Gardens in Santa Barbara

Paul Hallman
May 15
5 min read

Some travel days are packed with plans. This one wasn’t—and that’s what made it so memorable. When our ship stopped near Santa Barbara, we decided to do just one thing: meet up with our friends and have them be our tour guides for the day. We had to tender into the port as they do not have facilities for a large cruise ship. No extra sightseeing, no rushing around town. Just a single, beautiful outing with friends—and honestly, it felt perfect.

We met up with Steven and Jeff, who we first got to know on our South America/Antarctica cruise three years ago. Since then, it’s been one of those friendships that feels easy the moment you’re together again. They live in Los Osos, and seeing familiar faces in the middle of a long voyage made this port feel especially warm and personal—like a little “home” moment tucked into our bigger adventure. We had arranged for them to drive and visit us on this port stop and let them be our guides for the day. They had arranged for a private guided tour of Lotusland - And what an outing to choose.

Lotusland is a 37-acre horticultural wonderland—the kind of place that doesn’t just show you plants, it pulls you into a series of living scenes. It blends whimsy and fantasy with exceptional beauty, and it’s impossible not to feel a little transported as you wander from one garden “world” to the next.

Since we didn’t plan anything else for this stop, we had the time to slow down, notice details, and let each area unfold at its own pace. It was exactly what we needed as we continue on our 115-day Coral Princess Circle Pacific Cruise, especially knowing we still have two more ports ahead before the journey ends.

The history of Lotusland: from private estate to living legend

Lotusland began as a private estate, but its identity was shaped most dramatically when it came into the hands of Madame Ganna Walska. Over time, the property changed ownership, but Walska’s era is what turned it into the immersive, themed garden experience people travel to see today.

Rather than designing one continuous landscape, she envisioned a place made up of distinct environments—each with its own mood, palette, and personality. Walking through Lotusland feels like moving through chapters of a story: serene in one moment, playful and surreal in the next.

Madame Ganna Walska: opera singer, marriages, and the Paris opera house

Madame Ganna Walska was an opera singer with a larger-than-life public persona—part performer, part social figure, and entirely committed to creating beauty on a grand scale. Her ability to acquire rare plants, reshape the grounds, and build such an ambitious property was closely tied to her series of marriages, several of which were to extremely wealthy men.

One of the most talked-about chapters of her life involves her marriage to Harold F. McCormick (of the International Harvester fortune). During that era, she became connected to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, an opera venue associated with her aspirations and the resources surrounding her career. Accounts vary on the exact financial details, but the story is often told as part of how her marriages—and the wealth and settlements connected to them—helped enable the scale of her artistic pursuits.

That same theatrical sensibility shows up everywhere at Lotusland: she didn’t just collect plants, she created “scenes,” designing garden areas with distinct moods—serene, dramatic, playful, and surprising—like moving through acts of a living performance.

The garden areas:

Japanese Garden

Quiet and composed—this area invites you to slow down. It feels balanced and thoughtful, with a peaceful, meditative energy that sets a gentle tone.

Water Garden

Cooling, reflective, and soothing. Water becomes the focal point here, adding movement and calm, and making everything feel a little softer and more serene.

Aloe Garden

Bold and sculptural. The aloes feel like living architecture—thick forms, dramatic shapes, and a sense of design that’s both playful and powerful.

Fern Garden

Lush and sheltered, like stepping into a green sanctuary. The textures are softer here, layered and feathery, and the whole space feels quietly immersive.

Cactus Garden

Striking and otherworldly. The cactus forms are so geometric and dramatic they almost look unreal—like a gallery of natural sculptures. When we walked from one garden into the cactus area we thought we had entered the desert.

Theatre Garden (and the unique events held there)

This is where Walska’s love of performance feels most literal. The space has a sense of presentation—like the garden itself is part of the show. Lotusland also uses this spirit for special fundraising events and theatrical-style performances, creating an intimate experience where guests enjoy entertainment in a setting that already feels like a stage. It’s a uniquely fitting way to support the gardens—art and nature meeting in the most memorable format.

Madame would host theatrical performances in this theatre in the Lotusland Gardens.

This is some other photos from the gardens as it was so magnificent. The photos don't really do it any justice.

Montecito: the setting that matches the magic

Lotusland is located in Montecito, a community known for its beauty, privacy, and famous residents. It’s often associated with people like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—which somehow feels fitting for a garden that’s both secluded and extraordinary. We are pretty sure we saw them all as we drove through the secluded subdivisions.

After our visit to the gardens we made our way back to the dock in Santa Barbara and grabbed some lunch at the oldest bar in town - Joe's Cafe. So ironic to visit at this cafe as both Jan and I have the name Joe for each other.

Joe’s Café was the perfect lunch stop for our Santa Barbara day—an old-school, classic place that feels like it’s been part of the town forever. It’s often described as Santa Barbara’s oldest restaurant, dating back to 1928, and it has that lived-in charm to match: a lively, comfortable atmosphere, longtime-local energy, and the kind of menu that fits a mid-day break perfectly before heading back to the ship. Sitting there with Steven and Jeff, it felt like we weren’t just grabbing lunch—we were stepping into a little slice of Santa Barbara history.

Somewhere between admiring rare plants and catching up over lunch, we had a very real travel realization: we’ve officially collected more treasures than we can possibly fit in our suitcases. After 115 days at sea, “just one more little thing” adds up fast—souvenirs, small finds, and those can’t-leave-without-it purchases that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. So we did what any seasoned cruisers would do: we ordered a new set of luggage from Amazon, shipped it to Steven and Jeff’s home, and they kindly brought it to us—like luggage fairy godfriends. Now we’re crossing our fingers that this solves the problem and that we’ll be fine… because at this point, the only other option would be wearing everything home.

After lunch, we drove back to the ship, grabbed our new luggage, and said our goodbyes—one of those hugs that feels both happy and a little bittersweet when you don’t get to see friends often. Then it was back onboard, and just like that, we bid farewell to Santa Barbara, grateful for a day that was simple, beautiful, and full of the best kind of company.

The seals in the area were at it again - they make a sail away fun !

Off to Mexico now for a one day stop in Ensenado followed by our final port in San Diego on Friday. This cruise is coming to a quick ending and some on board will be happy it is over. In the meantime we are enjoying every moment we can catch.