We woke up Sunday looking for something to do.  Aviva wanted to go for a drive.  I suggested we go out to Santa Barbara.  So Aviva, Basil and I packed into the Prius and headed west.

It took about two hours to get out there because somebody got rearended on the highway; auto accidents around Los Angeles are common unfortunately.

By the time we got there we were hungry, so we got a couple subs from the local pizza parlor and ate by the beach.

A panorama of the beach front and pier

A detail of the pier from the beach

After we finished, we walked over to the Italian Pottery Outlet that Aviva has seen online; we didn’t buy anything, but we talked about getting another piece of Raffaellesco pottery.  We think their prices for everyday wares are pretty good.

A surf shop near the waterfront

We then drove up the main shopping street, State Street, stopped for some frozen yogurt, and then drove up to the Santa Barbara Mission.

The mission was officially founded in 1785.  It was heavily damaged in the earthquake in 1925, and has been restored twice since.  There’s a self-guided tour for $5 USD which is pretty good; the sanctuary is particularly interesting.

The facade of the Mission Santa Barbara

The facade after the earthquake

A laundry basin in front of the mission

Part of the main fountain in front of the Mission

A plaque on the front of the Mission

The altar of the church at the Mission

We drove back on a scenic route, Alameda Padre Senna, with many views overlooking the Santa Barbara waterfront from a distance.  We drove home without experiencing another car accident.