Santa Barbara Harbor

We spent part of the day yesterday with friends of the boys, and because I had to get them all out of the house to run an errand downtown, I thought we’d make an afternoon of it and spend some time hanging out. We didn’t have time for a trip to the beach, but a trip to the Harbor seemed like it would be doable. Plus, it would give me the opportunity to visit the new restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try. The boys could run around on the breakwater and I could satisfy a craving. Win/Win!

Upon our arrival at the Harbor (after spending some time witnessing/assessing/watching a medical emergency situation) we headed out on the breakwater for a walk along the ocean. The boys enjoyed standing at the spots where the waves crashed up and over the walls.

When they’d had enough of that, they took off and headed toward the end of the walkway. The big boys walked, the little boys ran and Ollie and I meandered behind them all.

At the end, because I was the only adult and Ollie was tagging along, we stopped for a photo opp but didn’t head out on the rocks to the sandspit. The boys were disappointed, but I promised we’d come back and do that another time. The promise of lunch and ice cream seemed to satisfy their disappointment.

They really have no idea how lucky they are to live here

We headed back toward civilization and lunch, which was perfect because our tummies were rumbling. We snagged a table (there weren’t many) and ordered lunch from On the Alley, the new sister restaurant to the ever popular Brophy Brothers restaurant. Much to my amusement, On the Alley isn’t as seafood heavy as Brophy Brothers, and it actually took me quite a while to decide what to order. From Cheesesteak Sandwiches to Pulled Pork Tacos, there were a lot of great options. I decided on the Cheesesteak and I wasn’t disappointed.

On the Alley Cheesesteak Sandwich with Homemade Potato Chips & an Iced Tea

The only thing I regret (my sandwich was great and the chips were delicious) is that I didn’t order something that came with their fried jalapenos. I suppose I’ll just have to go back another time!

The kids had grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken strips, all of which came with fries. For $3 and $4 respectively, you can’t beat the price of a kids meal. Lunch for 6 of us cost only $33! My only complaint would be that they don’t have a soda machine or boxed juices, so your only options are iced tea or bottled or canned drinks, which aren’t always that convenient when you’re trying to feed kids. They make up for it, though, by having all recyclable or compostable products. Literally, nothing is wasted. If it can’t be recycled it can be composted, so nothing ends up in the dump. How awesome is that?!

After lunch we headed up the way to get ice cream from the Breakwater Restaurant. The boys each got to pick their flavor, which made them happy, but I loved that there weren’t a million choices for them. Chocolate, vanilla and mint chocolate chip options filled the bill, and the other three (or so) options were ignored.

The nice man behind the (ice cream) counter even gave Oliver, who isn’t a big fan of ice cream yet, a plain cone as a consolation prize. Ollie, exhausted and covered in dried ketchup from lunch, was thrilled with his treat.

All in all it was an awesome afternoon. The boys had fun, we all enjoyed lunch, and there’s really no better way to end an afternoon than with an ice cream cone!