Scenic Sites
“Mission Santa Barbara was the tenth of the California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. It was established on the Feast of St. Barbara, Dec 4, 1786. Padre Junipero Serra, who founded the first nine missions, had died 2 years earlier. Serra had planned to build this mission, raising the cross at the presidio of Santa Barbara in 1782. It was Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, his successor, who raised the cross here and placed Padre Antonio Paterna, a companion of Serra, in charge. Paterna put up the first buildings and made the first converts.”
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“The mission of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is to preserve and celebrate the maritime heritage of the California Coast and present it to the public in an interesting and exciting way.“
“The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) opened its doors in July 2000, inside the Santa Barbara Waterfront Center (formerly the Naval Reserve Building). Built in 1943 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, the building overlooks the Santa Barbara harbor and the museum’s flagship, the 1917 sport-fishing yacht Ranger.”
“The Cold Spring Tavern was built in the 1860’s as a way station to serve the travelers on the new “turnpike” over the San Marcos pass that was constructed by Chinese laborers to ease transportation over the mountains. Passengers boarded stagecoaches that were very uncomfortable and they endured dangerous roads and the inevitable highwayman to make the trip over the pass. It was a time in our history that was both hazardous and romantic. The danger has long since passed but the romanticism has been carefully preserved and can still be found at the Tavern.”
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“Collections at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden are the foundation for the Garden’s programs in education, horticulture, and research.Living collections, including more than 1,000 kinds of plants, are featured in 10 displays throughout 40 acres accessible by over 5.5 miles of public trails. They represent a living museum devoted to illustrating the remarkable diversity of California’s flora and vegetation. Arranged in stunning displays and interpreted through signage and docent-led tours, the living collections capture California’s natural beauty and provide endless opportunities for learning, appreciation, and enjoyment.”
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“The lotus flowers, from which the garden takes its name, bloom, in summer in a swimming pool which was transformed into a stunning showpiece. Wind your way through lush bromeliad and fern gardens, striking cactus and succulent gardens, a serene Japanese garden, the exotic aloe garden and the stunning blue garden. Whimsical statuary from Madame’s French chateau populate a Theatre Garden, a 25-foot round horticultural clock features the signs of the zodiac amid hundreds of succulents, and fanciful topiary animals, recently restored.”
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