Tuesday we hit Santa Barrbara, about an hour drive south of where we were staying. We went to the Santa Barbara mission, a farmer’s market and the beach/pier. For those of you, like us, who don’t know what a mission is, when the Spaniards came to America they claimed the land and built missions (churches) for not only their own religious practices but also to convert any natives that were willing to accept their faith. This one was built in 1795. It’s been renovated many times mostly due to earthquakes but the original design and structure is basically the same as the original.

Next we were on our way to the beach, of course, and saw a farmer’s market taking place so we stopped for some fruits and vegetables. Then we went to the beach and had a beer at the marina followed by dinner at a seafood restaurant on the pier. While having the beer we saw guys unloading big nets of sea urchins. You know, those little *******s that I stepped on during our cruise? Apparently they dive for them and pick them all by hand and are considered a delicacy in many countries, especially Japan.

Another great day.