If there is one street that Santa Barbara revolves around, it is State Street. State Street is the heart and soul of Santa Barbara. It is a mix of galleries, museums, theatres, and other quaint shops. Some advice regarding parking; park your car in one of the parking lots next to State Street or curbside on one of it's perpendicular adjoining streets. Then simply walk to State Street. Parking is tough to find directly on State Street and can … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Museums
For the relatively small population of Santa Barbara, the amount of and quality of museums will surprise you. Here are a select few that we have personally visited; they are listed in alphabetical order: Carpinteria Valley Museum of History is located at 956 Maple Ave, just south of Carpinteria Ave. Descendants of Carpinteria's pioneer families donated household furnishings and clothing to this museum. A turn of the century schoolroom and … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – City & Regional Parks
For hiking enthusiasts there are dozens of foothill trails in the Santa Ynez mountains. Maps and information can be obtained from Los Padres National Forest Headquarters located at 42 Aero Camino, in Goleta. Chaucer's Bookstore on State Street (mentioned in the Other Information section) has a number of good books and maps on day hiking in the Santa Barbara area. The Phone Number of the Los Padres National Forest is (805) 683-6711. Some of … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – Orchids
Often called the "American Riviera", Santa Barbara has an ideal climate for growing orchids. In fact Santa Barbara now produces more orchids then any other region in the country. Exotic orchids soon became popular and were heavily planted in the Montecito and Hope Ranch estates. After World War II the oil baron Samuel Mosher spent 1.5 million on breeding orchids at his Dos Pueblos Orchid Company. His breeding grounds provided young plants for … [Read more...]
Santa Barbara, CA – More Info
A visitor information Center, operated by the Chamber of Commerce, is located at No. 1 Santa Barbara Street, at the corner of Cabrillo Boulevard near Stearns Wharf. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 5pm. From October through April the hours vary slightly. During these months they are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Their Phone Number is (805) 965-3021. … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Thursday Farmers Market
Every Thursday night (except in the case of inclement weather) the main street, Higuera, is closed to all vehicles - and barbecues, produce vendors, and entertainment fills the streets (6pm to 9pm). The tradition of the Thursday night market started in the 1800's when instead of barbecues the locals would gather around a large pit in the ground on Higuera street. Wild bears from the county and bulls were put into the pit and left to fight. After … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – The Mission
This mission is often called the 'Prince' of the missions. It was named for the 13th century saint, the Bishop of Toulouse. The church is still in operation. The tile roof is the first of its kind used on the California missions. They used tile instead of wood or thatch because often they would be faced with flaming arrow attacks by the Indians. There is an excellent museum that contains a large collection of Chumash Indian artifacts and … [Read more...]
San Luis Obispo, CA – Downtown
Downtown San Luis Obispo (www.downtownslo.com) is a collection of numerous cafes + restaurants + brew pubs, clothing stores, sports stores, a few galleries, quaint shops, and reflective of a college town, quite a few stand alone bars. The downtown area is best seen by walking. Ditch the car along one of the side streets just outside of the downtown area, or one of three parking garages (Two on Palm Street and one on Marsh Street). Our … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Golf Courses
The following list of golf courses is only a partial list. There are many courses not only in Palm Springs but also throughout the Coachella valley. The prices listed below are the winter rates. The prices are usually substantially cheaper in the summer. For a more complete listing of golf courses check out this site: www.palmsprings.com/golf.html and or here: www.palmspringslife.com/golf This list of golf courses is just a small sample - … [Read more...]