TRAVEL TALES: FESTIVE SANTA BARBARA HAS IT ALL.Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel EditorIf you've strolled the beach at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. , browsed the shops on State Street and dined at a sidewalk cafe - you haven't really seen Santa Barbara, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. some. The sunny city about 80 miles north of the Valley on the 101 Freeway offers more than stores and shore. Hoping to entice tourists to expand their horizons, the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission is suggesting self-guided tours exploring the city that are listed in the bureau's free tourist guide, available by calling (800) 927-4688. ``I think some people think, `Oh, Santa Barbara, a beautiful, romantic destination' and that's it,'' said Kathy Janega-Dykes, director of sales for the bureau. ``But there is quite a bit for everyone here.'' The half-day tour, for example, is geared to providing an overview of the city, noted Janega-Dykes. Visitors start this tour at Stearns Wharf Stearns Wharf is a pier in the harbor at Santa Barbara, California. When completed In 1872, it became the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Named for its builder, local lumberman John P. , the oldest working pier in California, dating back to 1872, which features restaurants, shops and the Sea Center with its marine exhibits. The Sea Center is a museum that appeals to both adults and children alike, said Janega-Dykes, adding that ``It's a touchy-feely place where you can actually touch some of the sea animals.'' Stearns Wharf Vintners offers visitors a chance to taste many locally produced Santa Barbara County wines in a wine-tasting room with a view of the Channel Islands just off the coast. And if just looking at the coast isn't enough, visitors also can pick up a cruise around the islands at the pier, said Janega-Dykes. Next stop on this tour is a visit to Mission Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara is a Spanish Franciscan mission near present day Santa Barbara, California. It was founded December 4, 1786, the feast day of Saint Barbara, to evangelize the local Chumash (Canaliño) tribe. , which was established by Spanish Franciscans in 1786 and is called the ``Queen of the Missions'' because of its beauty. Guests can stroll the cloister cloister, unroofed space forming part of a religious establishment and surrounded by the various buildings or by enclosing walls. Generally, it is provided on all sides with a vaulted passageway consisting of continuous colonnades or arcades opening onto a court. gardens and visit the chapel, cemetery and museum on a self-guided tour. The final stop is the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Coordinates: The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is located at 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, California. Completed in 1929, the Spanish-Moorish style building replaced the smaller Greek-Revival courthouse of the same location. . ``It's a beautiful, spectacular building,'' said Janega-Dykes about the Spanish-Moorish structure with its murals, imported tiles, carved doors and tropical gardens. Take a self-guided tour through the building and climb up to the bell tower for a panoramic view of the city. For those hungry for more sights, opt for the Red Tile Walking Tour, a walking history tour. ``It includes adobes, the courthouse, the El Paseo El Paseo is downtown Palm Desert's main shopping street. The area around the street has evolved into an upscale shopping district featuring 150 exclusive boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. (Santa Barbara's first shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into ), El Presidio (the 18th-century Spanish fort Spanish Fort or "Old Spanish Fort" can refer to:
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum, located in Santa Barbara, California, U.S., was built in 1965 by the Santa Barbara Historical Society. ,'' said Janega-Dykes. Conclude with a drive to Butterfly Beach at the end of Butterfly Lane in Montecito for a wonderful view of mountains and the coastline and then head to the area known as the Santa Barbara Riviera. ``It takes you up in the hills, and there's a really spectacular view,'' Janega-Dykes said, adding that while a map of the drive is included in the bureau's guide, ``Scenic Drive'' signs help lead the way. A third tour shows yet another side of Santa Barbara - its gardens plus other sights. The city's weather, a combination of moist fog and sun, inspires lush gardens all over the city. The tour invites visitors to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 26 ha (65 acre) garden, containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. It is located in Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara, California, USA. The purpose of the Garden is to display California native plants in natural settings. , with its native California flora, and suggests touring one of the orchid gardens such as the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate (in Goleta just north of Santa Barbara) or Stewart Orchids of Carpinteria, both open to the public. ``People don't realize how many orchids are grown here,'' said Janega-Dykes. Then it's on to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is the oldest museum in Santa Barbara, California, founded in 1916. The museum is located in Mission Canyon, immediately behind the Santa Barbara Mission. for a look at the area's geological history and that of the Chumash Indians, who once lived in the area. Also recommended is a visit to Montecito about a mile south and the tony shops along its Coast Village Road. The guide also includes a suggested tour for exploring areas outside Santa Barbara, such as Lake Cachuma and the back country, wineries and the Danish community of Solvang. Whichever tour people choose, surprises await. ``I think people are really quite surprised at the variety of things to do,'' Janega-Dykes said. ``You've got the beautiful white-sand beaches and water sports water sports Urophilia, see there , the history, the museums, the wineries, the shopping. ... There's something for everyone.'' Free guide can help To receive a free copy of the Santa Barbara County destination guide with its tour suggestions and information about sights, call (800) 927-4688. While many features of the tours are free to the public, some sites, such as museums, do charge admission. Once in Santa Barbara, maps, guides to attractions and other information are available from the Santa Barbara Visitors Center at 1 State St. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: No self-guided tour of Santa Barbara is complete without a visit to Mission Santa Barbara, called the ``Queen of the Missions'' because of its beauty. Susanne Hopkins/Daily News Box: Free guide can help (See Text) |
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