Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [320]
In town, the best place for gathering info and maps is Pacific Travelers Supply. At the harbor, check the Santa Barbara Outdoor Visitor Center, a helpful, volunteer-staffed resource for information on the entire Los Padres National Forest. If you’re here in winter, inquire about the best places to see the monarch butterflies roosting in the trees, an extraordinary sight. A Hiker’s Guide to the Santa Barbara Front Country and Paradise Road by Raymond Ford is a user-friendly map with brief trail descriptions. It’s available from the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (Click here; $8) and from Los Padres National Forest Headquarters. See also Raymond Ford’s website www.sb-outdoors.org. and www.santabarbarahikes.com for trail summaries.
In summer, when the city is shrouded in cool coastal fog, the inland hills will likely be sunny and hot; wear layers and carry plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat. In winter, the coast may be only slightly chilly, while the hills are downright cold. It’s also worth noting that weather conditions inland may be different from conditions at the coast.
Swimming
Beyond the beaches previously listed Click here, mile-long, family-friendly Carpinteria State Beach ( 805-968-1033, camping info 805-684-2811; www.parks.ca.gov; ), about 12 miles south, is great for swimming, wading and tide-pooling. It’s often referred to as the world’s safest beach for its calm waters. Parking is available for $8.
You can also swim in Los Baños del Mar (Map; 805-966-6110; 401 Shoreline Dr; admission $5; 7:30-9am, noon-2pm & 7:15-8:15pm Mon-Fri, noon-2pm Sat & Sun; ), a municipal outdoor pool near West Beach that is good for recreational and lap swimming. For little ones under eight years old, there’s a wonderful wading pool.
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TOURS
For tours exclusively on the water, see Boating.
Maximize your time in Santa Barbara’s stunning outdoors with Santa Barbara Adventure Company ( 805-898-0671, 888-773-3239; www.sbadventureco.com). This outdoor outfitter leads surfing, kayaking, rock-climbing, mountain-biking and wine-tasting tours (by van or by bike). Prices range from $60 to $179 per person. Trips require a minimum of two to four people.
Santa Barbara Old Town Trolley (Map; 805-965-0353; www.sbtrolley.com; adult/child $18/9; 10am-5pm) operates 90-minute guided tours in an open-sided, San Francisco–style, motorized cable car. It gives a great overview of the city’s sights, and allows you to get on and off at 14 different stops. Start the tour at Stearns Wharf, or call for other pickup points. Pay the driver directly; check online for discounts.
If you dig James Bond–style gadgets and vehicles, take a guided tour of the city on the Land Shark with Land & Sea Tours ( 805-683-7600; www.out2seesb.com; adult/child $25/10), then drive right into the water for a tour in this amphibious vehicle.
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FEATURE: IT’S SO EASY BEING GREEN
It’s clear Kermit never visited Santa Barbara. This ecofriendly community makes ‘being green’ not only easy but downright entertaining. And all you disengaged, green-weary cynics? Keep reading – turns out the tree huggers are having the most fun.
One of the city’s best-promoted initiatives is Santa Barbara Car Free. Visit www.santabarbaracarfree.org or pick up their pamphlet at the visitors center for tips on seeing the city without your car. From LA, for example, you can hop on the Pacific Surfliner for a three-hour coastal chug to the Amtrak station Click here – two blocks from the beach and three from downtown. From there, hoof it or catch the electric shuttle that arrives every 15 minutes or so. It zips downtown along State St or east–west along the coast. If you ride the shuttle to the zoo, you’ll save the $3 parking fee. To get to the mission, grab MTD Bus Line 22. For a self-guided tour of the city, amble over to Wheel Fun Rentals, just south