This part of the trip was all about relaxation. Chris pretty much drove 2,000 miles (there were car rental reasons why I couldn't drive and well... it kept Chris occupied :) ) and we had been chillin' in that little Fiat for over a week. Being in California you have to have a taste of the beach and the palm trees. So we got that taste by spending time in Santa Barbara where the tourists weren't crowding the area and people were just going about their daily lives Cali style.
The biggest thing about this part of the trip was the miracle we were given. It was coming down to the end of the trip, and knowing that Santa Barbara is in the pricey range, we were a little apprehensive about staying 3 days in a hotel there. We sat on the side of the road lining the water at around 9 pm trying to figure the numbers and gauge what would be a price we could tolerate.
We settled on, I think it was a Holiday Inn?, I am not sure but it was about $200 a night (I am posting the price for a reason). Still spending that kind of money didn't settle well. We decided to drive around back in the parking lot under the hotel to call in our reservation because the line was long inside. In the back there was a large section of the lot blocked off with warning tape. We were like "what is this all about?" and "where are we supposed to park at this place?" At the VERY back we parked and Chris says "we should pray about this." Right after our prayer Chris said that he looked up and in the dark he say a VACANCY sign glowing at the other end of the lot at the back of the hotel.
He mentioned it to me and then said something about how we might as well try that one for grins. The lady picks up on the other end and from what I could tell it was GOOD news. When Chris got off the phone he said the hotel was only $112 compared to the $200! I was like "OKAY!" So we drove over. I thought maybe it was going to be a little dumpy, but it was actually a cute little place with vines growing. Almost look like home, if a hotel can look like home. We went inside and it still looked nice. While Chris was checking in I noticed a sign that mentioned continental breakfast! YES!
Though our room was humble, it was clean, smelled normal, and had enough room to fit our ginormous bags. I was grateful, satisfied, and... to make it more redundant... down right content. We slept TONS at that place, even though the beds weren't wicked soft and plush. I felt like I had really arrived home. I am used to simple things and happiness that comes from gratefulness. Here is Chris eating his continental breakfast by the pool.
And the view.
Here on the harbor it was peaceful just to watch boats go by and see birds gliding the wind.
Typical view in Santa Barbara.
The Marina.
On the pier.
Yup. This little guy just stood there.
And this one just laid there. He was my friend. So dirty and ugly he was cute. The contrast on him made my eyes happy.
This is more true to what Santa Barbara looks like at the beach.
They had some kind of team working here.
We visited Santa Barbara's Old Mission.
Pretty cool little place and it is still in use.
Some cacti.
Inside the chapel.
I enjoyed seeing this sculpture. In several of Catholic churches I have seen sculptures of saints that look like death and others that look scary and dark. This looked like life and acceptance. A really warm and simple portraying of God.
Out in from of the Old Mission.
Our miracle hotel. Maybe you can see how it would look cozy at night. :)
Our car was SOOOOooo dirty by this point. Oh and you can see the moon the right hand corner.
Typical road in southern Cali.
No comments:
Post a Comment