Santa Barbara, CA activities
Written: Oct 24 '99
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Pros: So much to do that costs little or nothing.
Cons: You have to live here or take an extended vacation to fully appreciate the variety.
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| onequest's Full Review: Santa Barbara |
I've lived in Santa Barbara, as a transplant from Texas, for the past 8 years and still discover something new every month. Santa Barbara is 90 miles north of Los Angeles. Highway 101 snakes along the coastline like a Southern California version of Big Sur, complete with cliffs and small towns and cities like Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, and Summerland.
On your way to Santa Barbara, you drive past Montecito, a town reported to have more movie stars than Beverly Hills. Unlike Los Angeles, the people in the entertainment industry are much more approachable here. I run into television actors and big name film actors in the grocery stores, farmers markets, bistros, and along the street in Montecito. Here, one of the reasons that the actors purchase homes is because they know that they will not be harassed. They become part of the community and they are treated like everyone else. In other words, we make eye contact and say hello in passing, but we don't ask for autographs or tell them that we want to be the mothers of their children.
Once in Santa Barbara, you will see Spanish architecture everywhere. White walls and red tiled roofs are the rule. After the big earthquake earlier this century, the planning commission dictated that all new buildings in Santa Barbara must conform to Spanish architecture. This design brings a continuity to the landscape, and as you drive through town, you feel like you've been transported to a Mediterranean town.
There are plenty of inexpensive and fun activities in the area. Your first stop should be the visitors center located on Cabrillo boulevard (the beach road). The volunteers can help you plan your activities and recommend hotels in the area. Below, you will find a list of my favorite local activities.
We have a small zoo that has all of the animals that you would expect in a bigger zoo such as lions, leopards, gorillas, lemurs, sea lions, and giraffes.
The Museum of Art located on State Street offers collections from Ancient Egypt to Renaissance Europe to the Modern Day. We also have a museum of natural history and a botanic garden. There are also Santa Barbara Historical Sites such as the Mission, Presidio, and the Indian Aquifer which goes through the Botanic Gardens.
The beaches in and around Santa Barbara are incredible. If you are willing to walk, it is possible to have an entire beach cove to yourself. During whale watching season, you can see them from the cliffs of Ledbetter and Butterfly beach. If you would rather see them up close, you can take a whale watching or sunset cruise on the Double Dolphin, a catamaran. In addition to whales, you may see blue sharks, dolphins, seals and sea lions.
If sportfishing is more your style, you can fish without a license off of the Santa Barbara wharf or the Goleta pier. If you have a fishing license, you can fish from the beaches or take a charter on the Hornet, a sportfishing boat. Most of the year, you can catch surf perch, calico bass, halibut, and barracuda. We also have a salmon run, but they are only available during salmon season. Unless you are a very patient person, I do not recommend going on a salmon fishing trip out of Santa Barbara, because the run just isn't very big.
Another fun activity in the area is taking a day hike on one of the many trails in our local mountains. Before starting out, I recommend that you buy a book called Santa Barbara Day Hikes. It describes the local trails in the area, including maps and levels of difficulty. In our mountains, you may see signs of our local mountain lion and black bear population, but these animals are skittish, so you probably won't see them. Nevertheless, don't let your small children or pets out of your sight.
From April to October, on weekends, you may have an opportunity to go to one of the many free ethnic and agricultural festivals including the French, Italian, Chinese, Jewish, German, Irish, Lemon, and Avacado festivals. We even have a whale festival to welcome the humpback, gray, and blue whales on their annual migration.
There are many more things to do in town. When you visit, be sure to pick up the Santa Barbara News Press or the Independant to get a full listing of local activities. The best time to visit is in late September or October when the prices of the hotels come down and there are fewer tourists. Every year, we have an Indian Summer in September and October, so the beaches are even more appealing than during the traditional summer.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
onequest
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Member: Monique Littlejohn
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
My journals are on my travel adventures and on products that I have tested.
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