Nov 9th	Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California – The Waterfront
2008	Categories: Lifestyle / Things to Do, The Oceanfront Areas

Whether you are a local, in town visiting family and/or friends, or here on vacation in Santa Barbara, California, there is never a lack of activities and things to do in our wonderful seaside resort community.  Here below is the third installment in a series of articles that point out some of Santa Barbara’s most prominent local attractions.  Some of these will be cultural, some dining, some active pursuits and some I am still deciding on.  This third installment will be focusing on…

Santa Barbara Waterfront:

The Waterfront runs along the coastline from Leadbetter Beach to Buttefly Beach.  This scenic area is a natural fit for outdoor pursuits including walking, running, rollerblading, kitesurfing, fishing, boating etc.  Most weekends there is a Sunday Arts and Crafts Show along East Beach starting at Stearns Wharf.  Chase Palm Park is also a great area to explore and relax.

Andree Clark Bird Refuge – This peaceful lagoon and garden sits north of East Beach and lies adjacent to The Santa Barbara Zoo.  For many it is a great starting/ending point for biking, jogging and skating.  The trails and footpaths, punctuated by signs identifying native and migratory birds, skirt the lagoon.

Santa Barbara Harbor and Breakwater - Santa Barbara’s Harbor is a quaint and picturesque working harbor.  Always busy with tourists and locals, it is a great place to walk, eat, purchase fresh fish and take in wonderful views of the coastline and local mountains.  An institution here in Santa Barbara, Brophy Brother’s Restaurant is a fabulous place to enjoy the sea-breeze and view of The Harbor and Mountains.  Today there are roughly 1200 boats in The Harbor with a decent waiting list for the larger slips.

Maritime Museum - Located in the scenic Santa Barbara Harbor, The Maritime Museum presents the region’s rich local maritime history and offers a wide range of educational programs, tours and summer camps.  There is an audio-visual seagoing experience for all, a special section for children as well as a permanent exhibit showcasing Santa Barbara’s surf culture.

Stearns Wharf and Ty Warner Sea Center - An icon here in Santa Barbara, Stearns Wharf provides a fabulous ocean experience for all.  While you are taking in the gorgeous local views back towards the city or out to see, you will see plenty of locals and tourists casting a line, eating at several establishments including The Harbor Restaurant, Moby Dick Restaurant and The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, shopping or just strolling around.  The Ty Warner Sea Center is situated on Stearns Wharf and is an engaging, fun and interactive marine education facility.

Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show - Established in 1965 by local artists, The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show was inspired by the sidewalk art shows of Europe and the prestigious “Jardin del Arte” in Mexico City.  Sponsored by the City Parks and Recreation Department since 1966, the show is now the only continuous, non-juried arts festival of original drawings, paintings, graphics, sculpture, crafts and photography in the world.

Santa Barbara Zoo – The Zoo is situated on 30 acres of lush gardens spread across a knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean and our coastline here in Santa Barbara, adjacent to the Bird Refuge and East Beach.  The Santa Barbara Zoo is a terrific visually entertaining spot.

Whale Watching - The rich Santa Barbara Channel offer a variety of amazing marine life that draws people from throughout the world.  One of the great experiences is to take in the migrating whales that include grays, humpbacks, minke, fin, sperm and the largest on earth, the blue whales.  Along the trip you are also almost guaranteed to see dolphin and porpoises jumping around the ship in true delight.  Coastal trips take place from February through April, while Island whale watching trips take place from May through December.

Further Reading: Lifestyle/Things to Do Articles in Santa Barbara, California, Things to Do in Santa Barbara, California – The Downtown Area, Things to Do in Santa Barbara – The Mission District, The Oceanfront Areas, Summer Arts, Festivals and Culture in Santa Barbara CA

For information on Santa Barbara Real Estate, Montecito Real Estate and/or our surrounding areas, as well as any other aspects of life in our area, please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Schmidtchen at Sotheby’s Int’l Realty.

Thank you for reading.  I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative.  Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts. 

Subscribe to Receive Personal Listings of Santa Barbara Area Properties

Search the Santa Barbara Area MLS

Tags: montecito real estate, santa barbara attractions, santa barbara local attractions, santa barbara real estate, santa barbara waterfront, things to do in santa barbara, vacation in santa barbara california

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Lifestyle / Things to Do, The Oceanfront Areas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

Website