Long weekend in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara's high season is on the wane. Restaurants are busy but not crowded, parking spaces are readily available, and 70-degree days are absolutely perfect.

This classy seaside town an hour north of Los Angeles has long been one of our favorites for brief getaways. By traveling during non-peak traffic times, it is an easy seven-hour drive from Ahwatukee Foothills.

We checked into Canary, a beautiful downtown boutique hostelry on Carillo Street, newly built in a charming Spanish/Moroccan style that looks like it's been there for decades. With just 97 rooms, a flawlessly attentive staff and an ideal location just off State Street, it is our new favorite place in Santa Barbara.

Day one: Far flung

Since we had just two full days to play, we decided that day one would include places to which we needed to drive. We immediately headed the short distance to Stearns Wharf, parking in a lot near the base of the pier.

A 10-minute stroll (we lingered to watch youthful energy in action at Skater's Point skateboard park) brought us to Stearns Wharf Vintners, the Ty Warner Sea Center and Longboard on the pier. Decorated with classic surfboards and surf-related wall murals, it's ideal for a lunch break. From our umbrella-shaded table we had an unbroken view of the beach and harbor.

Back in our car, we motored 10 minutes south to check out Just Folk, a shop in the artists haven of Summerland. Charming, whimsical folk art ranges from quilts and dolls to weather vanes and whirligigs. Other truly creative garden and home stores, antiques shops and galleries lining Lillie Avenue are worth an intense browse.

That evening we had time to fully appreciate our room. A flat-screen TV (a second, smaller one in the bathroom), a four-poster, king-size canopy bed, high-speed Internet access, binoculars for bird-watching, even a take-home green froggy tub toy immediately won us over.

Seagrass, a 10-minute walk from the hotel, was an inspired choice for dinner. Chef Josh Brown draws on the Santa Barbara Fish Market for an outstanding selection of fish and shellfish.

We were delighted to see so many local wines on the menu, particularly appropriate paired with fish from the Pacific. We chose a sauvignon blanc from the Santa Ynez Valley to go with perfectly prepared rare-seared ahi and crispy-skin whitefish.

Part of the pleasant experience was in the details - Riedel glassware and Laguiole knives among them.

Day two: Walking distance

We'd planned to do the self-guided Red Tile Roof tour, and being in need of a second cup of coffee (our first was complimentary in-room) we put on our walking shoes and got a map from the concierge.

The 12-block downtown area covered by the tour is on or just off State Street, adjacent to Canary. The 22 historic adobes, many dating to the late 1700s, take just an hour or two to cover. The Spanish Moorish County Courthouse and the Spanish Revival Public Library are among highlights, as was the Starbucks where we found our second caffeine boost.

By the time we finished, the stores on State Street were open. One-of-a-kind galleries and boutiques mix with brand names like Saks Fifth Avenue, the Territory Ahead and Sur La Table. Nordstrom, Macy's and more than 50 specialty shops are tucked away in Paseo Nuevo among courtyards and fountains. We got a good start on holiday shopping.

Friends steered us that evening to another walking-distance restaurant, Olio e Limone. European in style and ambiance, service is subtle and efficient. Our server told us that the trailing rosemary in front often ended up in entrees.

Starters of grilled vegetables and stuffed figs, and main courses of delicate Dover sole and linguini with seafood, accompanied by a Grenache blanc were in the to-die-for category. A rich, velvety chocolate dessert arrived with the requested two spoons.

Over our last meal in Santa Barbara we agreed that we needed much more time to do this lovely city justice. We want to do a wine country excursion to taste the vintages from more than 100 wineries, we'd like more time to explore the shops of Summerland, and we definitely want more time to just plain relax at the Canary Hotel.

Next time, we promised ourselves.

Judy Wade and Bill Baker report on worldwide food, wine and travel destinations from home base in Ahwatukee Foothills.