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| Santa Barbara | ||
| State | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 88.410 (2010) | |
| height | 49 feet | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Santa Barbara is a city in California.
background
Santa Barbara developed around the 1786 built, tenth of the total of 21 mission stations and around an excellent port. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo had probably already discovered the channel between the mainland and the offshore island in 1542, but it was not until 60 years later that the Spaniard Sebastiano Vizcaino named the settlement "Santa Barbara" because he reached the coast on the name of this saint. Another 180 years passed before Governor Gaspar de Portola arrived there with his troops in 1782 and Father Junipero Serra was to read the first mass in the recently established Presidio. Serra did not see the completion of the mission, which is widely regarded as the most beautiful in California.
Like everywhere in California Santa Barbara's development was also slow. The original mission church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812; the second, with its classic facade and two towers, was just being completed when the Mexicans decided to secularize the mission station in 1833. The early history of Santa Barbara is closely connected with the Spaniards and Mexicans. The city has retained this character to this day. The first North Americans to come to the area were New England traders who bought hides and tallow. On Christmas Day 1846, Santa Barbara fell to the Americans without a fight.
Another major earthquake in 1925 razed much of Santa Barbara to the ground; the mission church was also damaged, and it took two years to repair it (the facade was not finished until 1950). Only a few remained of the Victorian houses of the 19th century; after the earthquake it was decided to rebuild the destroyed parts of the city in the old Spanish mission style. This gave the city a uniform character that hardly any other Californian city can show. Many streets also kept their Spanish names. The Spanish character of the streets was underlined by the fountains decorated with Spanish tiles, rubbish bins and even letter boxes, especially in the main street of the city, State Street.
getting there
Santa Barbara is 148 km north of los Angeles (around two hours by car) and 530 km south of San Francisco (around seven hours by car). The Highway 101 goes through the middle of the city, of which about 18 exits lead to every major street.
By plane
- Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), north of Santa Barbara on Highway 101. Tel.: 1 (805) 967-7111. From here there are direct flights to the main cities in the west of the United States.
By train
The "Pacific Surfliner" from Amtrak, 209 State St. connects Santa Barbara on the route San Luis Obispo - los Angeles - San Diego.
By bus
The Santa Barbara Airbus runs 14 times a day between the Los Angeles International Airport and Santa Barbara back and forth. A one-way ticket costs US $ 46 and a return ticket US $ 86. If you pre-order the tickets online, they are a little cheaper.
The bus stops at each terminal at LAX. The route leads via Carpinteria (Stop IHOP - International House of Pancakes, 1114 Casitas Pass Road), Santa Barbara (Stop Hotel MarMonte, 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd.) to after Goleta to the Santa Barbara Airbus Office, 5755 Thornwood Drive.
The first trip starts at 4 am and takes 2½ hours. This is followed by six more connections every 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. The fare can be used to take two pieces of luggage plus hand luggage. A small additional fee has to be paid for each additional piece.
In the street
By boat
mobility
Public transportationThe Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) has its bus station on 550 Olive Street. A single bus ride costs US $ 1.25, a 10-trip ticket US $ 10.-. With the 22 lines you can explore Santa Barbara comfortably and inexpensively.
Tourist Attractions
Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful cities in the world today United States and has the great advantage that most of its attractions are close to each other. So you can comfortably inspect them in a relatively short time.
Churches
- Old Mission Santa Barbara. The church is located between the Santa Ynez Moutains and the Pacific. You can discover the mission on your own or with a guided tour. Tours can be reserved by calling (805) 682-4149.Open: The mission is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Price: Admission for adults (12) costs US $ 5 and children (6-12) US $ 1. Entry is free for children under 6 years of age.
Buildings
- 1 County Courthouse, 1110 Anacapa Street, App. 7600. A Spanish-Moorish, palatial structure that was completed after the great earthquake of 1929. Most of the tiles in the stairwell come from Tunisia, while the arch tiles are of Californian origin. The vestibule on the first floor shows a strange mixture of styles: the tiles and a floor corridor to the loggia are Islamic, the pink window is Romanesque and the arch decorated with angels is Byzantine. The county supervisors' meeting room is entered through double doors: the murals illustrate the history of the county, starting with the Indians who watched the arrival of the first Europeans led by Cabrillo. The elevator takes you to the El Mirador bell tower, from which you have a beautiful view of Santa Barbara. The fountain in front of the entrance represents the "spirit of the ocean".Open: Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sa Su 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: free entry.
- El Presidio, 122, 123 and 129 East Canon Perdido Street. The Presidio founded by the Spanish in 1782 (fortress) was badly damaged by the earthquakes of 1806 and 1812 and completely lost its importance after the entry of American troops in 1846. Of the original buildings, only El Cuartel, the soldiers' apartments, and the front rooms of the Canedo Adobe remain. The padre's apartment and the chapel have been restored.Open: daily 10.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.Price: free entry.
Museums
- 2 Museum of Art, 1130 State Street. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art was housed in a former post office until 1941 and has amassed a considerable, wide-ranging collection in its relatively short period of existence. A broad spectrum is covered from Egyptian works of art, Roman sculptures, an important department of Asian art to works of French impressionism, American paintings, photos, graphics, hand drawings and kinetic art. This rather small museum definitely deserves a look.Open: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thu until 9 p.m., Sun 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.Price: free entry.
- 3 Historical Society Museum, 136 East de la Guerra Street. This history museum is housed in three adobe houses and has exhibited a lot of material on the Spanish, Mexican and early American history of Santa Barbara (including documents and paintings).Open: Tue - Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.Price: free entry.
- 4 Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. The exhibition of the Natural History Museum north of the mission includes mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, the skeleton of a blue whale, evidence of the flora and geology of the Pacific coast and the Channel Islands as well as a diorama on prehistoric Indian life; also a planetarium with changing shows.Open: Mon - Sat 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Guided tours Sun 2 p.m.
Streets and squares
- Stearns Wharf. The West Coast's oldest surviving wharf, Stearns Wharf (1872), is a three-block continuation of Main Street (State Street) across the Pacific, with restaurants, shops, and a fishing pier.Open: daily from 7:00 a.m. to midnight.
- Scenic Drive. All of these sights, with the exception of the Botanical Gardens, are located on Scenic Drive, a blue signposted road. In doing so, you pass exclusive residential areas, as can also be seen in the suburbs of Santa Barbara - Goleta, Carpinteria and Montecito. Goleta is home to the University of California campus, and there is also a railroad museum dedicated to the rail history of southern California. Carpinteria, 20 km southeast on Highway 101, has the most beautiful bathing beach in this area.
Parks
- 5 Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road. In the 26 hectare botanical garden about 2½ km north of the mission, native trees, bushes, forest and field flowers and cacti grow in natural surroundings, which can be accessed on 8 km of easily accessible paths. A special feature is the dam built in 1806 by Indians under the guidance of the Padres to supply water to the mission and the living quarters.Open: daily from 8:00 a.m. to sunset.Price: Free tours: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 10.30 a.m.
- Zoological Gardens, Ninos Drive, exit at Cabrillo Blvd.. The Zoological Gardens not far from the coast east of Milpas Street are located in beautiful gardens and offer elephants, lions, monkeys, sea lions and exotic birds as well as a children's zoo.Open: daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., in summer until 6 p.m.
various
- Whale watching in Santa Barbara is practically year-round. The so-called Whale watching tours take between 2½ hours and half a day. There are mainly gray, humpback and blue whales to be seen. In addition, you can see dolphins, seals and sea lions and, rarely, killer whales.
The main season for gray whales is between mid-February to early May (northward) and December to early February (southward). The humpback and blue whales pass Santa Barbara between mid-May and November.
The route of the whales takes them between the great Channel Islands and the mainland. The sea here is comparatively calm, but you should still prepare for a possible seasickness. Especially if you are not used to boat trips at sea, it can get sick very quickly.
