The Wharf area is manicured and pristine. There is a tourist trolley that ferries people to downtown. Downtown is quaint and charming. Familiar franchised establishments are housed in old brick buildings punctuated by family-owned restaurants and local curios shops. People are well-tanned and impeccably dressed. The local daily must have run a memo that today is "nautical look day", and plenty of people obliged.
It is beginning to feel like a movie set (like those you find in the Universal Studios lot) except that half of the people around me are either tourists or "commoners" from the nearby towns. But whatever small population Santa Barbara has, it is well-heeled enough to support a Christie's Auction House and a branch of Merrill Lynch.
We spent some time at the City Court House which is a beautiful Spanish-style structure decorated in eclectic mix of European, Moroccan, etc. It holds much of the city's history as well as important artwork. We had a great volunteer guide who clearly loves showing-off a beautiful part of his city's heritage, now preserved by the Federal government.
We also visited the huge Catholic Mission Cathedral sitting on prime land with expansive grounds that included a colorful rose garden in full bloom. Around the bend is a "scenic route" which winds down the hill, showing off views of the ocean. From here we headed off to Malibu on our way back to the more down-to-earth La Mirada.
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