Santa Barbara is like a bright tapestry, woven from time, and enriched with the colors of history and culture. Some cities grow old and then slowly die. Santa Barbara never grows old, just more elegant and appreciative of its past. Words cannot begin to describe the intimacy and sophisticated flavor of this city, only experience and a stay here, can do that. In 1925 a devastating earthquake left the downtown in ruins. Santa Barbara … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Accomodation
There are over 5000 rooms in Santa Barbara ranging from full service resorts to moderately priced hotel/motels. Some of these hotels are incredible - there is such a choice its hard to know where to stay. There is also a large choice of bed and breakfast inns. The following list is only a partial one, but provides a sampling of the wide range of places to stay in Santa Barbara. The prices listed below range from the lowest (off season/single … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Other Info
This is a section for certain items that just did not fit in any of the other parts of this article but still have importance for visitors to Santa Barbara. The following are in alphabetical order by category. Bookstores 1. Paperback Alley is located at 5840 Hollister Avenue in Goleta. They have been in business for over 20 years and have over 50,000 used books in stock. Their Phone Number is (805) 967-1051. 2. The Book Den is located … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA
San Luis Obispo, California (Population 45,595) is located nearly midway between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. With urban sprawl kept to a minimum and almost ideal weather this town is a great place to live! San Luis Obispo is located about 240 miles from San Francisco and about 200 miles to Los Angeles. Driving the scenic route along Highway 1 to San Francisco is about 260 miles. Highway 1 is certainly slower then Highway 101 … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Lodging
San Luis Obispo has a diversity of lodging - perhaps more then other towns of this size due to two factors; it is a touristy region and because Cal Poly is located here. Many of the properties are located on upper Monterey street and or in the south of town on Madonna Road. The cheapest lodging can be found during the middle of the week. Prices listed range from the lowest (the off season rates/single person) to the highest (holidays and … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Restaurants
The following is a partial list of restaurants in San Luis Obispo and the immediate vicinity. Downtown San Luis Obispo has numerous restaurants with many lined up along Higuera Street. San Luis Obispo also seems to have an inordinate amount of small family owned high quality chain restaurants - usually chains under 10 restaurants with one branch located here. Also plenty of gastropubs, Italian restaurants, burgers and BBQ. In short, this is a … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Wine
PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY This region is rapidly growing and is starting to become very well-known. This area is an excellent alternative to the high priced Napa Valley. This region is situated about 20 miles east of the Pacific Ocean - about 30 minutes north of San Luis Obispo. Today there are well over 200 wineries in this region - one of the neat aspects of these wineries is that many are small and family owned. Often tasting is by … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – More Info
For more information on the city of San Luis Obispo and the county of San Luis Obispo visit: www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com San Luis Sunset Swap Meet is held every Sunday morning (weather permitting) beginning at the cheery hour of 4:45am in the morning. However, most vendors are not yet setup at this hour. Dave's recommended time to arrive at this Swap meet is around 7am. It is held just south of town in the parking lot at the Sunset … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Attractions
Moorten Botanical Garden has been in existence for more then 70 years; the gardens contain over 3000 varieties of desert plants from around the world. This garden is also a bird sanctuary. They are located at 1701 South Palm Canyon Drive - right at the corner of El Camino Street - about a mile in from the state route 111. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 4:30, and Sunday from 10 to 4. NOTE: They are closed on Wednesdays. Weddings, … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Hotels
There are over 200 hotels in Palm Springs, everything from bed and breakfast to full service luxury spas and resorts. A partial list is provided below. For a town of only about 50 thousand people there are quite a few hotels to choose from. Prices listed below range from a low price of single occupancy/off season to a high price of double occupancy/holidays/ weekends. The prices vary considerably depending on the season. If you have stayed at … [Read more...]