Santa Barbara Photo Diaries: Inspiration Hike and Cozy Books

Here is my first installment of what I am currently calling Photo Diaries. I lived in Santa Barbara for about five years, and explored the town every weekend, always on the lookout for trying new things. I have collected a wealth of knowledge of my favorite things to see and do in this beautiful town, from history museums to mountainous hikes to beaded hippie dens to touch tanks to savory eats. I have looked under every rock, every crevice Santa Barbara has to offer, and can in turn offer you my knowledge, piecemeal. I have met lots of people in those years, and have crafted some posts for just about everybody: the best things to see for history lovers, nature enthusiasts, college kids, city slicks, adrenaline junkies, chill hippies, and more.

Here is more free-form. Think of it as a collection of thoughts, images, words, phrases. In short, these are my thoughts, as I take on Santa Barbara, weekend by weekend. Let’s dive into my first one!

January 7th, 2023

The Morning: Inspiration Point Hike

9:00 AM

One of the best things about Santa Barbara is its quick and easy access to nature. Inspiration Point Trailhead is just 12 minutes from Downtown Santa Barbara, where you will likely be staying near should you visit. The pictures above just show the hike it takes to walk UP to the point, high above the sea fog where you can rest on your laurels, watching the ocean waves and the mountains behind you.

When I lived in SB, I got the chance to drive out from Isla Vista any time I wanted, and could explore all the sights and sounds and really get my lay of the land.

So, one morning, I got up at 9:00, and drove over to Inspiration Point Trailhead. I’d been meaning to go, and here was a nice, clear day that would offer the best view from the peak I would climb. This part is KEY- I visited Inspiration Point again with a friend, hiking up the at times narrow and slippery hills, bending below branches and vines, only to come out to the flat topped peak that was surrounded on all sides by a thick blanket of fog. It was still a nice hike, but kind of defeats the purpose of the inspirational view.

Along the way, I snapped some pics of things that tickled my fancy. Growing up, I’ve always been obsessed with nature, and things like this always inspired me with ideas of dragons, castles, and heroes. Something about the hidden mushrooms and ferns, the blanket of fog and verdant moss, just really speak to me.

And oh boy, pictures do NOT do it justice.

Donec sit amet venenatis quam, vel fermentum ante. Phasellus efficitur maximus velit, id suscipit dolor ornare eget. Donec eu sem nec nulla fermentum tempus non quis tellus. Praesent fermentum euismod elit. Duis consequat scelerisque augue, vel interdum risus. Mauris eu aliquet nibh. Ut imperdiet eros at augue euismod finibus. Fusce eget massa nec arcu laoreet sodales. Maecenas dictum condimentum est, id feugiat odio consequat eget. Curabitur rhoncus ullamcorper dui ut tempor. Duis molestie magna urna. Maecenas non rutrum augue, sed pharetra turpis.

Duis euismod non dui a fermentum. Morbi maximus lacinia justo. Sed sodales sem sed arcu pretium pulvinar. Nam nec rhoncus mi. Integer sit amet aliquet dolor. Nulla efficitur vel purus ut luctus. Ut iaculis dolor at enim pulvinar, sit amet efficitur enim tristique. Nam nec nisl hendrerit, semper leo nec, rhoncus lorem. Aenean ultricies libero et hendrerit blandit. Pellentesque ultricies massa vestibulum, rutrum libero ac, ornare enim. Proin eget vestibulum massa, id ultricies magna. In ipsum nibh, malesuada sit amet dictum sed, consectetur eget elit. In ac risus iaculis, molestie ipsum nec, auctor nisi. Vestibulum ac auctor nisi. Donec ac ultrices est.

Cras sed arcu vel lorem hendrerit molestie eget non risus. Sed venenatis tempus suscipit. Curabitur nec risus in turpis faucibus lobortis non eu tortor. Nunc feugiat urna eget elementum finibus. Vestibulum ultrices tincidunt turpis, in hendrerit orci ultricies non. Mauris mi sapien, luctus et gravida at, euismod a ex. Duis aliquet sit amet orci nec ullamcorper. Vivamus nulla est, rutrum in orci vel, posuere faucibus lectus. Aliquam auctor enim orci, sed eleifend nisl imperdiet et. Curabitur auctor ultrices feugiat.

Duis euismod metus a lectus auctor venenatis. Phasellus dictum luctus leo sed consectetur. In auctor ac arcu eu pharetra. Ut faucibus sagittis ante a hendrerit. Sed efficitur quam est, at aliquam dui rhoncus at. Morbi lacinia gravida turpis vel rutrum. Maecenas sit amet augue ac odio viverra egestas id sed felis.