Post PCT - Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara didn't make a great first impression on me, but on the other hand what was I even expecting? It was your typical beach resort where rich(er) and middle classi(er) people were coming to have fun, get drunk, sail on a boat, buy a cheesy marine themed souvenir and rave hard at a stag or hen's do. It was loud and cheerful all around, well at least on the two main roads along the beach and the nearby shopping centre. Once you hit the back alleys it was quickly getting quiet and ordinary which personally I didn't mind at all. On the first day I only had enough time to walk the wharf and check the surrounding beach, the verdict for camping here was negative, the beach was way too shallow and busy, it wouldn't be comfortable or particularly safe to spend a night here. So I activated plan b - I made my way over to one of the surrounding trails and found a good enough place to camp. Trail was called Hot Springs Canyon and it was situated on the outskirts of the city...