If you are ever on the west coast of the US you should definitely visit Santa Barbara. Great wine, food, scenery, activities and shopping! 

I'm currently on holiday with my older son in Los Angeles, staying with my sister, a professional violinist, and her husband, a film composer.  We are in Santa Barbara for the weekend and have enjoyed visiting some of the wineries and the glorious surrounding countryside. 

When we arrived on Friday afternoon, we headed to the Four Seasons Hotel for cocktails. We sat on the terrace overlooking the ocean where we were fortunate enough to see a pod of dolphins swimming close to the shore (too far away to photograph I'm afraid). My cocktail was a Sage Margarita which had blood orange juice in it also. Divine! 

The view from the terrace to the sea was absolutely breathtaking. The hotel's setting is beautiful as you can see from the photos — stunning gardens and views across to the ocean. 

The interior design of the hotel is quite traditional with the exception of a large bar that they recently refurbished in a more contemporary style .  I love the way the rooms are surrounded by lush vegetation which adds a feel of the exotic.