On Peanut’s fifth birthday, we woke up with two thoughts on our minds: (1) give the birthday girl ALL the snuggles; and (2) watch the solar eclipse!  Santa Barbara was nowhere near the path of totality, but we still wanted to tune in for the show that all of America was going crazy for.  So we swiped my Uncle Peter’s eclipse glasses (he was out at Channel Islands with my brother and sister-in-law) and headed for Goleta Beach, the nearest sandy spot to my Uncle Peter and Aunt Kathy’s home.

It was a pretty cool show!  Even though it was only a partial eclipse where we were, Steve and I both enjoyed peering through the eclipse glasses.  The birthday girl, predictably, wanted nothing to do with the eclipse.

Little bro took a look for a minute, but I don’t know how much he really saw.  He shoved the glasses off his face and asked to walk the pier instead.  Okay, little guy – you win!

We walked all the way out to the end of the Goleta Pier and looked back over the water at the pretty palm trees and the gorgeous mountains in the background.  It was a cloudy morning – but that can be better for beaching it with little ones; less worry about them turning into little lobsters.

We had a nice morning digging in the sand and climbing the rocks, then headed back to my aunt and uncle’s house for lunch.  After an aborted naptime attempt, we were out the door to our afternoon activity.  When planning the trip, I knew I wanted to do something extra-special on Peanut’s birthday – something that would reflect my favorite girl and her interests.  She loves gardening and flowers, and Santa Barbara has a stunning botanic garden – so that’s where we went!

I’ve been to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden before, but not for about twenty years.  I remembered the beautiful pathways through the meadow, and the cool desert garden…

…but somehow, I’d forgotten the absolutely incredible mountain setting.  The Botanic Gardens were tucked into a hillside and nestled amongst Santa Barbara’s stunning mountains.  How did I not remember this amazing scenery?  (Well, I was fifteen at the time, and responsible for not losing my ten-year-old cousin Jessica – I was the summer childcare arrangement – which was a tall order.  So I guess I was focused on more important things than mountains at the time.)

We meandered through the meadow exhibit first, and I couldn’t stop gushing over the craggy mountains surrounding us.

Met a new friend…

This little guy was smaller than the lizards we saw in Joshua Tree, but no less fascinating!

Peanut found a pond – still her favorite ecosystem!  Some things never change.

After a good ramble around the meadows, we headed down into a ravine to explore the redwood section.  As we walked past the sign, we saw trees towering with their canopies seventy feet above us, just off to our left.  Steve remarked that he was thinking those were pretty tall trees, but nothing that impressive, until he realized that they were growing up from the ravine floor, some 100 feet below.

We strolled down a beautiful path through the stand of California redwoods – another part of the garden I had forgotten from my last visit.  So unbelievably gorgeous!

Beautiful and serene.

After we got our fill of the redwoods we headed back up to explore more of the hillside.

Nugget and I checked out the cactus garden – always one of my favorite spots in any botanic garden.  And then we set off in search of a hidden treasure Steve had heard was tucked away in a corner of the gardens.

Walked past the potting sheds – so pretty and picturesque.

Down a pretty path, through a less-traveled section of the garden, all the way to…

A Japanese tea house, originally built in Kyoto and reassembled painstakingly in Santa Barbara!  According to the garden’s brochure, it is still used for tea ceremonies.  But on the day we visited, it was shut up tightly.  Still such a treat to see.

We had one more stop to make in the garden – a new nature center that was built recently (so, long after my fuzzily-remembered last visit).

Crossed the street and ascended a mountain path – the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens delivered some great hiking!  Up to the nature center, which was closed, but that was fine – we were really there for the view.  This view:

Whoa.  And also this one, too:

Can you believe this place is real?  It’s like something from a beautiful dream.

The hills are aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiive…

Oh, my little loves.  Never a dull moment.

After spending a good half hour running on the lawn, rolling in the grass and gawking at the view, it was time to head back down the hillside for dinner.  Check out that view on the way down!  How many hikes deliver those kind of wonders?  We will definitely be back.

Still reeling from the beauty of the Botanic Gardens, we drove down out of the mountains and into Santa Barbara proper, to meet the rest of the family for Peanut’s birthday dinner.  I had to browbeat everyone a little bit, but I managed to drag the entire family together – my parents, Dan and Danielle, my Uncle Peter and Aunt Kathy, and my cousin Jessica – at a beachfront restaurant in downtown SB.

We were early, so we got to explore the beautiful boardwalk and bike trail area, and to spend some time watching the skateboarders riding in the oceanside skate park.  Nugget was completely fascinated, and Peanut wanted to know where the girl skateboarders were.  (Her first feminist moment?)

Anyway, we had a lovely short walk taking in the beach and ocean and mountain scenery.  Santa Barbara is so gorgeous!  And then, it was time for dinner.

Our group was so big, I couldn’t get everyone in the frame!  Nugget – Peanut – Nana – Aunt Kathy – Uncle Peter – Dan – Danielle (blocked from view) – Jessica – Steve – Grandad.  And Mom behind the lens, as always.

Okay, there they all are.

Nugget made the rounds of the table, and also twisted every single adult arm into accompanying him to view the big aquarium by the hostess station.

But don’t worry – he was back for cake.  The restaurant kindly gifted Peanut with a gigantic slice of mud pie (which was actually the world’s most delicious coffee ice cream confection) and the whole table shared it – after she blew out her candle and made her five-year-old wish, of course.

Happy birthday, one more time, my girl!  I hope you had a great day.  We sure do love you!