Advertisement
the crab that ate Santa Barbara
there was a (tank) of them honest!San Diego - Santa Barbara 24 May
yet another blog being written on the lappie on the Amtrak train - this time from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo. I though I was going to eave at 11.5am - but that was gunna be a bus - so decided to get the train an hour later at 12.45pm and will arrive S L Obispo ard 3.30pm. It is almost as if the minimum price is $30 (again) - this is 2 3/4 hrs on the Coast Starlight, a thru train with sleepers that goes all the way to Seattle- lvs LA a 10.15am and arr. Seattle @ 8.45pm the NEXT day.
What of Santa Barbara? - well I got there at 5.30pm after lvg San Diego at noon - took some mre of the very good oatmeal and choc chip cookies form the station - 3 for $2 (inc. tax or a change) and they were excellent as sampled them on Sat. In view of my US weight loss diet all I "need". The Hotel State Street coudlnot have been any closer to the tracks so very handy - got a room on the other size from them just
the Crab House
you wrote your name on a list on a clipboard outside and waited in case (they have that kinda mournful whistle when approaching level crossings etc) but as I was updating my blog in the wifi foyer until 2am did not hear any after that! - they do not seem to do freigt at all. I had rung the place at midnight frm San Diego and as it was only $67 per night inc. tax I chose it on that basis alone as Sanata Barbara is otherwsie a kinda expensive place - the shops are certainly pretty fancy generally and there is obviously some money around here - rich LAX'rs probably have beachsider homes here.
The woman who checked me in was a rather mournful sort of Indian woman (hope she does not get to read this). She had been here for 4 yrs and had residency rights but had spent 26 yrs in Leicester in the UK and had most of her family there. Her mother there was about to undergo an operation she said looking at the clock to check time there so she could ring. She naturally said the (free) NHS was somewhat better than the "medical system" here! Perhaps her husband thought the US was a good money
cosy Crab House
it was 'compact' inside opportunity - I am not too sure that she otherwise wanted to stay however.
Anyway as the rail is close to the bottom end of State Street -which is very long and runs inland for a mile or so -it is only about 300m to the seafront so walked down there. Out onto the quite long wharf - which lazy people can drive their cars down so they do not have to walk to their restaurant out there. There were a couple of retsaurants - one alled Moby Dick with a big whale along the side (of course) another that was reputedly a fine diner but cheaper upstairs for more your snacks and burgers. I decided on the Santa Barbara Shellish Co. whcih as pretty small - had some 4 seater tables outside towards te setting sun and sort of mostly sit at the bar on a stool thing inside which suited a solo eater. So sat beside a trio of Americans, older guy and 2 women - spoke to the guy about cameras and stuff. He said they had been on a winery tour and complained about the constant feeding when I discussed my patented "US diet" -
Crab house - after the crab
it had got dark by then...... one meal a day - JUST DO IT! (apologies to the attorneys from Nike). They jut had some simple crab sandwiches - I had a cup of the chowder ($5) - knew better than to order a 'bowl' no doubt the size of an inland lake. Large mug ith a spoon - it was good. I had then orderd the Cioppino - other than seafod ingredients listed not sure how that would come. Turned out to be a large rosetta style round roll (with the top hollowed out and on the side for later dipping in the broth) and filled with a tomato-ey broth and a large chunk of crab claws climbing over the side. The German couple next to m started with half lobsters then had 3 Aaskan crab claws which looked pretty meaty and for $10 seemed quite good value. My cioppino was $19 + tax - and a pint of Firestone ale was about $5 - so all up with tip was $35 and I did not feel completely stuffed, whcih is always a good feeling here.
A walk a fair way up State Street - as I said lots of resorty type shops and probably
Goofy and pals
hangin' in Santa Barb better value fish restaurants with fried fish etc here and there - but i was overall happy with my choice - you always pay more in that sort of location etc. A couple of old theatres - one multiplexed - the other hosted the Santa Barbara Symphony which was interesting - must be some old money around. An Apple store (closed) with lots of gleaming Ipads - which I had a quick look at the next morning. Apart from the e-reader thing - which does nothing for me - I dont read at the best of times! it seems mostly a very large Itouch (which I have) and the web/mobile connectivity pushes its price up here from $499 to $599 to $699 - I am way better off with my almost delivered Asus notebook for $899 which hopefully will be there in San Luis Obispo. You can actually instal programs on it and run them folks - a real computer not a crippled "what Apple wants you to do and buy" slick interfaced tablet. The crippling is designed so that desperate Mac buyers will have to upgrade their Mk1's when Mk2 or 3 with more useful features arrive. They sho
gelato house
closed fortunately is smart those Apple designers - American annual upgraders are total victims. .
Up suitably late uploading my blogs and had to set an alarm for 10.30am and shower and vacate the room. As already said found out that the train was really a bus. Walked up State St and found somewhere to have a coffee and a sweetish cinnamon twist thing. Cafe latte turns out like a cappucino (but no choc) - the cappucinos here are way too frothy - and they do not do chocolate on top neither on them. Wifi in the cafe certainly which is standard so I could have a brief look at the web before a quick walk bac to make sure i did not mis the train.
On the train at 3pm they just announced the dinner menu for the dining car (this is along trip for some)
- duck with orange sauce, half a roast chook, or Asian style BBQ beef - yum, better stay on (not!).
[this is
coffee S Barb
while waiting for the train uploaded in Peet's coffee haus in San Luis Obispo a.m. 26th}
Advertisement
Tot: 0.071s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 15; qc: 31; dbt: 0.0316s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Huddo
non-member comment
Santa Barb.
Hi Mike, Another great blog. This has been some trip. Crab house sounded a beauty, and good value. Loved the look of the gelato house, my favourite! News from "home" Tayla now has a magnificent Steinbach piano courtesy of Don. It truly is a beauty, our home looks like a studio! The long reaching Jackie V12 still goes on!!! A couple more settlements! Keep well, Love Huddo and girls.