Cool Things To Do in Santa Barbara

Whether you're keen on sipping wine, perusing works of art, hitting the high seas, seeing live music, or taking to a trail, Santa Barbara is not only fun, it's downright cool. The Urban Wine Trail can be found smack dab in the middle of town, where local wines flow and sea breezes beckon. While making your way along the trail, stop in to Municipal Winemakers, where vintage cool meets refined hipsters who know their wine. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Old Mission Santa Barbara, and Ganna Walska's Lotusland reveal the town's history in beautiful settings. You can get lost in the sprawling gardens of Montecito's Lotusland, while the art museum and mission are both iconic and beautiful sites plunked in the middle of modern day Santa Barbara. For a little adventure and fresh air, head to the Santa Barbara Sailing Center to charter a boat and spend the day cruising the Pacific with the dolphins. If you like to stay on terra firma, head into the nearby back country, where you can hike to Inspiration Point (which lives up to its name) and check out ancient cave paintings by the native Chumash population. Good, old-fashioned fun awaits at the Santa Barbara Zoo, where you can see exotic wildlife amid ocean-views. The historic Santa Barbara Bowl is another must while in town. World renowned acts stop in to play at the intimate amphitheater set in the town's Riviera neighborhood.

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