Official Language:
English
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Currency:
US Dollar
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Population:
Approximately 90,000 people call Santa Barbara hom
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Santa Barbara: The average summer highs range from 75°F/24°C to 80F/27°C degrees, with lows in the 60°F/16°C's. Winter highs climb to the mid 60°F/16°C's with lows around 40°F/4°C. Expect foggy mornings in the summer. August and September are the warmest, sunniest, and driest months.
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For most cruise visitors to Santa Barbara, the first sight to see is State Street. This is the city’s main street that runs from Stearns Wharf into the foothills. Streets are lined with popular shops, good restaurants, beautiful bougainvillea, splashing fountains, and quaint courtyards. This attractive street will give one good first impression. Block after block of beautiful Spanish style architecture will steal your heart. The city has reached success in preserving so much of its colonial past.
In the early 1900s, Santa Barbara became the film capital of the world before the motion picture industry centralized in Hollywood. More than 1,200 movies (mostly Westerns) were made in a 10-year span and Santa Barbara became a favorite retreat for such legendary film stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. The area soon evolved into a haven for wealthy Easterners and hot spot for health-seekers lured by the city's curing mineral baths. At the turn of the 20th century, luxury rail cars turned out the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Carnegies and Duponts, followed by an artistic swell of painters, poets and authors. Today, Santa Barbara is home to some 90,000 residents and still exudes the warmth and relaxation of a small city, coupled with the major attractions of a metropolis. It is pedestrian-friendly with 76 designated historic landmarks, an impressive line-up of performing arts venues, museums, galleries and restaurants.
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Attractions |
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Most cruise stops include trolley tours of town. Although similar tours can be purchased, ship arranged tours depart directly from the cruise pier. You will get a chance to see all the major downtown attractions (the Stearns Wharf, State Street shops and restaurants, the Courthouse, and the Mission Santa Barbara). You will also see the Victorian houses that line Brinkerhoff Avenue. If you’re leaning more to spending a day browsing through town, we suggest you first take a trolley tour to orient yourself. The tours only last about 2 hours, leaving you plenty of time for some independent touring.
Don't miss the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, El Presidio de Santa Barbara Historic Park, Butterfly Beach, Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens (the Zoo), Maritime Museum, Lotusland, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and Santa Barbara Museum of Art. You may prefer a tour to the wine country. Take the wine country tour and visit Santa Ynez Valley for wine tasting and winery tour. Or take the Solvang and Wine country tour, which allows you to spend some time visiting the highlights of downtown, visit Solvang (the Danish town) and the wine country as well. If you are more interested in marine life then take the whale watching tour.
For shoppers, check out
Paseo Nuevo, El Paseo and La Arcada. For your athletes you can enjoy biking, golf, hiking, beach volleyball, horseback biding and water sports.
Some popular attractions are:
Stearns Wharf: Santa Barbara is home to California's oldest working wharf. Built in 1872 by John Stearns, this wharf continues to handle the bustling fishing charter boats, a few local fisherman, and pleasure crafts.
Dolphin Fountain: Created to honor the city’s bicentennial in 1982, these three dolphins have become something of a landmark. These statues are located at the foot of Stearns Wharf. Don't forget your camera.
Mission Santa Barbara: Founded in 1786, it is the tenth in a series of 21 missions stretching from San Diego to Sonoma. An earlier mission building was destroyed by an 1812 earthquake; the present dates from about 1820, although the second bell tower was not added until thirteen years later.
Moreton Bay Fig Tree: Here you will find the oldest and largest Moreton Fig Tree in the US, located just over the train tracks on your way from the pier.
Santa Barbara County Courthouse: Built in 1929, this Spanish-Moorish architecture and sub-tropical gardens are worth the visit. You think of going to a courthouse to watch a trial but in this instance you want to check out the city views. The clock tower here provides a terrific view.
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More Information |
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Santa Barbara Conference
& Visitors Bureau
1601 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-1909
Phone: 805 966-9222
Toll Free: 800 549-5133
Web: www.santabarbaraca.com
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