Smooth Sailing in Santa Barbara

 Arroyo Burro Beach a wide strip of powdery sand, locals call Hendry’s, is my favorite stop in Santa Barbara. The trailhead at the southern tip of the parking lot leads to More Mesa a bluff walk with stunning views of the coast.  Para-sailors glide overhead beneath flashy canopies, pelican’s patrol the bluffs in v-shaped formations while far below the aquamarine Pacific purls into billows of foaming white. Irish spring-green grass dotted with wildflowers carpets the mesa shaded by giant sycamores in the spring. You will likely have this walk to yourself save the occasional local walking dogs off leash. Continue out of the park on to Medcliff Road to Mesa Lane and turn right to Mesa steps. Take the public stairwell down to the sea shore. Enjoy a contemplative stroll on this stretch of hard packed sand backed by craggy cliffs back to the Arroyo Burro parking lot and facilities. Be sure you are not walking this stretch at high tide before embarking.

 After this two- mile loop you will be ready for lunch at the Boat House resting on the sand   Zesty sea food pasta was my choice, but shrimp Louis salad and Lobster rolls are also on the menu among many more taste treats.  Diners enjoy the patio shielded from the wind by glass barriers, or dine inside in casual elegance. Happy Hour offers tasty treats at bargain prices. There is a hamburger stand next to the main restaurant for folks in a hurry. A snooze on the sand after a sumptuous repast is in order.

overlooking the beach.

The ocean is relatively calm here and safe to swim. You can walk for miles up the long strand of sand beneath the cliffs. Locals with blankets and lawn chairs gather here to watch to sun slip into the Pacific in a fiery crescendo to a perfect Santa Barbara Day

Arroyo Burro Beach Park

Arroyo Burro Beach County Park is located 5 miles west of Santa Barbara's city center on Cliff Drive near Hope Ranch. From Highway 101 take Las Positas Road south to Cliff Drive. Turn right and travel 1/2 mile to the park entrance.

Boat House Restaurant 

This day will be included in my next book Lost Angel at Home in Paradise

Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of articles on her site along with information about her novels and articles at www.LindaBallouauthor.com

Subscribe to Linda’s blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.

Behind the Scenes with Eric Trules

Thrilled to be a guest on Eric Trules of E-travels fame. He is an avid traveler who enjoys spotlighting others who suffer from the same addiction. Please take a moment to listen to my interview with Eric.

Come behind the scenes with me   Just click  here

Today I’ll be talking with Linda Ballou, an accomplished travel and adventure writer who challenges her readers to self-actualize and make their own dreams come true.  

Linda is a rugged individualist who knows that she needs tall mountains and shady glens to stay in balance. She enjoys reading travel narratives and historical archives about a place before visiting it… because she doesn’t want to go to a destination until she has a sense of what’s going on behind the gorgeous scenery… which she tries to see with wonder and a sense of humor. She aims to get to as many beautiful places in the world that she can – before they are no more.

Like her travel writing hero, Tim Cahill, she tries not to take herself too seriously. Her historical novel, “Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawaii”, lets us see the traditional island society as it existed when Captain James Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Linda spent 20 years researching and writing the book, immersing herself in historical Hawaiian culture, but shortly before she published it, she was told by protective locals that she would have 200 years bad luck if she did so. Linda bravely persevered and fortunately, that wasn’t the case!

So much more revealed in this candid converstion with Eric Trules. Behind the Scenes with Linda

Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.