Stay in Santa Barbara

By George Christopher Thomas, Travel Writer

The Old Yacht Club Inn Bed & Breakfast in Santa Barbara, CA is an absolute gem.  Located right by East Beach, it is a stone’s throw from Stern’s Wharf and all the sweet action of State Street.  A Bed & Breakfast in every sense of the word, the Old Yacht Club is the place to be for a hearty meal and a good night’s sleep.

hotel accommodations Santa Barbara

We have stayed there on many occasions, and the look and feel of the establishment is quite posh and luxurious.  The reason they call it the Old Yacht Club Inn is because in actually reality it used to be the Santa Barbara Yacht Club.  So you can imagine how close to the water, and how nice everything inside is, not to mention the boating theme.  Being a guest there made me want to go out on the water, do some fishing, snorkeling and sailing, and generally relax from the hustle and bustle of life in Los Angeles.

The nice thing about the property is it really gives you an old time seafaring feel.  There are pictures and paintings of yachts and ships throughout the establishment.  The last time we visited, Joanne and I stayed in the Santa Rosa suite, and had a delightful time.  It is spacious and clean, with a bottle of brandy wine waiting for you after you enter the room.  I decided since we were already there, and needed to take in the ambiance of the place, to sit down and sip this fine liqueur.  I felt almost regal sitting on the couch, drinking wine and discussing the weekend’s events.  Santa Barbara has a lot to offer the traveler, including hiking, fishing, golfing and sightseeing.  After getting settled in our room, I opened up all the windows, and you could actually hear the ocean, smell the ocean, and at that point in time I became part of the ocean.

This is one of the fun bed & Breakfast establishments that serve wine and cheese in the early evening. In my humble opinion, that is a step up in the B & B world, and it is a great start to a fine evening.  There is nothing like have some wine and cheese before painting the town red.  Everything about the Old Yacht Club Inn gives you a happy feel, like staying at Grandma’s house right by the beach.

For breakfast, Joanne and I each had a buttered crumpet.  I felt special inside getting to eat a crumpet with a British person.  After all she is subject to the crown, and if Prince William waltzed in and ordered her to give up her buttered crumpet, she would have to, or be committing treason.  I told her here in America we had a revolution, and I would protect her from such grievous injustices.  We also had a Santa Barbara style omelet, which consists of eggs, salsa and cheese.  It was absolutely delicious, alongside some seedless watermelon and piping hot coffee.

There are a lot of things to do in Santa Barbara, and I highly recommend visiting the mission, the natural history museum and the botanical gardens.  All great for a date weekend, and it is highly educational as well.  It is also a great place to chill out, and if you ended up spending your days at the Old Yacht Club Inn to catch up on some rest and relaxation, that would be good enough as well.  (For more information, please visit www.oldyachtclubinn.com)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *