Just Added! Santa Barbara Coupon Codes 2012

Notorious as the "American Riviera", Santa Barbara glistens like a gem in the priceless crown of the Central California Coast. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the gently sloped Santa Ynez Mountains, this Central Coast treasure offers something for every age and interest, making it one of the most favorite destinations in California.

Consistently ranked as one of the nation's favorite beach cities, it is no wonder why Santa Barbara is a tourist favorite. The variety of hotels is tremendous, ranging from beach resorts such as Bacara and Four Seasons, to affordable and mid-priced accommodations. Santa Barbara offers a variety of options in shopping, dining and accommodations, making it within reach for every budget and preference. From bed and breakfast inns, fine resorts, budget hotels and even an international hostel, there are lodgings for every price range.

Ideally located north of Los Angeles, just about a 75-minute drive, Santa Barbara can be reached by car, train, plane or bus. On arriving, head straight for the beach when you arrive. Popular for its year-round warm, sunny sand, beach activities are endless: swimming, sailing, surfing, sunbathing, volleyball and even shopping are enjoyed at the beach. For the culturally minded, there are museums, a mission, music, theaters, a state university and lots of great shops to browse for favorite books or objects of art.

There is plenty of what to do and what to see in Santa Barbara. You can rent a bike and enjoy the outdoors on the unique vehicle that offers great outdoor recreation for sightseeing, people watching and a touch of exercise that will enhance any leisure time experience.

Take a kayaking tour to visit the sea lions resting on a buoy outside of Santa Barbara Harbor, near the end of Stearns Wharf. Santa Barbara offers guided Kayak tours of the harbor, coastal tours, even an all inclusive Kayak and hike tour that includes lunch at a secluded resort. See dolphins, sea lions and more!

Take a whale watching tour and watch these magnificent creatures in the Santa Barbara Channel.

If your hobby is horseback riding, you can hardly find a better place than Santa Barbara, with its one of the most spectacular scenery which can only be seen by riding into the wilderness on horseback. Just 20 miles north of Santa Barbara you can take a ride "back in time" to the old west.

Santa Barbara County has some of the best surfing in all of California, featuring Rincon Point, the surf spot that many consider the area's crown jewel.

Nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara offers some of the most spectacular hikes in Southern California, with many of the popular hiking trails being just minutes from downtown Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club offers their beautiful facilities for those who like horses, sports, hockey, basketball or soccer. Each Sunday afternoon, except for winter, you can attend a game even if you are not a member of the club.

The golf scene in Santa Barbara is excellent. Santa Barbara County boasts six public 18-hole golf courses, four of which are within a half hour of downtown. Three of these four boast championship level play. The fourth is one of the busiest municipal courses in the country. There are also excellent 9-hole courses with practice facilities open in the evenings. Each of the golf courses is nationally recognized in its own way, offering their own flavor and personality ranging from the formal sophistication of Glen Annie to the amazing beauty of Sandpiper to the timelessness of Santa Barbara Golf Club. They offer a range of prices to suit most budgets and are blessed with year-round play.

The fabulous Chumash Casino offers gaming at its exhilarating best, including a huge array of the most popular slot machines, table games like Blackjack and Poker. You can play Bingo in the non-smoking Bingo hall, and win prizes like new cars, trucks or boats in one of many casino drawings. Chumash Casino is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

The beach is a top attraction in Santa Barbara and there is a bunch of them to choose from. Across from the Four Seasons Biltmore, Hendry's is secluded by towering cliffs and a curving coastline. Surfers and children vie for territory as the waves tumble into shore. Since it is a Montecito Beach, and Montecito and the Biltmore have more than their share of celebrities, you have a good chance of seeing somebody famous here. Amenities include a restaurant and snack bar, outdoor showers, restrooms, free parking, and a grassy picnic area.

Hendry's is centrally located to a great deal of other fun. Elings Park is a half mile up Las Positas so you will often see hang gliders and paragliders launching from nearby cliffs. Right next door to the beach is the Douglas Family Reserve featuring some of the most pristine cliff side terrain in all of Santa Barbara.

No doubt, Butterfly Beach is one of the most gorgeously beautiful places on earth, and one of the few west-facing beaches so you can see a sunset over the water! Butterfly Beach is one long stretch of gorgeous sand, surf and dunes. At low tide the tidal pools are filled with sea life. Amenities include showers and restrooms, and volleyball. Part of the beach is closed during seal birthing time because there is a nearby rookery, but most of the year there is clear and open access.

East Beach has all the amenities a sun worshipper could wish for: a full beach house, snack bar, volleyball courts and play area for children. It is also a favorite for special activities - Saturday afternoon drumming, Sunday afternoon art show or an occasional soccer game. East Beach is in front of some of the largest hotels in Santa Barbara.

Stearns Wharf offers restaurants, shops and a museum. Plus, there is a beautiful, free skate park near the wharf, a carousel, several playgrounds, a zoo, volleyball courts and lots of sand to run your toes through. And you' are not even wet yet!

In addition to the wide array of properties geared to tourists, there is plenty of shopping opportunities to last an entire weekend. Wander up State Street away from the beach for a shopping extravaganza. One-of-a-kind shops and boutiques line the stately thoroughfare where purple acacia trees seasonally fill the sky with color. There are department stores such as Macy's and Nordstrom's, dozens of cafes, restaurants, bars and gourmet coffee shops, a movie theater and an art museum. Explore side streets with more shops, walkways and buildings and an historic courthouse with forever views of the city, beach and surrounding hills. From the Santa Barbara Courthouse bell tower you can set your sights toward the Santa Barbara Mission.

History, missions and wine are a few of the attractions that attract guests to this scenic and culturally rich destination. For a small fee, hop aboard the bus to what some rank as the "Queen" of the 21 California missions. Not far away is a Natural History Museum which the kids will love, a Botanical Garden and several other attractions and points of interest.

Tucked up in the hills above the Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens is surrounded by expensive houses in an established neighborhood filled with tall trees and lots of vines and shrubs. The authentic look and feel of nature treasures provides an experience that is very natural. A sweeping sensation of peace, beauty and well-being comes over you as you head down the shaded paths that traverse a creek on one side of the road. On that portion of the gardens are plants that do best in the shade. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden includes Garden Shop, a retail nursery and Blaksley Library. The gift shop features books, cards and magnets commemorating your visit to this special place.

You can't escape it, even if you would try! Art is everywhere you look in Santa Barbara. From scenic mountains to magical ocean views, artists and art lovers are drawn to a place that inspires the imagination. And few cities along the coast take art as seriously as Santa Barbara does.

In addition to the changing exhibits in galleries and museums throughout the city, the Arts and Crafts Show takes place every week and is held along grassy knolls next to the palm-lined sidewalks of Santa Barbara's scenic Cabrillo Street. Each Sunday at 10 a.m., more than 200 artists and craftsmen set up displays and begin selling things near Stearns Wharf and the beach. Fine art, leather goods such as belts and wallets, ceramics, glass items, jewelry and many one-of-a-kind gifts provide a perfect remembrance of a trip or a unique present not always seen in shops.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art has provided a home for works from artists Albert Bierstadt, George Inness, John Singer Sargent, Frederic Remington, Morisot, Monet, Matisse, Braque, Bonnard, Dufy, Derain and Chagall, to name just a few. Santa Barbara Museum of Art offers Ancient Art, Asian Art (Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Tibetan) and dozens of exhibits, along with American and European Art, plus special exhibits and shows. The museum has acquired a permanent collection of nearly 7000 works of art, as well as extensive holdings of architectural drawings.