Santa Barbara
You can plop yourself down in a café on State Street and watch Santa Barbara parade by or you can explore every detail of this delightful city by following the driving tour published by the Chamber of Commerce (805-965-3023, www.sbchamber.org). The route is well marked and gives you an overall glimpse of the city as you drive by beaches, the wharf, the old downtown area, and affluent suburbs. The brochure also outlines what is called the “Red-Tile Walking Tour,” which guides you through the town centre’s Mediterranean style streets. It takes discipline to stay on the path as you pass a multitude of shops filled with so many tempting things to buy. The highlight of the tour is the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, a magnificent adobe structure with a Moorish accent.
You definitely must not leave town without visiting the splendid Mission Santa Barbara, which is located at the rise of the hill on the northern edge of town. This beautiful church with two bell towers faces a large park laced with rose gardens. As in many of the other missions, although the church’s main purpose is for religious services, a museum is incorporated into the complex with examples of how life was lived when the Spaniards first settled in California.
When is Santa Barbara we enjoy staying at The Cheshire Cat.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Mission
