We love taking our guests to see the Old Mission Santa Barbara; it’s one of those “must-see” sites one shouldn’t miss while visiting the area. Situated on 13 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Mission grounds include the beautiful Mission church, Historic Cemetery and Mausoleum, a wonderful in-depth museum, plenty of historical artwork and artifacts and multiple breathtaking gardens. If planning a day touring Santa Barbara, this is the number one historical destination we’d recommend folks don’t miss. We visit the Queen of Missions on many of our tours, including most of our city history tours, and on some of our wine and beer tours. It truly is the gem of the California Missions, with it’s magnificent architecture and glorious views of the Pacific, so don’t miss it if you’re in town.

One of the coolest things you can do while visiting Santa Barbara is to book a private wine blending seminar; always a fun and informative experience. We love the way Rani at Margerum Wine Company takes the time to walk our guests through the science and tasting details that make blending such an in-depth and complex process. Wine goes through so many levels of influence before the bottle is uncorked and the goodness flows….and blending can be one of those layers. It’s wonderful to be able to go through a step-by-step tasting seminar with an expert who can give you insights as to how wine blends come to be. Thank you to Rani at Margerum Wine Company for your down-to-earth style and your extensive wine blending knowledge! #wineblending #margerumwinecompany #santabarbarawines #winetours #santabarbara #californiawine #santabarbaracitytours #sbshines #privatetours #californiatours

What’s so cool about being on a wine tour is that each one has a heart of it’s own, which evolves over the course of the day. The guests and the guide take in the terroir of the day:  the salt of the ocean breeze as it tangles along the Santa Barbara coast, the soft, felted fog layer pushing up against Sta. Rita Hills, the morning air that feels as crisp as an apple. Add in the golden light of a season in a sip of wine before noon, crunch of simple crackers between tastes of honeydew and pepper, and intermittent laughter. The day will probably gift you with a new favorite wine, appreciation for the simplicities of a day in the country with limited cell service, or a bottle of garlic olive oil fresh off the farm. At the end of the day, the tour it has it’s own distinct personality just like the people on the Totally Cali Tours van- sometimes wild, sometimes mellow, but never lacking heart.