The
mission-era feel of Santa Barbara is no accident. Following a devastating
earthquake in 1925, the entire town was rebuilt in the image of an
apocryphal Spanish Colonial past, with numerous arcades linking shops,
cafés and restaurants, and a pedestrian-friendly layout that
serves visitors well - a far cry from LA's all-consuming auto-worship.
State Street , the main drag, is home to an appealing assortment
of diners, bookshops, coffee bars and nightclubs. The few remaining
genuine mission structures are preserved as El Presidio de Santa
Barbara (daily 10.30am-4.30pm). At its center,
the 200-year-old barracks, El Cuartel , stands two blocks off State
Street on Perdido Street; the second-oldest building in California,
it now houses historical exhibits and a scale model of the small
Spanish colony. The more recent past is recounted in the nearby Santa
Barbara Historical Museum , 136 E de la Guerra St (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm,
Sun noon-5pm), full of Spanish and Victorian
memorabilia. Hostels in Santa Barbara
|
ROOMS USA
