Santa Barbara
Hotel Recommendations
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Best Western Pepper Tree Inn ($$)
Just minutes from downtown Santa Barbara and adjacent to the La Cumbre Plaza shopping center
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The Inn at East Beach ($$)
Walking distance from East Beach
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The Presidio Motel ($$)
Walking distance to downtown Santa Barbara
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Cheshire Cat Inn ($$$)
A quaint Bed and Breakfast close to downtown Santa Barbara (call for availability and reservations)
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Canary Hotel ($$$)
Centrally located right in the middle of downtown Santa Barbara
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Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort ($$$)
Prime location across the street from East Beach
Places to Visit
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Farmer's Markets
One of our favorite weekly activities is to go to the farmer's market to pick up some fresh produce and flowers. Many of the farmers offer free samples so you can try tasting a lot of new things and find the best tasting food. It's located in heart of downtown on the corner of East Cota St. and Santa Barbara St from 8:30am to 1pm every Saturday, and on State St between Ortega St and Haley St from 4 to 7pm on Tuesdays.
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Wine Tasting
Santa Barbara county is host to hundreds of wineries, many of which are located just over the mountain from downtown Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez valley. Many of the wineries and vineyards have tasting rooms where you can sample their wines for a nominal fee. We like to bring food with us and picnic at our favorite wineries. Our favorites include Sunstone, Kalyra, and Firestone.
The Santa Ynez valley is about a 40 minute drive away on highway 154 and the drive up the mountain offers some spectacular views of Santa Barbara. More information about the wineries and maps of their locations are available on the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association website.
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Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show
Every Sunday from 10am to dusk, local artists showcase their work along the Santa Barbara waterfront on Cabrillo Blvd at State St. There is a wide range of arts and crafts, from paintings, to jewelry, to lawn oranaments, and more. The prices are pretty reasonable and the artwork makes great gifts.
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Stearns Wharf
Stearns Wharf is one of California's oldest working wharfs and is located at the end of State St at the waterfront. Check out the Ty Warner Sea Center or pick up some ice cream. More information about the wharf is available at the Stearns Wharf website.
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Santa Barbara Harbor
Take a walk along the breakwater, eat some fresh seafood at Brophy Brothers or Endless Summer Cafe (the popcorn shrimp is amazing!), or visit the Maritime Museum. You can also go on a whale watching trip and sail out to the Channel Islands on the Condor Express.
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Shopping on State Street
Downtown State Street is main shopping area in Santa Barbara and is lined with plenty of shops and restaurants. There are also several theaters on State Street if you feel like catching a movie. If you're in the mood for frozen yogurt, we recommend Rock'n Yogurt. If you plan to do a lot of shopping, the outlet mall in Camarillo is about a 45 minute drive south on highway 101 and is a great place to go (and the drive itself is pretty nice too!).
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Beach Volleyball
If you're in the mood for some beach volleyball, there are plenty of courts on East Beach and several more on West Beach. The nets and lines are already set up so all you need to bring is a volleyball!
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Santa Barbara Mission
Visit the "Queen of the Missions" and take a self-guided tour for $5. It was founded by the Spanish Franciscans in 1786 and still functions as a church today. The Mission is located at 2201 Laguna St.
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Santa Barbara Courthouse
The Santa Barbara county courthouse is one of the most beautiful buildings in town. Its Sunken Garden is host to many festivals and weddings year-round. It looks like a palace but it's an actual working courthouse. Take the elevator to the top of the clock tower for the best views of the city, mountains, and coast. Visit the courthouse website for tour information.
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Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Don't forget to come back another day to visit the best museum in Santa Barbara! ;-)