Museums, whale watching, indian painted caves all the fun stuff that Santa Barbara offers.
With its world class shopping destinations and its countless trendy art galleries, Santa Barbara may strike the potential traveler as a quintessentially adult location. However, the city and its surrounding environs are filled with desirable locations for parents and their often easily bored children. Santa Barbara is rife with destinations that accent nature's beauty and serves as a valuable and fun learning resource for children.
The Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, located in historic Mission Canyon, is a wonderful place to allow those little balls of energy to burn off some calories. The garden's 78 acres are home to more than a thousand rare and indigenous plants. The garden has many activities geared towards family and children. The Admissions Kiosk provides Family Discovery Sheets to take on your hike through the garden.
The Santa Barbara Natural History Museum is another great place to visit for kids. Interactive exhibits allow children to touch fossil and mollusk specimens with their own hands. There is a wonderful Chumash Indian exhibition that brings back the wonder and romance of earlier days to children of all ages. The exhibit includes examples of Chumash crafts, basketry, and cloth work which is considered one of the best of its kind in North America.
If the kids have further interest in Chumash culture one might opt to visit the Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park. The site is located just a few miles northeast of Santa Barbara, up Highway 154 to Painted Caves Road. There are fine examples of Chumash religious art on the sandstone walls of the cave. Painted Caves Road is narrow and steep and should not be attempted by recreational vehicles.
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is another good bet to keep kids entertained. Located off the Cabrillo Boulevard exit of the 101 Freeway, the museum is located along the harbor in a large building that formerly housed the Naval Reserve Center. The museum contains model galleries, whaling, and supply ship exhibits, just the kind of things to grab a wayward child's short attention span. The Maritime Museum is great at helping visitors grasp the importance of seafaring activities to the development of California as a whole, and Santa Barbara in particular.
If you are visiting Santa Barbara between the months of February to May, whale watching is an exciting way to spend some time. Over 24,000 gray whales pass within miles of the Santa Barbara coastline on their arduous journey north to Alaska. Whale watching is a great way to commune with nature, observe California's beautiful coast, and spend sound educational time with the family. Santa Barbara's harbor area has dozens of whale watching boats to chose from with various amenities and prices, though tickets tend to run around twenty dollars.
Another great place to visit with a maritime theme is Stearns Wharf, located at the bottom of State Street in the West Beach section of Santa Barbara. Stearns Wharf was built in 1872 as a service point for cargo and passenger ships. The Wharf is the site of some great eateries, with the freshest fish around, and even a local vintner. There is an arcade for the children, and the wharf often hosts arts and crafts shows. Stearns Wharf is a fun-filled way to finish your day at Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is a long standing destination for those who love shopping and trolling through art galleries. It can also serve as a memorable destination for fun-loving kids and parents looking to keep their kids occupied in good, wholesome, and maybe even educational ways.
