The grand finale of our California trip, Matt and Caitlin’s wedding!! It was a truly magical day — the weather was perfect and we danced the night away. We couldn’t be more grateful we got to spend time with so many college friends in the most beautiful place.
Matt and Caitlin: The Rehearsal
Friday it was finally time for Matt and Caitlin’s rehearsal and dinner! Dale put the finishing touches on his speech and we had breakfast with our friend Andy before the noon rehearsal. The wedding took place at the stunning Montecito Club – we were all hoping the smoky/smoggy weather would lift before Saturday! After rehearsing Dale headed to golf with the guys and I took part in the wine tasting at the Margerum Tasting Room and drinks at the Test Pilot before the rehearsal dinner!
Santa Barbara, CA
Thursday we drove from LA to Santa Barbara to finally kick off Matt and Caitlin’s wedding weekend! As soon as we arrived we stopped by The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. After seeing all the nature we met up with the guys at the pier for wine, ice cream, and lunch. That night we met my family who lives in SB at the Shoreline Cafe for dinner. It was great to catch up and after visiting with them Dale and I headed to our Airbnb to get some sleep before the wedding festivities.
Santa Barbara and LA
After a long drive through Big Sur we finally arrived in Santa Barbara. That evening we had dinner with family and then were off to bed. The next morning we stopped by the rose gardens near the Old Mission Santa Barbara before breakfast at Summerland Beach Cafe. Then we were on the road again!
Our last stop was LA! We spent two nights with friends in West Hollywood. Immediately after arriving we headed to grab ramen and then went on a quick hike up to the Griffith Observatory. That night we visited with friends and were up and going early Friday for a visit to the Getty Villa! The beautiful villa and grounds really did remind me of Italy and all the Greek and Roman artifacts inside are amazing. Our last evening was also spent visiting with friends during dinner in Santa Monica. I am so grateful we were able to fit in seeing so many people throughout the week and can’t wait for the next time we can head back!
Big Sur
Driving through Big Sur was by far my favorite day of our trip! We got on the road pretty early and headed from Carmel towards Santa Barbara. Our first major stop was the Bixby Bridge before a quick hike through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was hard not to stop every few minutes to take pictures and enjoy the stunning scenery.
I was really happy we were able to see McWay Falls from the road! Julia Pfeiffer State Park is currently closed but next time I would love to hike through that park as well. I would even love to spend a few nights in Big Sur camping, sometimes one week just isn’t enough! Next stop, Santa Barbara!
