|
|
|
Location
Santa Barbara is located on the South Central Coast of California, facing the Pacific Ocean, some 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 330 miles south of San Francisco. The city lies in a moderate coastal valley, surrounded by green foothills and rolling surf. The city occupies 23 square miles in the county, including the Channel Islands, of 2,744 square miles. Climate Temperatures for the Santa Barbara Area range from a low of 56 to a high of 82 during the summer months (April-September), and a low of 47 to a high of 66 in the winter months (October-March). The average annual rainfall is 18 inches, and the air quality is generally good.
| |
| History
The Santa Barbara area was discovered and claimed for Spain in 1592 by Juan Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain. In 1602 Sebastian Vizcaino anchored offshore on December 4 - the feast day of Saint Barbara (patroness of mariners). The ship's priest named both channel and mainland area Santa Barbara in her honor. In April 1782 Padre Juniper Serra established the Presidio Real of Santa Barbara in a grand ceremony, and four years later construction of Mission Santa Barbara began. It was the 10th if 21 Franciscan missions built in upper California. Soon Yankee traders, tourists and health seekers, followed by wealthy Easterners settled in Santa Barbara because of the mild winters. The mixture of newcomers and Spanish descendants has shaped the area for what it has become today. |
Accommodations
Santa Barbara boasts over 90 motels and hotels, plus numerous bed and breakfast inns, all of which provide over 4,500 rooms from the modest to the most luxurious for both business travelers and tourists. Visit www.SantaBarbara.com for more information on hotels and to make reservations. Ask me about our special Village Properties rates on hotels such as the Biltmore and El Encanto!
| |
| Restaurants
There are some 400 restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, many with sidewalk cabaret tables, with menus ranging from fast food to exotic dishes to elegant dining. Some of my favorites include: Brophy Brothers 966-4418 Cafe Buenos Aires 963-0242
California Pizza Kitchen 962-4648 Paradise Café 962-4416
Santa Barbara Brewing Company 730-1040
The Blue Agave 899-4694
The Brown Pelican 687-4550
The Wine Cask 966-9326 |
Culture
Santa Barbara is full of culture and cultural events. There are quite a few parades and museums. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is one of five privately maintained museums. There are displays of works from many private collections, and the public library has a wing of paintings and related art. There are a number of private galleries with unique selections of works for sale. The Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra provides entertainment throughout the year. There are local theater groups in addition to the local productions and road companies of various Broadway productions that schedule performances at our facilities.
| |
| Wineries
A short trip from Santa Barbara over the foothills into the Santa Ynez Valley brings a phethora of internationallly renowned wineries, most of which have picnic areas for a leisurely lunch, and tasting rooms for visitors to sample a variety of their premium wines.
Here are a few:
Firestone Vineyard 688-3940
Gainey Vineyard 688-0558
Meridian Vineyards 237-6000
Mosby Winery 688-2415
Sunstone Winery 688-WINE |
Schools and Libraries
The Santa Barbara public schools rank among the best in the state. The public school programs include elementary, middle/junior high, senior high, special education, and continuation cirriculum. Santa Barbara is also the home of Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, and the University of California, as well as Brooks Institute School of Photography and the Music Academy of the West. The public library system consists of six branches and a bookmobile. The system contains over 300,000 books, 6000 records, numerous subscriptions to periodicals, thousands of pamphlets, and over 4000 videos. | |
| Recreation
Recreation plays a very important role in the life of Santa Barbara, for resident and visitor alike. There are both private and public golf courses for all from the 'weekend duffer' to the scratch golfer. The 34 municipal parks, many with picnic equipment and children's playgrounds, and some with facilities for volleyball, softball, swimming, lawnbowling, and tennis are gathering places for locals and visitors alike. There is both salt water and fresh water fishing within a short distance of Santa Barbara. Some other recreational activities in the surrounding areas include hot air ballooning, biking, hang gliding, hiking, horseback riding, polo, scuba diving, skydiving, whale watching, and surfing (especially in the winter).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
