Hidden in Santa Barbara's backyard we discovered relaxation at the Santa Ynez Inn.
I found my first "awwhh" moment when I walked through the door to my hotel room. For those of you who don't know what an "awwhh" moment is, it's when you give your first sigh of relaxation. You feel safe, you feel comforted and you feel completely taken aback from the beauty within your sight. All I could think was, wow. I am truly living a dream. I was ready to get my happy on and nobody could stop me.
The rooms were just divine. King-sized, cloud-like beds were the centerpiece in each deluxe room. With soft to the touch velvet chairs by the fireplace, it was nothing short of heavenly. First things first (before jetting off to meet Tara in the main lobby), I unpacked my wardrobe which consisted of mainly neutrals with 𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒕 of leopard and placed them carefully in the large closet. The pieces I packed for this stay, were sophisticated yet still me. A long nude silk dress for the evening, and neutral basics to layer for everyday. I tossed in my favorite silk, white mini-dress from February Studio to pair with my pearl clips and a red lip.
It was so hard to resist the initial urge to throw on that white, cushy robe and just lounge by the fire all day. But your girl had to get glam, so the robe would have to wait until later. I curled my hair, per usual, whipped up a beauty look, and threw on my silk dress. I felt like an old hollywood actress ready to go mingle, and sip on some whiskey at the Library bar downstairs. We did a wonderful whiskey tasting (more of that to come...) and then stepped outside to cozy up to their patio firepits right before the sun went down.
After the nightcap on the fire lit patio, I made my way back to my hotel room and decided it was time for a warm bath (just like the Oprah gif I posted earlier). I grabbed my new read: Atomic Habits, filled the tub up with bubbles and I had my second "awwhh" moment - truly appreciating every second spent at the inn. I think the best word to describe this feeling is euphoria.
Waking up the next morning, I couldn't resist going down to the lobby to swipe the newspaper and a cup of their freshly brewed coffee. Los Angeles Times, red-lip stained tea cups, messy twirled-up buns and cozy silk robes - 𝒎𝒊𝒙 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑹&𝑹. There's something to be said about spending the morning in a hotel room, tucked in the covers with a warm cup of coffee to sip on.
Pure nirvana.
At this point in our stay, I didn't want to leave the comforts of that king side bed. But in all honesty....it wouldn't be vacation without a little champagne and life to be had! Sometimes it's nice for a girl to go a little bit "Gatsby" during her time off. We were so excited to sip and savor the Riverbench Brut Rosé in front of the fireplace. It was a toast to our grand girls' getaway! I couldn't help but think wow, I am beyond lucky to be experiencing such a luxurious treat that the inn offered. Nothing says happiness quite like a bubbly pink drink in your hand and a gal pal by your side.
One surprising perk of our stay was the ability to travel through wine country with an exclusive "Wine Passport" that the inn provides for all guests. You receive complimentary wine tastings at several notable wineries and tasting rooms in the Santa Ynez Valley. After leaving the hotel, we took our passports and journeyed over to Sunstone winery where we enjoyed a picturesque afternoon, tasting all their delights - flights of wine and dipping oils included. I walked away with a purchase of their Tuscany dipping oil that I now use for charcuterie and bread platters as well as a marinade for roasted chicken. Absolutely delicious!
As for me, I will definitely be coming back to the Santa Ynez Inn very soon! My time spent here was nothing less than magical.
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