California Tour Stop #13 in Santa Barbara at Reds Wine Bar
After a terrific evening evening down in San Diego, CA performing at House of Blues, I had a busy day ahead of me: one meeting in El Cajon, CA in the morning, another in Los Angeles, CA around lunch time, and then a pick-up gig in Santa Barbara, CA at 7:00pm to help me work my way back up north towards San Francisco, CA. So, with one meeting down, I found my favorite Mexican restaurant in El Cajon (Emma’s) and settled into one of their famous (to me, anyway) California burritos. This thing was chock full of carne asada, guacamole, salsa, melted cheese, and French fries! It was a pretty serious way to kick off the morning! (See below.)
A classic California burrito at Emma's in El Cajon, CA. Mm...
When I finally made it to Santa Barbara around 6:00pm, I still was full… hilarious. So, I checked in with my friend Dana who runs this cool wine bar and tapas joint in town and we chatted it up for while. Whenever I have a free evening on my schedule and I happen to be in town, I’m always sure to swing by Dana’s place. It’s got such a cool vibe, a great wine list, delicious small plates, and is just the perfect spot for an impromptu performance on the run. So, I set up my gear and proceeded to rock. A couple good friends made their way down, more than a few locals came on by, and we all had a blast. About mid way through my performance, a good buddy and a terrific songwriter, Mark Okrusko, showed up for a surprise visit. I gladly surrendered my Taylor 814ce for a few songs and got a chance to listen to some of Mark’s newest material. Awesome! This dude can really play…
Mark Okrusko, hopefully, adding a little mojo to my Taylor 814ce. This guy shreds...
After a few hours, I wrapped it up, packed up my gear, and joined Mark for some sushi downtown at this neat little spot that, sadly, I can never remember the name of, no matter how hard I try. Either way, it was terrific. Salmon, tuna, yellow tail, shrimp… amazing! Even better when Mark was treating… 
Later on, I made the trek up the mountain behind Santa Barbara to crash out in a guest room at Mark and his girlfriend’s pad. He built this entire thing by hand, all by himself, and it’s quite a piece of work. I’d show it to you, but I wouldn’t want to give away the location as Mark enjoys his peace and quiet way up on the hill.
Santa Barbara, CA and the Pacific Ocean in the background from the hills behind town.
Driving down into town the next morning for some breakfast, I snapped a quick shot of the view from his home. (Above.) Incredible! Another great time in one of my favorite little surf towns along California… Hoping to come back and visit/perform again soon. Until then, take it easy, Santa Barbara, and stay loose.