Experience Santa Barbara While Practicing Social Distancing
As more people are encouraged to stay at home and travel plans have changed, you may find yourself in need of some inspiration. Whether you are a Santa Barbara local stuck at home or reading this from afar, we’ve come up with some suggestions to have fun and experience Santa Barbara while practicing social distancing at home OR in a hotel room.
Social Distancing Doesn’t Mean
You Can’t be Social
Everyone has a cell phone, so use it! Call your friends and loved ones. FaceTime with your grandma or call the long-distance friend from college you only talk to twice a year. Catch up with people and check in.
If you’re getting social on social media more often than usual with your new free time, find some new accounts to follow! Stay in the know by following these Santa Barbara Instagram accounts for travel inspiration and the most up-to-date information from restaurants, shops, and more:
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Learn Something New
Have extra time on your hands? Learn something new.
Lynda.com is a Santa Barbara-founded company and is based in Carpinteria. This online education platform allows students to learn remotely offering everything from graphic design to Photography 101 to HTML training. With a free one-month trial, take advantage of this time to pick up that new skill you’ve been wanting to learn.
Have kiddos at home? The Santa Barbara Zoo has a great combination of online educational resources. Download their podcast Zoo Radio, subscribe to the YouTube channel or follow @santabarbarazoo on Instagram to learn about the animals living locally at the SB Zoo. Or get artsy – Art From Scrap is putting together ideas for kids packs full of crafty items, so follow @artfromscrap on Instagram for more details.
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Channel the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Watch a Movie
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images for SBIFF
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival recognized this past year’s best filmmakers and actors including Florence Pugh, Adam Driver, Brad Pitt, and Bong Joon Ho. Didn’t have time to watch their films at SBIFF? Many award-winning titles are now available on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Here are a few options:
- Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood starring Brad Pitt – Available to rent for $2.99 on Amazon Prime
- Bong Joon Ho’s Okja – Available to stream on Netflix
- Midsommar starring Florence Pugh – Available to stream on Amazon Prime
- Frozen 2 – Available to stream on Disney+
- Marriage Story starring Adam Driver – Available to stream on Netflix
Or for a visual taste of Santa Barbara – watch a movie that was filmed IN Santa Barbara:
- 20th Century Women – Available to stream on Netflix
- Sideways – Available to stream on Hulu
Santa Barbara as a long history of filmmaking and Visit Santa Barbara has an entire list of Santa Barbara based films on their website for movie queue inspiration.
Taste Santa Barbara – Order Food, Wine & Beer for Takeout or Delivery
Santa Barbara is known for our spectacular food scene with farm fresh ingredients. Order food from your favorite Santa Barbara restaurants to support local businesses while treating yourself to a taste of SB. Besides, you’ve probably already snacked your way through your quarantine stash. While all local restaurants have closed their dining rooms, most are still offering takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery. Support these local restaurants by ordering lunch or dinner to-go:
- Pascucci Restaurant – (805) 963-8123
- Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood – (805) 965-3363
- Rudy’s Fresh Mexican Food – (805) 845-5446
- Joe’s Cafe – (805) 966-4638
- Scarlett Begonia – (805) 770-2143
Wineries and breweries are a staple in the Santa Barbara lifestyle. While doors remain closed for the time being, many wineries and breweries are offering curbside pickup so that you can still enjoy your favorite locally-made wines and beers at home. Order curbside pickup from:
- Municipal Winemakers – Text or call (805) 931-MUNI to arrange curbside pickup or free local delivery. Wine is also available for purchase & shipping on the website.
- Captain Fatty’s – Call (805) 364-2968 or order online for pickup or local delivery.
- Margerum Wine – Call (805) 845-8435 for curbside pickup or local delivery.
- Jamie Slone Wines – Text Jamie at (520) 245-6932 to schedule curbside pickup or delivery. Not local? Buy online and shipping is free on all orders through March 29th.
- Night Lizard Brewing Company – Delivery between 12-3 PM daily: $50 minimum for delivery around Santa Barbara. Pickup between 3-7 PM daily: Notification via email when your order is ready for pickup. Please go to the back of the brewery for curbside pickup. Call (805) 770-2956 when you are in the back. Entrance to the brewery is at 12 W Cota. Valid ID required. Use parking spots 66-69.
As things are changing daily, please make sure to contact businesses directly. Visit Santa Barbara also provides a full list of Santa Barbara eateries that are offering delivery services and take-away options.
Stay Active, Santa Barbara Style
Take a long walk on the beach, hike one of Santa Barbara’s beautiful trails, or take an online yoga class. While many gyms and yoga studios have closed their doors for the time being, many are now offering online classes. Here are a few local SB gyms and fitness studios offering live-streaming of classes:
- State Street Boxing Club – State Street Boxing Club is offering free Instagram Live boxing workouts daily at 4 pm. The workouts require no equipment and include a mix of boxing technique and strength conditioning for a full body workout. You can also catch the prerecorded workouts on their Facebook page. @statestreetboxingclub
- Divinitree Yoga Studio Santa Barbara – Divinitree is offering live online classes via Zoom. Sign up through their website to receive a Zoom link via email 5 minutes before the start of class. Additionally, they will be offering 1 free live class per week through Instagram Stories so be sure to follow @divinitree.santabarbara!
- Power of Your Om – POYO is offering daily live-streamed classes via Zoom. Register for class at least 30 minutes before class begins and they will send you a link for the live stream. Or try one of their free pre-recorded audio classes.
- CorePower Yoga – While the studio is closed, CorePower will be offering online yoga classes as well as 4-5 free daily flows on Instagram Live. Follow @corepoweryogasb on Instagram for the Instagram Live daily schedule.
- Bond Fitness SB – Bond is offering free, at home full body circuit and HIIT workouts daily on Instagram Live at 8 am. Follow along on their Instagram @bondfitnesssb. Can’t make the 8 am workout time? Don’t worry! The workouts stay on their profile for 24 hours.
Read Up on Santa Barbara (And plan your next trip!)
Santa Barbara, with its beautiful climate, rich history, charming architecture and vibrant spirit, is a writer’s dream destination for novels, travel guides, and recounting history. Santa Barbara locals and visitors alike will find something of interest to read with SB in the plot line.
Unique Eats and Eateries of Santa Barbara by Geneva Ives offers inspiration to try a new restaurant or experience the delicious taste of a menu item you wouldn’t have thought to order. With guide boxes that show cost and must-try dishes, this restaurant guidebook has something to suit everyone’s taste buds.
The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell is a book that you probably read in elementary school if you grew up in California. Set on San Nicholas Island, one of the 8 Channel Islands off the central coast of California, the story follows the life of a Native American woman who lives in isolation for 18 years.
Historic Santa Barbara, by local author Neal Graffy, is an illustrated history of Santa Barbara from the original inhabitants, the Chumash, through the devastating Jesusita fire of 2009. The second half of the book profiles many Santa Barbara businesses, churches and non-profits.
Looking for some tips to help you plan your next trip to Santa Barbara? Read a few of our favorite local blogs:
- State & Cota by Hotel Santa Barbara offers recommendations on everything from where to eat to kid-friendly Santa Barbara activities. Don’t miss our Staff Picks Series for local insights!
- Visit Santa Barbara is a great resource when planning a trip to Santa Barbara. Even locals can stay up-to-date with the hip happenings by checking out the Calendar of Events. Never been to Santa Barbara? Read the First Timer’s Guide to Santa Barbara.
- Female Foodie’s Guide to Santa Barbara offers well-rounded recommendations on where to eat, shop, and play in Santa Barbara.
Shop Local Santa Barbara Products from the Comfort of Home!
While some Santa Barbara shops are reducing hours or are temporarily closed for in-person shopping, many are selling their products online and shipping straight to your doorstep. Send heartfelt and specially curated packages to your friends and loved ones so that they can have a little piece of Santa Barbara.
- Shop baby clothes, ponchos, and alpaca blankets from Asher Market, one of 5 locally owned shops located in The Shops at Hotel Santa Barbara. Asher Market’s products are designed locally and produced in Peru.
- Marcel Hemp, a father and son-owned business located in The Shops at Hotel Santa Barbara, is America’s oldest hemp clothing store, selling sustainable clothing since 1989. Marcel designs their clothing right here in Santa Barbara.
- Stabiles is a carefully curated, locally-owned store located in The Shops at Hotel Santa Barbara featuring products designed by local artists. Shop screen-printed t-shirts and hoodies, terrariums, soy candles, jewelry, night lights, planters, blankets, leather wallets, and more at their online store.
- Browse the online gallery of whimsical 3D Pop Art created by Charles Fazzino of Fazzino Gallery located in The Shops at Hotel Santa Barbara. Board games, puzzles, playing cards, art books and more are available for purchase at the online gift shop.
- Stock up on board games, puzzles, and more for fun family bonding time from Game Seeker, a family-owned business located in The Shops at Hotel Santa Barbara.
- The Locals Santa Barbara has put together The California Box, a carefully curated box of locally-made Santa Barbara goods. You can also schedule a virtual walk-through of the store, located in the Funk Zone, to pick out gifts for curbside pick-up or shipping. DM @thelocals_sb on Instagram to schedule an appointment.
- Jake & Jones will keep you dressing stylishly, even as you work or lounge at home with your family. While their storefront is temporarily closed, online shipping is available from this locally-owned clothing store in the Presidio neighborhood.
As we navigate this challenging time together, having a positive attitude and staying busy while practicing social distancing is so important. We’d love to hear your creative ways to have fun while practicing social distancing!
