Boathouse at Hendry's Beach

We came to this place for breakfast. The restaurant is behind the sea. The environment is not bad. The restaurant is a little crowded. The distance between the tables is quite close. You can hear the conversation of the next table clearly. In the morning, we were waiting at the door. After waiting for a while, there are several choices for breakfast. We ordered the simplest set meal.

California Highway 1 winds its way north to south, connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles along the coast. Along the way, scenic spots include Hearst Castle, Santa Monica, Monterey's Seventeen Mile Drive, and Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is a beautiful coastal town renowned for its Spanish-style architecture, Mediterranean-European style, beaches, and mountains. This was the final stop on my California Loop road trip. We mainly visited the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, strolled along the waterfront, and dined at a seaside restaurant. It was a wonderful time. Here's a very insightful introduction from Ai. 🌟Santa Barbara: A Spanish Legacy on the California Coastline 🌊Santa Barbara, affectionately known by locals as the "American Riviera," holds countless heartwarming stories. Spanish colonists left a deep mark here in the 18th century. Its red-tiled, whitewashed buildings, shaded by palm trees, exude a Mediterranean-inspired sense of leisure and romance. Watching the sunset from Hendrys Beach, I suddenly understood why it's considered one of the best sunset viewing spots in California. As the golden-red afterglow casts a shadow over the ocean, the silhouettes of surfers bob on the waves, and time seems to slow down. 🏰Wandering Downtown Santa Barbara Nothing catches the eye more than the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Built in 1929, this Spanish Colonial Revival building boasts exquisite hand-painted ceilings and painted tiles, and its rooftop observation deck offers sweeping views of the city and the azure ocean beyond. The Spanish Room inside the courthouse is especially recommended, showcasing historical artifacts from the early Spanish era. 🌴Inspiration Under the Poet's Tree The Poet's Tree near East Beach is a secret gathering place for local artists. Wooden plaques inscribed with verses hang beneath this ancient banyan tree year-round, and poets are said to have been sharing their creative work here since the 1960s. Sitting on a bench beneath the tree, you can clearly hear the crashing waves, making it a fertile ground for inspiration. 🦞Seaside Dining Memories The Boathouse Restaurant on Hendrys Beach was a pleasant surprise on this trip. While enjoying freshly caught seafood on the terrace, our waiter pointed out the black specks that flickered in and out of the water: families of sea otters at play. The restaurant's secret clam chowder truly lived up to its reputation, paired with freshly baked sourdough bread, it was the perfect gift from the coastline. 🏄‍Surfer's Paradise The Los Banos del Mar swimming pool bears witness to this coastal city's athletic legacy. Built in the 1930s, this open-air saltwater pool was one of California's earliest public swimming facilities. Although now primarily used as a children's pool, standing by the poolside still evokes a sense of the maritime culture of that golden age. Near the swimming pool, you can often see young people clutching surfboards heading to the beach; perhaps they are the inheritors of the modern ocean spirit. From its Spanish Colonial architecture to its artistic Poets' Corner, to its soul-nourishing coastline, Santa Barbara perfectly embodies the meaning of "life is art." #CaliforniaCoast #SpanishColonialArchitecture #SurfCulture #SunsetBeach