What a great deal--absolutely free tour, no reservations necessary, led by a very knowledgeable,…read moretrained local volunteer docent. The 1929 Moorish/Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse is both a state & national landmark, said by some to be the most beautiful government building in the U.S! Every day at 2pm, and some days at 10:30am too. Starts in the "mural room" on the 2nd floor. Takes about 1 hour, and you can join or leave at any time. Gives you a good feel for the history of the building, the town and the region, going back to the first European landing by Cabrillo in 1542. Really stunning tile work, ceiling and wall paintings, adobe, beams and arches. Still houses 6 county courtrooms, hall of records etc. The 'sunken' garden on the east side of the main archway is gorgeously landscaped with dozens of different palm varieties; you can often see weddings going on both there and in the mural room. Booth from which you can buy postcards, brochures etc (or make a donation to their Foundation, which supports the ongoing renovations). Don't forget to go up to the top of the famous tower at the end of the tour for a 360-degree view of the entire city and bay!

Just took the tour yesterday-the docent was knowledgable, personable and provided interesting…read moredetail on the history and architectural details of this stunning treasure. The Tunisian tiles, the Spanish Mudahar influence throughout, and even a "Bridge of Sighs' from the courthouse to the old jail! The Italian rosette stained glass window, conch shell archway pattern in one area and Masonic cornerstone (with a Masonic date convention!) are some of the treasures within. We lucked out, the Law Library was opened to us during the tour by someone using the library; one wall had a painted "California Island" map-I've seen some of these maps at Stanford, it was a treat to see one as part of the design here! Absolutely worth the time, this a active, historical treasure not to be missed.

Great experience. We were a couple minutes late and they were really nice about it. It was hard for…read moreus to get down to the boat as my dad has a walker, so we had to figure that out. Not their fault at all, just harbor logistics However, it all worked out perfectly. The boat only holds six, but it holds six plus the driver more than comfortably. There was room for our bags, some food, my dads walker and tons of leg room. This business owns three boats including Lil Toot and Whisper. We went on Whisper the elctric boat. We went around the harbor and had a nice and smooth drive, great weather, and the driver was very patient and friendly with my 88-year-old dad. It was an hour tour, and he let my daughter play her spotify playlist and we paid about $190 through a 3rd party company. I would definitely recommend them!

Cheap, fun, and easy - Lil' toot is a fun way to get across from the harbor to the Stearns wharf (…read moreor vice versa) and get a taste of being out on the water with minimal time or monetary commitment. The views are nice and it is a short and slow ride through the harbor. The captain and first mate are friendly and knowledgeable about the many delicious restaurants and businesses in the area. I had a blast! After we exited at the wharf, we walked back and it wasn't bad. We parked in the Harbor and used paid parking ($3.50/ car)bc all the 90 min free spots were taken. Maybe for an earlier departure you could grab a better spot.

This tunnel is great for accessing the beach and bike path! It's ADA accessible. There is often…read moreurine and feces, watch your step!

PRELIMINARY FOREWARNINGS: - Three and a half mile,…read moreintermediate to advanced hike with 700-800 foot elevation gain. - This is 30 minutes from Santa Barbara and Goleta within Los Padres National Forest. - Bring $10 in cash bills for the entrance/parking fee. - Drive a 4WD or SUV because you do need to drive over a river wash. - There is very little shade so bring a hat and plenty of water. - Don't confuse it with the "Aniso Trail" which is between El Capitan and Refugio State Beaches along the PCH. This is well within the Los Padres National Forest lands. - A flushing toilet with running water and picnic tables are at the trailhead. - WHAT THE SHALE! Beware when transverse up/down the trail since the ground consists of a lot of shale (fine-grained rock that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments) which is super slippery. Now with all the 'important' information covered, I will share this Aliso Canyon and Loop is within my top three favorite hikes around Santa Barbara. There is natural beauty with 360-degree views of the greener Santa Ynez and stony San Rafael Mountain Ranges. Along my hike I have seen turkeys, deer, skunks, and many bird species, plus skeletons, scat and foot prints galore. The trail begins as a mile long interpretive trail along a creek and travels through Aliso Canyon (unfortunately I've never seen the tour maps to match the points of interest). Continue in either direction another 2.5 miles to make the loop which climbs out of the canyon and up along the hill crest. At the highest point (1,700 foot elevation) you can enjoy some relaxation on a bench (thanks to the memory of Blanche 1924-1996) with views over the Santa Ynez Valley and both mountain ranges. Directions: Your best bet is to set your GPS to Sage Hill Campground. While it isn't difficult to find the trailhead, it can be potentially confusing at first. Drive on the 154 and turn onto Paradise Road which eventually enters Los Padres. Continue on the winding road until you see the Los Prietos Ranger Station on the left side. (You went too far if you reach Rancho Oso). Turn left and follow the road down and U to the right then left before crossing the Santa Ynez River wash. You will reach the payment area and signage. After depositing your ten dollars, continue to the right until the pavement ends. Cost: - $10 Day Use (CASH ONLY, no checks--they should really modernize and have a machine or even a code that accepts Venmo or Cash Apps!) - No passes accepted (i.e. Golden Age, Interagency, State Park, Federal National Park, or any other pass you can display) - No holidays are observed! Enjoy your time and remember to pack out what you pack in.

Family Friendly - The Aliso trail is located in the Sage…read moreHill Campround. You'll need to buy a day use pass ($10) to park and hike here. Just put the cash in one of their envelopes and put your pass on your dashboard. Is it worth ten bucks? Well, while I love free hikes I do think this was a good loop trail and worth the fee. Start the loop trail on your right up the mountain ( you'll see the sign) and soon you'll be hiking counter-clockwise along the ridge, and back down into the Aliso canyon. There are some great views along the way and the final decent into the canyon along the side of the hill is exhilarating fun for the whole family. Yes this is kid friendly, but it's not easy. Be prepared for some complaining going up. We came after a large rain yet the river that runs through the Aliso canyon was mostly dry. - 3.3 miles total - Little shade so come early or late.. - Good Shoes are recommend as some of the trail is small rubble.

Peyton the Lifeguard is the GOAT! Bro saved me from getting pulled out into the abyss, and the…read morehelp me not eat crap when coming back ashore though rocky terrain. Good looking out Peyton!

Cons: The campsite use to be beautiful when our kids were…read moreyoung! 20 yrs ago! Now it's run down and not kept up. Especially the bathroom and showers. We got campsite #80 disabled for my husband. Plus you can't get any sites when you go on website their system sells out as soon as it opens every six months. For a handicap spot to be right in front of the bathrooms is crazy. Bright lights shinning in your campsite all night. Drunk people having conversations outside the bathrooms until 3:00 am. Not to mention the state park employees barely clean them. So the toilets make up want to throw up. I asked one of the workers if they hose them down. He said they did but not while we were there! Then to take a shower forget it unless you want to stand in other people bodily fluids! None of the showers drained. And some showers had no water flow or only scolding hot water. I am appalled how disgusting this State Park has declined! The worst of the experience was sharing all of the amenities with at least 150 or more campers. Pros: beautiful beach, nature, stars, wild critters, amazing sweet kind woman that ran the supply store. Memories to last for ever even if some of them traumatized me! Go in knowing you get what you get so don't throw a fit! BTW I couldn't take a picture of the toilets for sure they'd call the health department!

My boyfriend and I discovered this quaint outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor's Center since it was down…read morenear the Saturday Fisherman Market area. It is located on the 4th floor and it claims to have one of the most stunning views of the city. Despite being a quick visit, I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the kind volunteer working here. We got a useful map of the city that came with coupons along its' edges. There were also a lot of brochures and information on the city activities for tourists. Super helpful. This is one of many visitor centers in the city. We were lucky to enjoy their balcony that was pier facing for a quick moment alone before other travelers came in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Definitely a memorable part of our trip.

Just go to the 4th floor! Such a beautiful view with a…read moreprivate feel like balcony. Friendly staff and good info/knowledge about the area Recommend all around .

Love this place! Definitely recommend that you experience ot if you can... we love staying here…read more Sunsets are beautiful and over all everything there is always perfect.

After multiple times staying; we truly love it here! Always…read morehave great neighbors, for the most part the sites are clean. Park Ranger cks for valid stays by verifying reservations but for those people that need a lesson on keeping your dogs leashed !! More posts needed!! Please - whether friendly or not, your dog will wonder & it could be a bad ending. Overall - even with morning fog, the ocean wave sounds are so relaxing & tranquil. Beaches are wonderful to walk and although many boulders- there was plenty of inlets to climb down with sandbags to help make your steps safe even for elderly dogs. Another great trip in the books! Thank you Ventura.

The Earl Warren Showgrounds is an event/festival space in Santa Barbara, a convention center of…read moresorts, sized for a small city. We went for a sea glass and ocean arts festival, then ended up visiting another (the other?) building, where there was a giant used book sale to benefit Planned Parenthood. Parking was free and easy on a Saturday morning with two events on the property, and there was enough signage to indicate where we should be going. The buildings were serviceable enough, not especially new or spiffy, but they were spacious and air conditioned. There were also several fans going in the book sale space, which is why we ended up there. Our four-year-old is a fan fanatic. It looks like the Earl Warren Showgrounds hosts the Santa Barbara Fair, as well as a horse show and rodeo and various other events. We spend a lot of time entertaining our children in town, so I'm sure we'll be back for something or another.

Attended the International Orchid Festival. The 30-45 min instruction on potting and maintenance…read morewas for sure valuable info and probably the best part of the day (besides the friend time) The show itself is quite small . It's only one room of orchids . They sell 3 day passes but I can't imagine what you would do there for 3 days unless you were showing . It took us more time driving home than it did walking though the show and the vendors tent. The vendors tent had a lot of vendors but the lines were just so long to buy anything and Orchids are not an inexpensive hobby. I mostly kill mine so I didn't put out the big bucks they were asking for the same types you buy at TJ's for 19.99. we thought we might visit the nurseries post show and make purchases at the nursery . I purchased a potted cascading succulent and the blue sticker fell off somewhere . when we were leaving some kid made us walk back to the vendor and get another sticker. apparently they must have a lot of theft at this show , but a stupid blue sticker anyone can buy at staples sure isn't going to stop theft . I was more irked that some stupid kid assumed i was a thief. We paid $40 for entry and that should include something maybe orchid bulb or seedling? I won't waste the time or $ on this show again . I had a nice afternoon with my friend so that's what was important . I posted some pretty photos . enjoy