Exploring iconic Pacific Coast Highway 1 along California’s coast

There was a time in my early 20s when I’d plan a trip down to the most exact detail. Back then, I was relatively new to traveling—having discovered wanderlust after a stint abroad during college—and planning trip logistics, to me, was as fun as the actual vacation itself. But 16 years ago I married a man who is a bit more laid back about prepping for travel. He prefers serendipity to reading guidebooks. It’s rubbed off.

Checking out new trends flooding the American Riviera

Long known for its gated estates, high-life hotels, “The Endless Summer” surf scene, and vine-covered hills, Santa Barbara quietly and confidently is adding another notch to its belt: Cultural curators, style-savvy experts who are taking the best of the seaside town and personifying it, California-style.

This iconic early 20th-century luxury hotel located in Santa Barbara’s American Riviera, has being meticulously restored to capture all the romance and glamour that made it a favorite getaway of Hollywood’s elite. Nestled within gloriously landscaped gardens, El Encanto enjoys sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean from its commanding hilltop perch.