Santa Barbara – It’s About the Welcome

Over the course of our world cruise, I’ve discovered something important: the welcome you receive in a port immediately sets the tone for your entire experience ashore.

Some destinations greet you with aggressive vendors and a clear “give me your money” message. You learn quickly to stay alert for pickpockets and pushy sellers. Think major capitals like Rome, Athens, or resort towns like Cabo San Lucas — places where tourism is the primary industry and the hustle is relentless.

Then there are the ports that genuinely welcome you — places that greet arriving ships with music, dancers, or helpful volunteers eager to share their city with visitors. They’re proud of what they’ve built and want you to love it too.

Santa Barbara was exactly this kind of place.

🎭 A Welcome That Sets the Tone

Santa Barbara is a carefully curated coastal gem nestled about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. This wealthy, pristine Spanish-style town showcases large mansions dotting the coastline and hillsides — but it wasn’t trying to sell us anything except an appreciation for California’s idyllic coastal lifestyle.

As we disembarked from the tender on a bright, sunny morning, we were greeted by three to five women from a local civic group. They offered free maps, brochures, and genuine smiles. “Can we help you with directions or recommendations for the day?” they asked warmly.

Their hospitality was authentic. They were proud of Santa Barbara’s history, architecture, and culture, and their goal was simple: help us appreciate the beauty of their town so we might remember it fondly — maybe even return someday. They knew Santa Barbara had a unique story to tell, and they wanted us to hear it.

That welcome set a relaxed, welcoming tone for our entire day.

🚴 E-Bike Adventure Through Santa Barbara

Bob and I had arranged an e-bike tour through the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas via Viator. We wanted fresh air, sunshine, and a different perspective on the city. We arrived early at Mad Dog and Englishmen bike shop in Montecito, a quick 10-minute Uber ride from the port.

Daniel, our guide, greeted us with a laid-back California vibe. “You’re the only two on the tour, so the morning is all yours,” he said cheerfully. We’d lucked out again — a private tour.

After fitting us with e-bikes and helmets, Daniel led us across the street to one of Santa Barbara’s many well-maintained bike paths. The trail passed under the highway and emerged at a beautiful beach path. Californians clearly prioritize their bikers, joggers, and walkers — everyone we encountered was remarkably polite about yielding space.

Millionaire’s Row and Hidden Stories

At the start of the beach path, Daniel pointed up to a mansion on the hill. “That belongs to Ty Warner of Beanie Baby fame,” he explained. “He also owns the Four Seasons across the street — currently under renovation.”

I asked if Beanie Babies were Ty’s only claim to fame. Daniel chuckled. “That, and some drama with a divorce, plus a few other things.” (Later research revealed Ty was never actually married, but had a difficult breakup with his business partner girlfriend. He was also convicted of tax evasion in 2014, paying a $53 million fine for failing to report $5.6 million in taxes. Despite the scandal, he remains on the billionaire list at #477.)

We rode past his gated mansion, surrounded by lush landscaping, then looped back onto the beach path. Bob and I were getting the hang of coordinating our gear shifts with the e-bike’s power modes. We still had to pedal, but the electric assist made wind and hills much more manageable.

Beach Path Realities

We cruised down a long stretch of Santa Barbara’s coastline, enjoying the ocean views on our left and the pristine green parks on our right. The scene was almost perfect — except for the large oil rigs sitting in the glistening sea and a few homeless individuals resting in the park while workers pruned palm trees overhead.

Every city has its challenges, and Santa Barbara clearly had theirs, even in this beautiful setting.

The wind picked up, making it chilly. I regretted taking off my jacket earlier and made a mental note to put it back on at our next stop.

🏙️ Exploring State Street

We stopped at the busy intersection of Cabrillo Street and State Street — the jewel of Santa Barbara’s downtown. Daniel explained that the street had been closed to traffic during COVID-19 to allow restaurants to serve diners in open-air seating areas. The city loved it so much they kept the upper portion of State Street pedestrian-only.

As we rode up the length of the street, we passed quaint shops, art galleries, and local restaurants, along with the occasional chain store cleverly disguised in code-enforced Spanish architecture. I almost missed the Apple Store — only spotting it by the logo in the window.

Pedestrians strolled everywhere, including one of the Viking tour groups learning about the historic City Courthouse.

Flowery corner of State Street - Santa Barbara

La Arcada: Turtles and Charm

Heading back down State Street, we stopped at the charming La Arcada shopping area — a series of narrow cobblestone streets lined with small shops and centered around a fountain.

“This is our turtle pond,” Daniel said, gesturing to a ten-foot-wide fountain featuring turtle statues — and actual live turtles sunning themselves while water splashed around them. A nearby toddler was absolutely delighted.

Of course, there was a Starbucks on the corner.

We walked our bikes out of the courtyard and continued down State Street toward the beach. Along the way, we caught glimpses of Santa Barbara life in January 2024: young people exiting a restored theater after a show, window shoppers browsing, friends sipping coffee in the sunny, cool air. We passed the Moxi children’s museum and the famous Courthouse — whose story we’d learn later — before finally arriving at Sterns Wharf.

⚓ Sterns Wharf and Local Connections

“This is Sterns Wharf,” Daniel said. “It has restaurants, a fishing pier, and souvenir shops.”

He didn’t seem particularly inclined to take us out onto the pier, so I asked directly: “Can we go out? I’d love to grab a couple of souvenir magnets.”

After warning us that the pier would be bumpy from the uneven wood planks, he happily agreed.

We found a few fishermen at the end of the pier. Daniel explained, “The fishermen can bring their catch to that restaurant and get paid for it. Sometimes there are quite a few out here.”

After taking photos, we headed back toward the souvenir shop. The bumpy wharf rattled our brains, but I managed to hang onto both my bike and my two remaining brain cells.

🦒 Unexpected Wildlife

We retraced our route back toward Montecito, the sun now shining from the west and making the water shimmer beautifully. The wind was at our backs now — much more pleasant than earlier.

As we rounded a corner near Ty Warner’s property, Daniel stopped us. “Look up the hill to the left,” he said. “That’s the Santa Barbara Zoo. See the two giraffes between the trees?”

Giraffes at the Santa Barbara Zoo - it's about the welcome

It took us a few minutes to spot them through the foliage, but sure enough, two giraffes were grazing on tree leaves and walking leisurely around their enclosure. More photos, naturally.

We’d told Daniel we needed to get back early to catch our afternoon Viking bus tour, so he picked up the pace. We made it back to the shop in about 15 minutes of steady riding, successfully navigating the switchback section of the trail under the highway without walking our bikes or crashing into the cement walls.

We were pretty proud of ourselves.

We thanked Daniel for a great morning, tipped him, and ordered an Uber back to the port.

🚌 The Viking Perspective: History and Culture

We boarded our bus and met Tim, our tour guide for the afternoon. Tim was Daniel’s complete opposite: a Santa Barbara resident and retired NPR executive who’d been leading tours since his retirement. He had his historical monologue polished to perfection.

As soon as the bus pulled away, Tim began enlightening us about the city and its fascinating history.

🏛️ The Santa Barbara Mission

Our first stop was the Santa Barbara Mission, built in the late 1700s by Franciscan monks and named after the patron saint, Santa Barbara. The bus navigated narrow streets before arriving at the beautiful pink sandstone mission.

Tim explained that the mission was built by the Chumash Indians — the native people who had lived peacefully on this land for thousands of years before Spanish colonization. As was typical during this era, European conquistadors arrived with their guns, their God, and their diseases. They forced the Chumash into servitude, converted them to Christianity, and inadvertently decimated their population through introduced illnesses. By the end of the mission period, only about 200 Chumash remained.

It was the same heartbreaking story we’d heard in countless other colonized places around the world.

🏛️ The 1925 Earthquake and Rebirth

The original town was built with strong Spanish influences, but a devastating earthquake struck in 1925 and leveled the entire community.

Even in those days, Santa Barbara attracted wealthy residents and famous visitors. After the disaster, the town’s leaders and affluent residents committed to rebuilding with strict architectural codes that would restore — and enhance — Santa Barbara’s distinctive Spanish Colonial character.

They enlisted architect Jeff Shelton to help establish design standards for the city. His work ensured that even modern construction would honor the town’s Mediterranean aesthetic.

Over the years, generous benefactors contributed large endowments to build museums, parks, and the famous courthouse. Famous residents have included Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Lena Horne, and Charlie Chaplin, among many others.

⚖️ The Santa Barbara Courthouse

Time was tight, but Tim made sure the bus stopped at the courthouse for a quick walk-around.

He explained that the building was constructed after the earthquake with a nautical theme featuring statues of Neptune and a famous tiled interior wall depicting the town’s history. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see the interior tilework, but we captured plenty of exterior photos.

🌊 Return to the Ship

The wind had picked up significantly, and the waves in the bay were noticeably larger. We watched our tender approaching in the distance, bobbing like a cork on the choppy water.