My birthday celebration road trip started in Joshua Tree National Park, then continued in Death Valley National Park (where I had a most amazing experience!). The next stop was Santa Barbara, California.
I found a beautiful hotel near the beach with a lovely location. The Blue Sands Inn was walking distance from the beach, the pier, and a variety of restaurants and attractions. Although the room was small, the view was amazing!
Once we got settled in, we walked along the beach down to the pier and found a place for dinner. The weather was cool, but wonderful for a walk and watching evening activities.
We had four nights in Santa Barbara. I’ve already posted a few photos from the area. No doubt there will be a few more to come. The beach was absolutely lovely, where I was able to witness both the sunrise and the sunset on my daily beach walks.
Below are a few photos from our first evening:
“Sunset is the opening music of the night.” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan
peace of life today 
Beautiful, I love seeing the pictures and reading your narration of your trips!
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Awww, thank you so much, Auntie 🥰
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Stunning photos! My youngest and her husband just came back from a quick trip to San Diego and they stopped at Joshua Tree – it was fascinating to them to see the area – so different from hiking in parks in the Midwest. Your birthday trip sounds wonderful.
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Thank you, Shelley! Joshua Tree was VERY cold when we were there, but sunny and beautiful! I’m glad they stopped to experience it! …and our trip was such an amazing experience!
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You’re welcome. They were there when it was very hot during the day, but cool at night. They agree it was a beautiful experience! I’m glad you had an amazing time on your trip 😎😍
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It looks like a wonderful place to spend a few days. Lovely photos Lisa!
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Thank you, Anita! It was a bit cool, but absolutely stunning!
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That opening shot is such a beauty, Lisa 🤗💜
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Thank you, Jo!! 😊
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What a beautiful place to stay! I’m really enjoying following along on your birthday road trip 😀
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Thank you so much, Sarah! It’s fun to look back through all of my photos!
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What a lovely place you found! Gorgeous pictures!
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Thank you, Nancy! It was so beautiful, I loved that beach!
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Happy birthday dear Lisa, what a wonderful way to celebrate my friend 😊🎉🎂
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Oh, it was! Thank you so much! 😊
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Relaxing. I have family who frequents Santa Barbara. They love it too. I am guessing it is unspoiled. Don’t you love it when you arrive somewhere and you never have to get back in the car? You just need to be present. Bet you hated to leave.
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It was hard to leave, but our next stop was Carlsbad, CA. (expect a post on that sometime soon 😊). However, between the two beaches, I liked Santa Barbara better!
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