Santa Barbara
10/13/99
Old Santa Barbara Mission
Photo by John Fischer
Never before have I been to a city that has such a clear vision of where it wants to be architecturally. Virtually every building in Santa Barbara has a very definite Spanish revival feel - from their red tiled roofs to their white stucco walls. This was a conscientious decision made by city authorities following a 1925 earthquake.
There are no high rises in the city. The tallest spot is the tower of the County Courthouse from which you can catch wonderful views of the entire city from the clean golden beaches to the Old Mission laying in the foothills of the nearby mountains
Our morning in Santa Barbara began with a visit to the Old Mission Santa Barbara, the tenth Spanish mission established in the Americas and widely considered the most beautiful, nicknamed the "Queen of the Missions". The mission was established in 1786 and has been restored in part on several occasions, most recently following an earthquake in 1925.
Nearby the mission, we spent some time at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum which has an excellent exhibit on the Chumash people who inhabited the area of the current Santa Barbara County at the time of the arrival of the Spanish missionaries.
From the museum we traveled to the beachfront area of the city and a walk out on Stearns Wharf which was severely damaged by a fire two years ago. The beachfront area is an area primarily of motels, inns and restaurants and a wide golden beach. It's hard to imagine in today's 90 degree temperatures that this is already off-season here. The beach was virtually deserted.
Our next stop was the historic district of the city and the beautiful County Courthouse which features amazing exterior and interior architecture. If you ever visit Santa Barbara be sure to get to the top of the courthouse tower.
From the courthouse we walked back to State Street, the main thoroughfare through the city and the center of most commercial activity. The city runs an electric bus up and down the length of State Street which you can ride for 25 cents each way.
For more information on Santa Barbara check out About.com's Santa Barbara local site brough to you by Guide Michael Reynolds.
I hope you enjoy our photos of the beautiful city of Santa Barbara. As always, click on any thumbnail photo to see a larger image.
Tomorrow we continue our drive north to San Simeon and the Hearst Castle. Be sure to check back for our report.
Old Mission - Santa Barbara
Fountain - Old Mission
St. Anthony of Padua
St. Francis of Asisi
Museum of Natural History
Blue Whale Skeleton
Santa Barbara Beachfront
Dolphin Statue - Beachfront
Stearns Wharf
Electric Bus
State
Street
City Hall
De la Guerra Plaza
County Courthouse
View from Courthouse Tower Board of Supervisor's
Room
El Presidio de Santa Barbara
Chapel of El
Presidio
If you missed one of our prior columns on our extended trip through the American west, check out our Western Diary Index.