I’ve Lived in California for 25 Years—and This Seaside Town Is a True Hidden Gem in the Golden State

Rising up in Santa Barbara, California, day journeys to close by Summerland, roughly a 10-minute drive from downtown, have been the spotlight of my week. In highschool, I’d head there with mates, grabbing burgers at Tinker’s, hitting the seaside, or purchasing for bikinis at Bikini Manufacturing facility. Again then, Summerland felt like a secret—a seaside city simply past the rhythm of each day life.

Over time, I’ve watched Summerland remodel, welcoming new outlets just like the bookstore Godmothers, the cafe and present store Area + Fort, and the Summerland Vintage Collective. “Summerland was as soon as a sleepy little spot on the map, however over the previous decade, it’s advanced, with upscale outlets and treasures for vintage fanatics,” says Paulette Bermant, proprietor of Inn on Summer time Hill.

It’s additions akin to these which have helped catapult Summerland from a city simply handed on the 101 freeway right into a must-see vacation spot, one that also maintains its small-town allure. “The bigger close by cities are great,” says Victoria Jackson, co-founder of Godmothers, sharing why she and her co-founder determined to open a bookstore in Summerland. “However Summerland provided one thing quieter and extra private, the place an area like this might really turn into part of each day life, fairly than only a vacation spot.”

Subsequent time you’re driving alongside the coast, maybe in your solution to better-known Montecito or Santa Barbara, take Exit 91 off Freeway 101 and contemplate spending the day exploring this hidden gem.

The place to Keep

Inn on Summer time Hill

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Inn on Summer time Hill is a 17-room boutique lodge with plentiful water and backyard views. Constructed within the late Eighties by inside designer Mabel Shults and her husband, Paul, the property has remained family-run because it opened. “The inn and Summerland are actually a candy reminder of my dad and mom’ passions and love for the realm and hospitality enterprise,” says Bermant, the Shults’ daughter.

Greatest Issues to Do

Go to The Sacred Area.

Strolling into The Sacred Area in Summerland appears like stepping by a portal to a tropical retreat. The Balinese gardens characteristic a number of seating areas surrounded by lush wildlife, accompanied by the mild trickle of close by fountains. For those who want an escape from the calls for of on a regular basis life, this can be a place to linger.

Make a journey to the Santa Barbara Hen Sanctuary.

Santa Barbara Hen Sanctuary is one in every of only some parrot rescues within the nation; it focuses on taking in uncared for companion parrots. Right this moment, it’s dwelling to greater than 50, all of whom you possibly can go to on a walk-around tour by the tropical gardens.

Get pleasure from a California seaside day.

Lookout Park is a four-acre leisure space perched alongside the Summerland coast with easy accessibility to each scenic views and the seaside under. Guests can arrive by automotive, bike, or on foot. The park is dog-friendly and options picnic tables, grills, a playground, a self-service canine wash station, and a seaside volleyball courtroom. To achieve the seaside, stroll to the tip of the car parking zone reverse the playground, the place a path leads right down to Summerland Seaside. You possibly can even go horseback driving on Summerland Seaside, or discover one of many scenic bluff trails, with Summerland Seaside Rides.

Greatest Eating places

Area + Fort

Newer additions like Area + Fort, a hybrid cafe and present and residential items store, have helped form Summerland’s rising identification. On the cafe, you’ll discover seasonal, chef-inspired breakfasts and lunches, finest loved on the patio with backyard seating. If you’re carried out, roam the present store, which has every part from gardening instruments to caviar.

Tinker’s

For those who’re within the temper for a fast burger and fries in Summerland, Tinker’s (or Tinker Burger) is a longtime native favourite. Seize a traditional cheeseburger with a aspect of curly fries, or go for one of many hearty sandwiches, like a pastrami soften or Philly-style steak sandwich.

Summerland Seaside Cafe

Step contained in the historic Summerland Seaside Cafe, set in a restored Victorian-era home inbuilt 1893, nearly a block from the Pacific. Since opening in 1981, this laid-back spot has been a favourite for homestyle breakfast and lunch with indoor, porch, and backyard patio seating.

The Nugget Bar and Grill

A neighborhood favourite, based on Bermant, The Nugget Bar and Grill first started serving burgers, fries, chili, and different traditional American fare round 1970, making it a longtime neighborhood staple.

Crimson Kettle Espresso

It’s arduous to overlook the big gnome out entrance of Crimson Kettle Espresso. Opened in 2016, this cozy cafe serves regionally roasted espresso, hand-blended teas, and freshly baked items, making it an ideal cease for a morning cup of joe or a noon pick-me-up.

Greatest Purchasing

Summerland Vintage Collective

Summerland Vintage Collective is really an vintage lover’s dream. With greater than 20 distinctive seller areas unfold all through the shop, you’re nearly assured to seek out precisely what you’re searching for. From lamps and plates to work and books, the choice is huge and seemingly unending.

Godmothers

When Godmothers opened in Summerland’s Nineteen Twenties three-story white barn in 2024, it rapidly turned greater than only a bookstore; it grew into a real literary and neighborhood hub. Proper within the coronary heart of city, the house affords a wide array of books throughout genres, curated present objects, studying nooks, and a sunny patio that includes a renovated Airstream espresso cart serving Dart Espresso. “We hope everybody who visits us appears like Godmothers is dwelling away from dwelling,” says co-founder Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. “A spot to seize a espresso and a e-book, and a spot to develop and study and join.”

Bikini Manufacturing facility

Bikini Manufacturing facility has known as Summerland dwelling for greater than 60 years. Whether or not you’re purchasing for traditional beachwear or one thing particular to your subsequent coastal getaway, it stays the place to go for all issues swimwear in Summerland and past.

The Properly

The Properly is a kind of locations that speaks to Summerland’s distinctive character. As you stroll in, you’re instantly met by the tranquil sound of trickling water from the various stone fountains all through the property. The outside house showcases backyard and patio furnishings, whereas a number of stand-alone cottages home a curated assortment of indoor items.

Greatest Time to Go to

The most effective time to go to Summerland is anytime—actually. Whereas the summer season shines, Summerland boasts sunny climate year-round. Even on a uncommon gloomy or wet day, it’s nonetheless well worth the journey.

Easy methods to Get Round

Tucked simply off U.S. Freeway 101, Summerland is straightforward to succeed in whether or not you’re headed north or south. Take Exit 91 in both route, which leads immediately into city by way of Lillie Avenue, Summerland’s essential thoroughfare. When you arrive, the compact seaside neighborhood is straightforward to discover by automotive, bike, or on foot, with every part clustered shut collectively.