After a drizzly and wine-filled first day in Santa Barbara, my sister and I woke to clouds hanging low over the mountains – mountains we never actually saw the top of during this trip.
But at least it had finally stopped raining.
Our train didn’t depart until evening, so we had almost the entire day to wander around Santa Barbara. My sister had created a virtual map that incorporated various attractions and historic sites, connecting them all in a fairly circular fashion, so off we went.
Our first destination was the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, located on Stearn’s Wharf. It was just a short walk from our hotel but we took the slightly longer route to walk past the sites shown below.
Stearn’s Wharf was a major commercial pier from the 1870s-1970s, before falling into disrepair and eventually being revitalized by the city. Now it’s home to tourist shops and restaurants, as well as the Sea Center.
The Sea Center sits on the edge of the wharf, partially hanging out over the ocean, and in one place is actually open to the outside so the employees can take samples from the water and place them under a microscope, allowing visitors to observe the tiny sea life.
They also have indoor aquariums and open tanks where you can touch some of the animals, including mini sharks, anemones, starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.
I don’t remember when or why my sister became fascinated with sea cucumbers, but she has been for years and she was very excited for the sea cucumber exhibit. She even wore her sea cucumber socks for the occasion.
(Please excuse the weird reflections in the photos below; the bright lights overhead made it impossible to take photos without a glare.)
It was a really interesting experience to feel the textures of these animals; my personal favorite was the sea urchin, because if you gently press your finger between its spines, it will give you a mini hug.
From here, we headed north en route to the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, once again following a slightly meandering path that took us past a few historic points and other attractions.
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is the most photographed building in town and it’s easy to see why. This large Spanish colonial-style building was erected in the 1920s, and while much of the town is built in this style, the courthouse is definitely the centerpiece. It spans an entire city block, and from the top of the clock tower – called El Mirador – you can see across the city in all directions, from the mountains to the ocean.
As you climb the stairs to the top of El Mirador, you can see the inner workings of the original clock, build in the 1920s by the Seth Thomas Clock Company in Connecticut. It still keeps time today and has a mechanism to turn the hands on the external clock face as well.
Our final stop of the day was El Presidio de Santa Barbara, one of four Spanish forts built along the California coast in the 1780s, and the first European settlement in the area (‘presidio’ means ‘fort’ in Spanish). This is the only one that remains. Archaeological records and other evidence indicates the development of a mixed Native and European society that combined elements of both cultures and established a flourishing trade network. However, by the early 1800s, most of the native Chumash people had been wiped out by disease or forced to convert to Catholicism and adopt the Spanish ways of life.
Only about half of the fort still stands today and is in dire need of some restoration. The northeast corner has been partially repaired and reconstructed, and most buildings are open for walking around. Although designated as a state park, much of it can be seen for free. However, entry into the museum and main portion of the fort is $5/person.
We still had about two hours before we had to be at the train station and we briefly debated heading up to the Santa Barbara Mission, but we wouldn’t have had time to actually see all of it so we decided to save that for next time.
Instead, we took a leisurely stroll through the Old Town district, stopping for delicious gelato and poking our heads into a few shops on our way back to the station.
And then it was time to wave goodbye to Santa Barbara and head to Los Angeles.
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