20 Things To Do in SB

20 Things To Do in the Santa Barbara Area
That Don’t Require a Car:

1. Mission Santa Barbara: Founded in 1786, the Santa Barbara Mission offers a glimpse of Santa Barbara and California history. You can tour the Mission and surrounding gardens. Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $4.00. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and transfer to bus 22.

2. Santa Barbara County Courthouse: Said to be one of the most beautiful in the United States, the courthouse is free and offers tours Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 10:30 am and Monday through Saturday at 2:00 pm. Climb the clock tower for a spectacular panoramic view of the city. Take buses number 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and walk to the corner of Anacapa and Anapamu.

3. Leisure Review Courses: The UCSB Leisure Review offers a wide array of classes, including art, dance, marital arts, and adventure trips. Prices vary. View their catalog online: http://www.recreation.ucsb.edu/leisure/leisure.php

4. Botanic Gardens: This park features 65 acres of native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, cacti, in natural settings and includes 5.5 miles of easy-to-walk nature trails. Admission is $5.00. Hours vary by season, so call 805-682-4726 or check online for park hours. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and transfer to bus 22 (weekends only).

5. Historic Downtown Walking Tour: Every Saturday, you can take a guided tour of downtown Santa Barbara. Tour meets at De la Guerra Plaza flagpole. Cost is $5. Call 963-5727 for information. Take buses number 12x or 24x to bus terminal downtown and walk to De la Guerra plaza (at State Street).

6. Tidepools at Leadbetter Beach: Located between West Beach and Shoreline Park, Leadbetter is a great place to view the Channel Islands, see whales during migration season, and explore tidepools during low tide. Take the Waterfront shuttle towards the harbor. The beach is past the harbor, located next to the cliff.

7. Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show: There is a showcase of local art every Sunday along Cabrillo Blvd. near Stearns Wharf. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and then either walk or take the Electric Shuttle on State Street down to the waterfront.

8. Coronado Monarch Butterfly Reserve: As many as 100,000 monarchs roost in the eucaluptus groves every winters in this preserve (http://www.sblandtrust.org/coronado.html ). Best time to see the butterflies is November – February. Entry is free. Take bus #25 towards Ellwood. Get off on Hollister and Coronado Drive and walk on Coronado towards the ocean (away from the mountains) until it becomes a dead end. Entrance to the Preserve is at the end of Coronado Drive.  

9. Farmer’s Market: There are 8 weekly outdoor farmer’s markets in the Santa Barbara area (including Goleta). The Saturday morning Downtown Farmers Market is the oldest and largest, with close to a hundred growers and producers selling everything from fresh organic produce to flowers, honey, olive oils, eggs, organic meats, seafood, and cheese. It meets from 8:30 am -12:30 pm on the corner of Cota and Santa Barbara Streets. For the time and locations of the other markets, go to: http://sbfarmersmarket.org/

10. Casa de la Guerra & the Presidio: These are two significant historical buildings in Santa Barbara and both have been reconstructed faithfully based on historic and archeological evidence. Admission is free.  Casa de La Guerra is near the corner of De la Guerra and State St. while the Presidio is on Canon Perdido and Santa Barbara Streets. Both sites are within easy walking distance of the bus terminal downtown. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown.

11. Santa Barbara Airbus Excursions: In addition to taking people to and from LAX , the Airbus also offers numerous trips, including day and weekend trips to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Getty art galleries, Hearst Castle, Lake Tahoe, and Death Valley, as well as a number of sporting, musical, and theater events in LA. For more information, go to www.sbairbus.com and click on “Daytrips and Adventures.”

12. Museum of Natural History: Exhibits include mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, plant life and geology of the Pacific Coast and Channel Islands as well as dioramas of prehistoric Native American life. Admission is $6.00, but free the last Sunday of every month. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and transfer to bus 22.

13. Museum of Art: Contains works in Ancient, Asian, French, 19th-early 20th century English, 19th- early 20th century American, and contemporary art as well as a few traveling exhibitions. It is free every Sunday and is within easy walking distance from the bus terminal downtown.

14. Santa Barbara Zoo: Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and transfer to bus 14 or take the Waterfront Shuttle towards the zoo. Admission is $9.00.

15. Whale watching, diving, kayaking, or hiking at the Channel Islands: Truth Aquatics offers a variety of single-day and multi-day excursions. For information and cost, contact them at: 805-962-1127 or by email at info@truthaquatics.com. They are located at 301 W. Cabrillo Blvd (in the Santa Barbara harbor).

16. Ty Warner Sea Center: This interactive marine education center is located on Stearns Wharf. Open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission $7.00. Take buses 12x or 24x to the bus terminal downtown and then either walk or take the Electric Shuttle on State Street down to the waterfront.

17. Sierra Club Hikes: The Sierra Club offers a variety of free guided hikes in and around the Santa Barbara foothills. They usually meet behind the Bank of America on upper State Street at Hope Avenue (take bus number 11) and carpool to the hiking site. For information, go to http://lospadres.sierraclub.org and click on “outings.”

18. UCSB Arts and Lectures: Take advantage of the many performances, films, and lectures brought to UCSB through Arts and Lectures. Book ahead as tickets sell out early! Student discounts available. For calendar and prices, go to: http://www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/

19. Solvang: Solvang is a small Danish town about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara. Comprised of old world architectural buildings and flower-lined streets, this town is filled with many shops, restaurants, and bakeries. Solvang and other towns in the surrounding area were recently featured in the movie “Sideways.” Take buses 81, 82, 83, or 84.

20. Sailboat Cruises: Sunset Kidd offers day and evening sailing cruises along the Santa Barbara coast, providing a beautiful view of the city and islands, as well as the opportunity to watch whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Cost is about $35.00. For more information, go to http://www.sunsetkidd.com/sail.html or call (805) 962-8222.  

For bus and shuttle times, go to www.sbmtd.gov.

For other area information, go to: www.santabarbara.com and check the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper (www.independent.com) for a weekly listing of events.