Santa Barbara - Tourist in My Own Town

For Valentine's Day 2016,

my hubby surprised me with a stay at the

Canary Hotel

in downtown Santa Barbara.

Yes, we were "tourists" in our own town.

I loved every second of it.

The Canary Hotel has a rooftop pool and outdoor lounge area that is absolutely amazing.

Hubby & I went up there at 5:30 for the sunset and a cocktail.

These are just some of the

amazing views from the top.

This is February in California

(please don't hate me).

It was a gorgeous 80 degree day -

and about 70 degrees at sunset.

With a glass of dry white wine in hand, I was in heaven.

It is so nice to see the pretty, iconic red-tiled roofs against the backdrop of the mountains.

And, because our drought-riddled state has finally had some rain lately, things look greener than they have in quite some time.

Paradise!

Strung with lights for ambience (and heat lamps for comfort),
the rooftop is an incredibly comfortable spot to enjoy the beauty of Santa Barbara.

Hubby and I were upgraded to a junior suite on the 5th floor.
Our suite had a small balcony outside of some french doors.
This was the view.
It reminded me of Paris...

This Mediterranean-style courtyard,
which I could also see from our balcony,
reminded me of France as well.
Well, not the stretch limo...
(BTW, my hubby and I arrived in our Prius.)

The suite itself was so comfortable.
It was just the right place to relax after many busy weeks teaching 4th graders and being a mom to 3 active teenagers.
Truly, the suite felt more like a home than a hotel.
From the rustic tables, to the gorgeous wallpaper,
to the interesting shower tiles -
the Canary is not a typical, sterile hotel.

All of the light fixtures were unique - not matchy-matchy.
This one caught the light in the room in such a beautiful way.

There was such attention to detail.
The sitting area had books and magazines all related to Santa Barbara ("805" is the SB area code).

Need some binoculars to go sightseeing,
dolphin watching at the wharf, or birding?
The Canary Hotel has you covered.

This IS not a sponsored post.
I just wanted to share my lovely weekend
and fabulous experience.
It was a lovely Valentine's Day gift
(thanks, hubby!!!).