I’m not a huge fan of crowds, so heading out to the beach on a holiday is always daunting. Yet somehow, I found myself being driven (thankfully) to Santa Barbara, Calif. to spend a Saturday exploring. Luckily, the morning brought cool clouds and a friend with inside knowledge, so it was surprisingly nice.

First, we started off with lunch and ice cream at the kitschy tourist town Solvang.

In a waffle cone of course! Below, my older sister. Who is super pretty.

After, a small, quiet beach and some exploring on the pier. We ran across some gorgeous animals.

And a cool store owner.

And then plates of fresh crab and lobster for dinner at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Co. on the pier. There’s nothing better than getting your hands dirty eating crab, digging out the steamy meat with your fingers and dipping it into drawn butter. A sweet celebration indeed.