Santa Barbara/Carpinteria

Check out pictures of our trip here.

This weekend we drove up to the Central Coast, specifically the Santa Barbara/Carpinteria area. It was a great weekend weather-wise, with temperatures in the low 70s. We had a picnic lunch at Chase Palm Park, which is situated across the street from the waterfront. We also visited the Santa Barbara Zoo which, is the best small zoo in the U.S. They had gorillas, giraffes, a couple of African lions, and lots of birds. All the animals have a grand view of the Pacific Ocean too. Lucas liked the penguins the best since they put on a swimming show for him. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Carpinteria.

The next day, we drove back to Santa Barbara to visit Old Mission Santa Barbara. This mission was built in 1786, and the church is still in use today. We attended Sunday service, and it was amazing to be in a place that is 200 plus years old. We checked out the courtyard, the sleeping quarters, and the cemetery. All in all it was a fun weekend. It's a great escape from L.A. (2 hours drive north on the 101 freeway). It was Lucas' first night away from home and we wanted to get him accustomed to traveling relatively long distances. Seems that he had a great time!