Red tile roofs arch over white walls march up the hills behind Santa Barbara's pristine beaches. It's California's Riviera a pristine place where old money gathers to spend its declining years amid an outstanding collection of small museums and wonderful restaurants. Mission Santa Barbara, the tenth Mission in the chain that marches north to Sonoma, sets the theme for the town it overlooks. The 1925 earthquake destroyed the original Misson, but the replacement entirely reflects the original pattern of the mission, an ancient Latin chapel in pre-Christian Rome. More than any other the mission contains a vast collection of historical material. If you visit on Sunday, plan to attend services.
The Presidio of Santa Barbara, the last military outpost built by Spain in the New World, is now a State Park and well worth a visit. So is the Historical Museum and Covarrubias Adobe. Add the Karpeles Manuscript Library and Museum with its manuscripts of famous authors and other historical figures, the Museum of Art, Natural History Museum with it's marine ecology demonstrations and more, and the Sea Center on the Pier and you have a wonderful destination even for a rainy weekend.
The municipal architecture downtown, the wonderful shopping arcades, the "red tile" tour of classic homes and buildings, world-class shops, good theater and all the amenities you would expect at the world's best destinations make Santa Barbara a wonderful destination any time except Easter when, like Balboa, it fills with vacationing college students on vacation. Christmas might seem like an odd time to visit a California coastal community, but the decorations, the lights and the ambiance peak then. Shopper's Tip: Sales after Christmas offer massive savings.
If the weather's fair consider a hike, whale watching cruise or beach biking. You can roll along the harbor and around the Andree Clark Bird Refuge. The city sells a dandy bike map, Pedal Around Town and rentals are available. There's a nice snack at the East Beach Grill to end your trip. Snacks seem the name of the game in Santa Barbara. There are so many interesting delis, cafes, shops and food stands that we tend to graze around town and eat bigger meals at breakfast and lunch then, if it's nice we brownbag dinner on the beach or pier.
Walks on out Stearns Wharf or through the botanical gardens work off breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea or dinner. So do windsurfing, surf or roller blade rentals and lessons. Pick up volleyball at the beach, lazing by the Biltmore's pool or simply sitting on the pier and watching the sunset can fill days too.
