Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY IN…
ONE DAY
Spend your first morning soaking up rays at
East Beach
, walking out onto
Stearns
Wharf
and down by the
harbor
. After lunch, visit downtown's museums, landmarks and
shops along
State Street
, stopping at the
county courthouse
for 360-degree views
from its clock tower. Finish up at the historic
mission
, then head down to the
Funk Zone
after dark.
TWO DAYS
Cycle along the coast, go surfing or sea kayaking, or hike in the Santa Ynez foothills. In the
afternoon, detour east to posh
Montecito
for shopping and people-watching or hang
loose in
Carpinteria
, a retro beach town.
THREE DAYS
Head up to Santa Barbara's Wine Country. Enjoy a do-it-yourself vineyards tour via car,
motorcycle or bicycle along a scenic wine trail -
Foxen Canyon
and the
Santa Rita Hills
are exceptionally beautiful. Pack a picnic lunch or grab a bite in charming
Los Olivos
or
Danish-esque
Solvang
.
FOUR DAYS
On your way back to LA, make time for a detour to arty
Ojai
up in the mountains for its
hot springs and spas or book a day trip from
Ventura
by boat to
Anacapa Island
in
rugged
Channel Islands National Park
.
SANTA BARBARA
Pop 89,640
History
For hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spanish, Chumash tribespeople thrived in
this region, setting up trade routes between the mainland and the Channel Islands and con-
structing redwood canoes known as
tomol
s. In 1542 explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
sailed into the channel and claimed it for Spain, then quickly met his doom on a nearby is-
land.
