot the relevant cables 🙁

We have had a nice dinner in the hotel and are getting ready for sleep – however we have just popped the room TV on and YES  “the Rock” is on…. Get in.

We decided that the trip to Santa Barbara, CA is a GO.  So we have just booked a night (tonight) in Cambria, CA down the coast – so driving down the coast road (Route 1) will be a pretty impressive drive we think tonight.  Then tomorrow we will head down the final leg to Santa Barbara where we are staying near the beach at Fess Parker Hotel – recommended by Jason Folk – so it is all on him 🙂

We will see the zoo and the beaches and the town and a place called Solvang – apparently a ver pretty little Danish town – we will upload photos etc upon our return.

Let the packing begin….