Santa Barbara
 Santa Barbara, California is alive with
youthful energy within an atmosphere of casual sophistication and charm.
Students from five colleges in the area bring vitality and enthusiasm,
collaborating with local residents on many worthwhile projects. The city
rests on a narrow shelf between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific
coast, and is one of southern California's foremost vacation areas.
A day in the city could be spent biking, beach-going, fishing, or hiking
in a setting rich with distinctive architecture, public art, beautiful
parks and playgrounds. The same day could also include spending time at
Santa Barbara's enchanting zoo or visiting a selection of museums with
special children's exhibits.
It is exhilarating to venture into the back country and enjoy the rugged
beauty of National Forest lands, home to everything from modern lakeside
campgrounds to trackless wilderness, providing almost unlimited
recreational choices for families. Returning to Santa Barbara from a day
of hiking, there is the opportunity to ease back gradually into city
life through a visit to the alpine village of Solvang. This is the
county's "Little Denmark," with windmills, Tudor architecture, and a
wealth of Scandinavian food and souvenirs.
Santa Barbara County offers an outstanding variety of cultural
attractions, such as, theater, dance, art galleries and musical
performances.
You don't need a car to enjoy downtown Santa Barbara because most
everything, from shopping and dining to performances and historic
attractions, is within walking distance. Walking through Santa Barbara
on foot gives a close-up look at its distinctive architectural style.
This style is largely the work of engineer Bernhard Hoffman, who founded
the City Planning Commission and worked with other community
organizations to enforce building codes and architectural standards
early in the 20th century. Following a major earthquake, legislation was
enacted to insure that all new construction would conform to modern
safety guidelines. The new style that emerged was influenced by the
architecture of Spain, but is a blend of genres, including Spanish,
Mediterranean, and Moorish/Islamic. Its key features are the gleaming
white stucco surfaces, the famous red tile roofs, courtyards, and the
decorative wrought iron windows, light fixtures, and staircases.
A free electric shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes to all points of
interest. Shopping is a major pastime on State street, which is lined
with boutiques, cafés, bookstores, as well as toy and book stores of
interest to children. On Brinkerhoff Avenue there are a large number of
antique shops.
The beach is beautiful, the weather almost always perfect, and the
people friendly. Many vacationers rent bikes and blades and travel up
and down the beachfront path along Cabrillo Boulevard. The county draws
surfers, hikers, naturalists, in-line skaters, mountain bikers, rock
climbers, scuba divers and hang gliders, to mention a few. Santa Barbara
has been described by many as " heaven on earth".
|
