The geographical midpoint of California may well be somewhere near San Francisco, but the Southern California of popular imagination—golden beaches washed by waves and peopled by blond-haired surfer gods—has its start, and perhaps best expression, in Santa Barbara. Just over 100 miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara (pop. 92,325) has grown threefold in the last 60 years, but for the moment, at least, it manages to retain its sleepy seaside charm. Much of its character comes from the fact that, following a sizeable earthquake in 1929, the town fathers—caught up in the contemporary craze for anything Spanish Revival—required that all buildings in the downtown area exude a mission-era feel, mandating red-tile roofs, adobe-colored stucco, and rounded arcades wherever practicable. The resulting architectural consistency gives Santa Barbara an un-American charm; it looks more like a Mediterranean village than the modern city that, beneath the surface, it really is.
For a good first look at the city head down to the water, where Stearns Wharf sticks out into the bay, bordered by palm tree–lined beaches populated by joggers, inline skaters, and volleyball players. From the wharf area, follow State Street away from the sands to the downtown district, where Santa Barbarans parade among the numerous cafés, bars, and boutiques. At the north end of downtown is the excellent Museum of Art (closed Mon.; $7, free Sun.; 805/963-4364), at 1130 State Street. A block east on Anacapa Street, the County Courthouse is one of the finest public buildings in the state, a handcrafted Spanish Revival monument set in lush semitropical gardens, with an observation tower (daily 9 am–5 pm; free) giving a fine view over the red-tiled cityscape.
Santa Barbara’s reigning attraction, Mission Santa Barbara (daily; $4; 805/682-4713), stands atop a shallow hill a well-posted mile up from State Street, looking out over the city and shoreline below. Called the “Queen of the Missions” by the local tourist scribes, Mission Santa Barbara is undeniably lovely to look at, its rose-hued stone facade perfectly complemented by the roses and bougainvillea that frame the well-maintained gardens and lawns.
Santa Barbara has perhaps the coast’s best variety of places to eat. State Street holds the most lunch and dinner places, like the old-fashioned burgers and beer on tap in the dark-wood dining room of Joe’s Cafe (805/966-4638) at 536 State Street. Finally, some of the world’s best hole-in-the-wall Mexican food is served a half mile east of State Street at La Super-Rica (805/963-4940) at 622 N. Milpas Street, where such distinguished foodies as Julia Child have come to chow down on a variety of freshly made soft tacos and delicious seafood tamales. It’s not cheap, but the food is great (fresh tortillas, traditional adobado-marinated pork, and spicy chorizo), and the horchata is the creamiest you’ll taste. Yum.
The city’s accommodations, however, are among the central coast’s most expensive, especially in summer when even the most basic motel can charge as much as $150 a night. One of the nicest of many motels is the Franciscan Inn ($90 and up; 805/963-8845), just a short walk from the beach and wharf at 109 Bath Street. At the top of the scale, the Simpson House ($215 and up; 805/963-7067 or 800/676-1280) at 121 E. Arrellaga Street offers comfortable, centrally located B&B rooms. Off the scale completely, money’s-no-object visitors can enjoy the deluxe facilities of the San Ysidro Ranch ($395 and up; 805/969-5046), in the hills above neighboring Montecito, where Jackie and JFK spent some of their honeymoon. Somewhat ironically, considering the generally high prices here, international budget chain Motel 6 got its start in Santa Barbara, where they now have five properties, including one near the beach at 443 Corona Del Mar ($80; 805/564-1392).
For further details on Santa Barbara, stop into the Visitor Information Center (805/966-9222 or 800/676-1266), near Stearns Wharf at 1 Santa Barbara Street.
