Central Coast Cruisin'

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara is a dreamy summer place: misty in the morning, hot and sunny in the afternoon. Majestic mountains frame the town and its seaside strolling path.

The harbor channel accommodates both industry and recreation: commercial shipments and fisheries, swimming, sailing, and surfing. 

Mission style architecture abounds, as does bright floral landscaping. Even apartment complexes exude loveliness and southern California charm.

Bright and unusual flowers are everywhere. Even the County Courthouse gets in on the display, sporting a bounty of multicolored bougainvillea.

The Courthouse itself is a tourist attraction, welcoming people from all over the world to gaze at its architecture, climb its towers, and enjoy its gardens. 

County Supervisors’ meeting room, Santa Barbara style: The public is invited to view the murals, painted tiles, and gilded finery. Meanwhile, court is in session down the hall.

From the top of one Courthouse tower, tourists can admire the variety of Spanish clay tiles on the roofs spread out over the building’s many wings.

Mission Santa Barbara, built in 1786, is typical original mission style architecture: old and unpolished. Lucky bonus: cactus blooming in the extensive Mission gardens.

Even simple stairways to small apartments are embellished with painted tiles from the Mediterranean and decorated with blooming landscapes.

The Blue Hour casts its characteristic glow onto a mission style home embellished with stair-side flowers. Thus ends another beautiful day in Santa Barbara.