Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [321]
Check out www.greensantabarbara.com for a list of ecofriendly attractions, activities and lodging. (Admittedly, some listed green-hotel employees don’t seem to have gotten the memo – when asked for green-hotel policies, one confused desk clerk said she thought they, um, recycled?)
The nearby Wine Country’s getting into it too. Many newer vineyards are implementing biodynamic farming techniques and following organic guidelines. Not sure about the quality of organic wines? Wonder no more. Many vintners and purchasers are starting to think that the more natural the growing process, the better the wine. Flip through Destination Wine Country magazine, available at most wineries and around town, for info on vineyards going green, or try the new Sustainable Vine Wine Tour, which uses a biodiesel van to whisk you to ecofriendly vineyards.
Beyond that, hiking, cycling, kayaking and surfing remain environmentally friendly – just pay attention to posted guidelines and rules about outdoor activities. For specific info, cyclists can check out www.sbbike.org while hikers should visit the Los Padres National Forest website at www.r5.fs.fed.us/lospadres. Surfers can check out the usually up-to-date www.santabarbarasurfing.com for local info.
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Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours ( 805-646-3200; www.ccjeeps.com) runs guided jeep tours of the mountains and forest above the town, including hiking/driving tours, horseback-riding/driving tours, family outings, wine-country jaunts, and sunset-chasing journeys for adults. Tours of three to 6½ hours cost $89 to $150 per person. The charge per child for the Family Discovery Mountain Tour is $69.
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Santa Barbara throws a good party. For the current calendar of events, contact the Santa Barbara Visitor Center.
Santa Barbara International Film Festival ( 805-963-0023; www.sbfilmfestival.org) Film buffs arrive in droves for this always-wonderful fest, that takes place in mid-January to early February and presents new independent US and foreign films.
Summer Solstice Parade ( 805-965-3396; www.solsticeparade.com) Kicking off the summer, this wacky parade up State St in late June feels like something out of Marin County in Northern California or a Burning Man processional, not a staid Santa Barbara event. Draws a crowd of 100,000.
Santa Barbara County Fair ( 805-925-8824; www.santamariafairpark.com) In mid-July, this old-fashioned county fair has agriculture booths, rides, and lots of food and wine. The fairgrounds are in Santa Maria, about an hour north of Santa Barbara.
Old Spanish Fiesta Days ( 805-962-8101; www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org) The town gets packed in early August for this long-running – if slightly overrated – festival celebrating Santa Barbara’s multicultural heritage.
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KEEPING THE KIDS ENTERTAINED
Santa Barbara is made for kids.
Arroyo Burro Beach (aka Hendry’s, Click here) – wide sandy beach, away from the tourists, popular with local families.
Maritime Museum – peer through a periscope, reel in a virtual fish, or check out the gorgeous model ships.
Museum of Natural History – giant skeletons and a pitch-dark planetarium captivate kids’ imaginations.
Santa Barbara Zoological Garden – preening penguins, creepy insects and lumbering elephants are the big draw at this 30-acre zoo. Lush gardens overlook the sea.
Ty Warner Sea Center – see a 70ft whale, play with hands-on exhibits and feel the sea critters that live in the touch pool.
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SLEEPING
Finding a cheap room at the last minute is not so easy in Santa Barbara, especially on weekends. A bottom-of-the-heap dive motel that’s $60 on weekdays can triple in price on a Saturday night. Tariffs quoted here are high-season published weekend rates. Book in advance and you can almost always do better. Because nights are generally cool, most places don’t have air-conditioning. Unless otherwise noted, the lodgings listed here are without air-con. Although the