Hump day

This is our third year coming to Santa Barbara, so we're content to do just a few things old and new on various days. Today we decided to drive up to Santa Ynez and maybe check out Solvang again.

We got on the road after 10:30 and stopped at one of the vista points along the way.

It's very dry in this part of California -- lots of signs cautioning the fire danger.

Our first stop was Dos Carlitos, a restaurant mentioned in the hotel brochure about the Santa Barbara County wine country. The place was great!!! We sat outside, and our server was charming as well as efficient. We split some excellent calamari along with equally delicious house margaritas.

We now call this Bob's double-fisted perv shot in honor of Phil, the Brit at the Amsterdam bar who coined the phrase. 

And then we had really yummy shrimp empanadas.

I was pensive.

We didn't think we should have another margarita each, so our server suggested splitting one -- this is what we got.

Mini-margaritas!

We went into one of the shops and chatted with the owner. Then it was off to Solvang, a Danish-style town.

 Bob actually got talked into buying TWO shirts made of bamboo!!

We drove back to Santa Barbara to rest up for our romantic getaway dinner at Col Spring Tavern, a former stagecoach stop along a mountain pass. I got a little dressed up for the occasion -- what a mistake. The drive was harrowing: hairpin turns while driving into the blazing setting sum glare. And the place was -- tired- looking. Our entree, the house special wild boar, was dry and tough. Ugh.

What a disappointment.

We got back to our inn by 9:00.