Santa Barbara holiday facts
Relaxed, sun-drenched and lush, Santa Barbara nestles seductively between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is one of America's best kept secrets.
Santa Barbara is located about 85 miles west-northwest of Los Angeles, along the Pacific coast. This stretch of coast along southern Santa Barbara County is often referred to as the "American Riviera" because of its Mediterranean climate. The Santa Ynez Mountains, an east-west trending range, rise dramatically behind the city, with several peaks exceeding 4,000 feet. Covered with chaparral and with sandstone outcrops, they make a famously scenic backdrop to the town. Nearer to town, and directly east and adjacent to Mission Santa Barbara, is a hill known locally as the "Riviera" or "Alameda Padre Serra" (shortened APS) for the street that traverses it, which is built up with expensive homes. The city sustained heavy damage in an earthquake on June 29, 1925, which was followed by substantial rebuilding.
Much of the architecture in the city is Spanish Colonial in style, although much of it was actually constructed starting in the early 20th century in connection with the Mission or Spanish Revival movement. White buildings with terra cotta tile roofs are a trademark sight. The city has enacted strict ordinances to prevent erosion of this image, with some success. For example, there are no billboards anywhere in town, and none at all on the main freeway through town for almost twenty miles in both directions; in addition there is a strict sign ordinance for businesses, with no excessively large lettering allowed.
Other areas of interest for your holiday in California:
Lake Tahoe hotels and holidaysLos Angeles hotels and holidaysDisney's California Adventure holiday factsCalifornia National ParksSan Diego hotels and holidaysCalifornia Central CoastSan Francisco holidays
