Urban, modern, and effortlessly cool, the new Converge™ Collection was designed to blend into your everyday lifestyle, and was built for your next exciting adventure.
Whether you find yourself walking through town, on your way to work, or hopping on a flight for a weekend getaway, the Converge™ Collection has been created to be versatile enough to be used in all aspects of your life.
I recently took the Converge™ Backpack with me on a day trip up the California coast to the charming city of Santa Barbara. I was able to explore worry-free and felt prepared knowing I brought exactly the right gear. I really enjoyed exploring this Mediterranean-style town. It has a little bit of everything, including upscale boutiques and restaurants, fun outdoor activities, and wine/beer tasting. I used the backpack to keep my essential items organized for quick access. I had a long list of activities to complete, and wanted everything to be conveniently available if I needed it along the way. Read along as I explore must-see Santa Barbara destinations!
State Street
State Street is the main drag in downtown SB where you will find a plethora of shopping opportunities, ranging from upscale boutiques to regular department stores, as well as wonderful restaurants.
Paseo Nuevo
The Paseo Nuevo shopping center is just beautiful in and of itself, adorned with authentic Spanish architecture that blends all the shops together into an aesthetically pleasing harmony. There are upscale department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, along with other popular fashion chains. Sometimes there’s even live music happening, so it is a nice place just to stroll around and soak in the reminiscence of Spanish culture. If you’re going to head this way, make sure to stop by for a photo op with the Spanish steps, amazingly decorated with colorful tiles! My backpack matched perfectly.
Jeannine’s Restaurant and Bakery
A family owned restaurant serving up the best brunch in the area, for all of you breakfast lovers out there, this is the place to be! It has two locations, one in Santa Barbara and one in Montecito (which is my personal favorite). Every meal is simple and wholesome. I recommend either the Smoked Salmon Scramble if you’re feeling something savory, or the Banana Kahlua French toast if you have a sweet tooth!
Wine + Beer
After having a huge brunch, it was difficult to decide what to do for a late lunch. It is an absolute must to head over to the Santa Barbara Market Place, a trendy little spot with many different healthy food options! Still feeling pretty full, I decided to try Wine + Beer, a craft beer pop-up in the middle of the market with craft beer flowing on 12 taps, as well as bottles of wine and beer/wine flights that change daily. I decided to try a beer flight, which included a nitro with hints of chocolate and coffee, and a cider made with beets (which helped to make me feel a bit healthier). Check it out!
McConnell’s Ice Cream
If you’re a dessert or ice-cream lover, you need to check out McConnell’s fine ice cream while in town! McConnell’s is a local, family-owned favorite and was founded in Santa Barbara in 1949. The ice cream is created from scratch, using only sustainable practices and organic ingredients. To finish off the day, I got a single with my favorite two flavors, Salted Caramel Chip and Turkish Coffee! Get there at off peak hours, such as around 4pm, to beat the always out-the-door line!
Santa Barbara Courthouse
The Courthouse is located in downtown SB and is in a prime location to overlook the entire city. The building itself is Spanish Colonial Revival style. I recommend walking up the stairs to the top, as there are amazing intricate details within the building, such as hand-painted ceilings, giant murals, and original tiles that can be found all around SB. Once you reach the tower, you can enjoy 360 degree views of the city, mountains, ocean, and even the Channel Islands on a clear day. Get there by 3:30 or 4pm at the latest before it closes!
Santa Barbara Mission
The SB Mission is another gorgeous building that acts as the chief historical and cultural landmark of the city. Go and explore the 12 acres of gardens or tour the facility, which includes a beautiful church, museum and gift shop, as well as a cemetery and mausoleum. There also are many hiking trails nearby and I packed some workout clothes and shoes in my pack, just in case I had time to slip a quick hike into my hectic day.
Butterfly Beach
One of my favorite spots just outside of Santa Barbara is Butterfly Beach in Montecito. It’s a long stretch of beach located next to a very nice neighborhood and is dog friendly! To finish off an active day, watch the sunset or just relax and breath in the salty sea air. To be honest, the sunset was hidden slightly from view, and spontaneously, the decision was made to go and chase it to get the perfect sight of the changing colors.
Learn More About the Converge™ Collection
Each item in the collection was produced to be used cohesively together for the best organization and convenience possible.
- Converge™ Backpack: Equipped with its own laptop sleeve and multiple pockets for cords and other accessories, the Converge™ backpack was designed for the tech-savvy individual.
- Converge™ Weekend Bag: Convertible, versatile, and ready to join you on your next adventure perfectly packing all electronics and your Converge packing organizers!
- Pack-It Converge™ 2-Sided Cube: Ideal for keeping your clean stuff separated from your dirty stuff, this practical cube is a MUST for the busy traveler.
- Pack-It Converge™ Garment Sleeve: A necessity to keep clothes pristine, wrinkle-free, and ready to wear.
- Pack-It Converge™ Compression Cube Small/Medium: Use the small one for small and bulky clothing, use the medium one for larger clothing items so that you can fit more and have more space than you thought possible!
- Pack-it Converge™ Toiletry Cube: Unique and easy to access, this toiletry cube is able to stand upright on countertops, has lots of pockets for better organization, and fits travel sized bottles
