We wanted to give you one last opportunity to take a look at all that Santa Barbara County and the Simpson House Inn have to offer so you can plan your own trip. As we mentioned in Part I and 2 of our vacation recap, the Simpson House Inn is a great choice for a weekend getaway, especially when you live in nearby busy and noisy Hollywood as we do. We enjoyed relaxing and enjoying the beautiful gardens but we were also able to get out and hike the many trails that are nearby and even enjoyed a solitary day on Carpinteria State Beach.
We also found time to visit a spot we often come to when we are in Santa Barbara, the Botanic Gardens. The historic man made dam which is the life spring of these gardens was created back in 1807 to supply the local mission with water. It remains as part of the gardens, which were developed in the 1930's.
We have visited these gardens twice before over the last 15 years but have never seen them as dry as we did on this visit due to the drought in California. However, the one watering hole we did find was home to a turtle who obligingly posed for a portrait shot.
Alas, as you can see in the photo below, water was not present in the creek and this poor tree was left suffering from soil erosion and exposed roots.
However, there is still plenty of plant and wildlife to enjoy as this little sparrow proves; offering Martin plenty of enjoyment as well as design inspiration.
