The Mission Santa Barbara, also known as the Queen of Missions, showcases historical architecture for which Santa Barbara is known.
Back along the Pacific Coast lie the sun-drenched cities of Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito and Goleta. Remaining relatively undiscovered, the small town of Carpinteria, 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, boasts Carpinteria State Beach Park with 4,000 feet of beautiful ocean, overnight camping and the best surf fishing and tidepooling in the region. Also in this the picturesque Santa Barbara Polo Club. Sheltered at the base of Santa Ynez mountains in the northern tip of Santa Barbara, Goleta is a sportsman's paradise with a host of family recreational activities, including biking, bird watching on the famous Goleta Slough, fishing from the pier or volleyball at Goleta Beach. Goleta is also home to the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and a well-heeled crop of local surfers. 
Touring the vineyards of Santa Barbara Wine Country is always a tasty sojourn. Some 42 wineries dot the inland region with 12,000 acres of planted vines. Tasting rooms and tours are available throughout the area, as well as first-class restaurants and gourmet delicatessens to pack up a picnic. Mark your calendar for the annual Vintners' Festival, April 20 and 21.
Los Olivos, in Santa Barbara's vine-swept wine country, is a charming small town reminiscent of its days as a stagecoach stop. Many fine art galleries line the street, offering a selection of both classic and contemporary works.  Lush Santa Barbara vineyards produce bountiful grape crops. Founded in 1911 by a group of Danish Americans, Solvang has retained a cultural identity that is undeniably Dane with its gas-lit street lamps, traditional windmills, old-world architecture, Scandinavian restaurants and fabulous bakeries. 

A visit to one of Santa Barbara's nine beaches is a must. Choose from the beautiful Butterfly Beach, set smack along the bikepath in front of the Four Seasons Biltmore, to the surf-ripe Leadbetter Beach. West Beach offers calm swimming waters and lifeguards on duty. Bordering the beach is Chase Palm Park on Cabrillo Blvd., a 10-acre playland that is a perfect steam valve for kids with its beautifully-restored Antique Carousel, Shipwreck Playground, complete with a turn-of-the-century schooner, and meandering faux riverbeds for splashing up a storm. A three-mile paved bikepath spans the waterfront. Bicycles, roller skates, and family surreys (bicycles for four to six) can be rented on lower State Street.  The ocean is an expansive playground, offering every physical type of water sports from scuba diving to sailing, parasailing, seasonal whale watching, sunset cruises and kayaking. Boasting one of the largest sailing rental fleets worldwide, Santa Barbara answers every wannabe-sailor's dream, with vessels ranging from small craft to large yachts. Santa Barbara Harbor offers direct service to The Channel Islands. Of the five islands, Santa Cruz Island, California's largest, makes for a great day trip and the Nature Conservancy offers tours of this ecological preserve called Channel Islands National Park. The islands offer camping, hiking, kayaking, tidepooling and exploring the many rare plant and animal species, ancient pygmy sites and gentle coastal waters.
With the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains just minutes away, hikers and bikers share a number of well-marked trails that begin a few miles from downtown. 


Golf is big in Santa Barbara, especially with the 1998 addition of two new courses. Rancho San Marcos, a Robert Trent Jones II course perched atop scenic Highway 154, offers 72-par championship play, a clubhouse and luxury surroundings. Glen Annie Golf Club in Goleta adds 130 acres of prime green with commanding views of the Pacific. Other area courses include the top-rated La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc and Sandpiper, which is consistently rated among the top 25 public courses in the country (Golf Digest).