Santa Barbara Travel Guide

Santa Barbara is a city in southwest California, located along the Pacific coast, near the Santa Ynez Valley and facing the Santa Barbara Channel. Santa Barbara received its name from Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcanio, who named the area for the guardian star. The Spanish first made it their settlement and then the settlement became forts in 1782. Mission Santa Barbara was built in 1786.

Later it was developed as a port and a farm produce market and eventually became a city. The city was substantially rebuilt after an earthquake in 1925 using the building pattern that was used when Spain first colonized the area. The architectural feature of Santa Barbara, adobe brick buildings, was firmed by law and the city was reborn as a wonderful south European-styled resort in California.

Due to its Mediterranean climate, Santa Barbara is resort-like with a leisure center as well as a real estate development. By the aspect of its location and climate the aerospace industry has been greatly developed in the area, with a space research and satellite-launching site at nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base. Around the city, the business of stockbreeding is prevalent and there is also an oil-producing center with several oil wells offshore and in the nearby hills.

Many education organizations have been established, including Westmont College in 1940, Santa Barbara City College in 1946, and the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1944.

Besides the Santa Barbara Mission, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Democratic System Research Center, and the Los Padres National Forest Administration Center are all located in the city. The Spanish fort and early settlement is still well kept.

* For more pictures, please see page 2.

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