Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
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We make it across the 101 and to the shoreline. Summerland Beach is relatively narrow but equine friendly. We pass by two other groups on horseback. With a slight breeze wafting in off the Pacific Ocean, the horses seem to enjoy the surf and sand under their hooves. It's an uncommon moment of joie de vivre. We take photos, of course, though a camera phone can barely do justice to this unique, sublime, picture-perfect, riding-horses-on-a-beach experience. Summerland is geographically south of Montecito. Both are located in Santa Barbara County. Upscale and chic, Montecito is well-known as the neighborhood where Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, and lots of well-heeled celebs have homes. Less-renowned, Summerland is actually a home base for superstar comedian Ellen DeGeneres, though the seaside town has become better known as a mecca for antiquers and home-and-garden enthusiasts. My wife and I are checked in for a two-night stay at the posh, 161-room Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel in Montecito. We've got keys to a garden bungalow suite. e decor is white and airy, predominated by floor-to-ceiling windows. A parlor room features a fireplace and a highly curated minibar. e bathroom has an extra wide freestanding bathtub. A dreamy bedroom opens to a patio that stretches further into a grassy garden. If she had to, Oprah could make do here. Our itinerary includes two elegant on-property meals and a couple more casual restaurant visits in the area. e Rosewood's premier dining establishment is the beachfront, open-air Caruso's (named after the property's developer, Rick Caruso). Part of the fun in arriving at the Michelin-starred Caruso's is walking from the hotel's central hub across active railroad tracks (always manned by an attendant). Recommended: Chef Massimo Falsini's four- course prix fixe dinner. His Italian and seafood-inspired menu includes Charred Fremantle Octopus, Magic Myrna Gnochetti, Monterey Black Cod, and so many textured, tasty choices. On-property Ama Sushi has an omakase option as well as its own prix fixe menu. e latter requires some guidance, and a knowledgeable server leads us through a glorious four-course >> CARUSO'S INTERIOR PHOTO BY RYAN FORBES, COURTESY OF ROSEWOOD MIRAMAR BEACH @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023 101 Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel Caruso's