Coldspring Tavern

Stagecoach Road is one of Santa Barbara County’s most famous roads. It is part of the original Stagecoach Route when the coach’s ruled the terrain from 1861 to 1910. In 1910 the first automobile drove across the San Marcos Pass, effectively ending the stage coach era. However, Stagecoach Rd. remained the only means of traversing the Cold Springs portion of the San Marcos Pass until 1963, when the construction of the Cold Springs Arc Bridge (and modern day Hwy 154) was completed and motorists could finally pass over Cold Springs and the winding Stagecoach Rd.

Established in 1865, Coldspring Tavern is by far my favorite place for beer and blues. Sit outside the bar on a warm day and listen to the blues sounds of Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, or on a cold winter day in front of the large stone fireplace. Pictured above is the restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, New York steak and eggs to New Zealand rack of venison.

20 minutes up the pass from Santa Barbara, 150 years back in time.