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The Santa Barbara Coastal Plain
A Unique Area of Romantic Beauty
90 miles north of Los Angeles lies the coastal enclave that comprises the Santa Barbara area. A wonderfully unique place with a distinctive Mediterranean style that carefully integrates the old with the new, Carpinteria and Summerland, to the south, Santa Barbara midway and Goleta just to the north comprise a varied and interesting resort community with a rich Spanish heritage and a broad range of attractions to explore. Known world wide for it's unique Moorish-Spanish architecture, the Santa Barbara area reveals it's intimate character in an engaging atmosphere defined by courtyards and walkways in a European style. Year round the climate is very Mediterranean as well, with daytime temperatures ranging in the 70's.
Indulge your palette in the world class restaurants and wineries of Santa Barbara, many of which feature Northern Italian cuisine, locally caught seafood and fine wines from blossoming local Vintners. The county is rapidly becoming know as a superior region for growing Rhone varietals, and the production of fine Syrahs and Cabernets.
 Framed by beautiful rolling coastal mountains, Santa Barbara enjoys such a benign climate in large part because of it's southerly orientation on a large point of the California Coastline. Offshore, the Channel Islands provide a protective barrier to the prevailing south swell while coastal mountains block storms from the north. Beautiful beaches call for long, relaxing, walks and encourage the enjoyment of tide pooling at the minus tide. Commercial operations offer Horseback riding, whale watching, and helicopter tours or take a day trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
 At the foot of Santa Barbara's main street, State Street, you will find Stearn's Wharf, the 1800's working pier that was for many years a central hub of trade and commerce in Santa Barbara. Today the wharf offers a number of attractions including great sea food, curio shops, a fortune teller, The Museum of Natural History's Sea Center and Captain Don's Whale Watching excursions that embark from the end of the pier. From these large tour boats, you can experience the annual Gray Whale migrations as well as the resident Blue Whales, Sea Lions and Dolphins that call the channel home.
Santa Barbara hosts a continuous stream of special events year-round including Art, Wine, Music and Film events that draw artists and visitors from all around the world.
The Queen of the Missions, left, hosts the IModinari Street Painting Festival every April. In June, the Summer Solstice Festival brings out the local color for a mardi-Gras-like parade that tends toward the outrageous with giant paper maché floats and characters in costume. August brings in huge crowds for the Annual Fiesta, a Santa Barbara tradition since 1928 that stands the whole town on it's ear with parades, wonderful food, music, and celebration in the streets. During this week of revelry, city dignitaries and the local populace don Spanish Costume to celebrate the origins of the city and it's rich Spanish Heritage.
For additional information on the area be sure and visit the
Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau
on America Online go keyword "Travel Santa Barbara"
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