US Airways Magazine, April, 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GEAR UP TRAVEL CONNECTIONS TRAVEL Pack These for 30A: Good Life Where Tech New Vistas with Quick Getaways On the Gulf Coast Meets Business oneworld alliance MAGAZINE MAGAZINE Magazine | APRIL 2014 TAKE THIS MAGAZINE WITH YOU. THIS MAGAZINE TAKE ★ SANTA BARBARA usairwaysmag.com CALIFORNIA’S SHINING LIGHT ★ From top: The surf’s always up in Goleta; a bird’s-eye view from atop the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. urope or the U.S.? I bet most of you guessed Europe. Santa Barbara fools Ethe savviest traveler. One time I had my fortune read at the Bottom of the Cup Tea Room in New Orleans. The psychic, Lettie Lee, told me I would be vacationing in Europe in the fall. I corrected her that I was going to Santa Barbara, California. “No, I clearly see red tile roofs and a beach that looks exactly like the French Riviera,” she said adamantly. Lettie was absolutely right. Santa Barbara will stun you with its Mediterra- nean beauty and warmth. Miles and miles of white beaches. Royal Palm trees. Bright bougainvillea, wild poppies, the scent of lilacs and roses. Add to that Spanish Revival architecture, with white stuc- co walls and graceful archways — soon you’re hooked. Why go to Europe? Why ever go home? I never wanted to leave when I was editor of the Santa Barbara visitors magazines. I was intoxi- cated with all the new experiences: whale watch- ing in the channel, horseback riding up 3,000 feet to gaze out at the Channel Islands, and wine tast- ing throughout Santa Barbara County. Even the Santa Barbara: VISIT SANTA BARBARA / BY J. SINCLAIR food seemed new and exotic. Think local delica- cies such as spiny sea urchin and tropical treats like the cherimoya, what Mark Twain called “the Culture Redefined PHOTOS COURTESY OF most delicious fruit known to man.” A canvas of unforgettable experiences By Waynette Goodson The Dance Begins While Chumash Indians first inhabited Santa Barbara, followed by Spaniards and Mexicans, 58 APRIL 2014 usairwaysmag.com usairwaysmag.com APRIL 2014 59 Santa Barbara Harbor choose from a host of outfitters to snorkel, dive, kayak, and paddleboard to your heart’s content. But be warned: Just as Santa Barbara redefines culture, it also redefines the average beach vacation. For starters, there are too many distractions. Take the downtown, where a bevy of boutiques can pry any beach bunny from her blanket. Downtown Discovery From the 400 block to the 1400 block of State Street, independently owned stores range from the designer (Diani) to the decadent (Chocolate Maya), hits to the big three: State Street Ballet, Santa and from the quirky (Punch Intérieur) to the inter- Barbara Symphony, and Opera Santa Barbara. national (The Italian Pottery Outlet), with all kinds Sitting in your seat, you’ll quickly realize you’re GETTING THERE of book dens, java spots, and restaurants in between. not just watching a performance, you’re experienc- It’s easy: Just fly into For a contemporary vibe, hit up the Funk Zone, ing history. Both Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers LA X or the Santa Barbara Airport. between the ocean and Highway 101. Hipster-sleek sacheted across the stage of the Granada, where OREGON shops, cool eateries, and nook wine-tasting rooms locals got a sneak preview of a little film called vie for space in former warehouses and scuba shops. Gone With the Wind. The Lobero is California’s Once downtown, you can’t help but notice oldest continuously operated theater, founded in CALIFORNIA State Street Ballet NEVADA another only-in-SB facet: a colorful canvas of art 1873, and the 80-year-old Victoria Community San galleries and historic theaters. Before long, you’ve Hall — now the “New Vic” — just got a second ● Francisco ● San Jose abandoned your shopping bags to spend an after- act, thanks to the Ensemble Theatre Company. ● Monterey noon perusing the galleries of the Santa Barbara All this beach action, art, and culture can sure PACIFIC OCEAN Art Museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art. work up an appetite, which is easily sated by a Santa ★ Barbara Then you can’t help but check out the calen- forward restaurant scene. Don’t be surprised to see ● Los Angeles Once you’re downtown, dars of the Granada, New Vic, and Lobero the- the chefs themselves visiting farmers’ markets to San ● Diego you can’t help but notice aters to catch a show, from local plays to Broadway select the fish and veggies prepared for the nightly Santa Barbara Zoo another only-in-SB facet: a colorful canvas of art PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT SANTA BARBARA, ZOO PHOTO BY RON BERG, AND HARBOR PHOTO BY J. SINCLAIR galleries and historic theaters. the Southern Pacific Railroad chugged into town in 1887, putting the place on the map. Then en- tered the Chicago-based American Film Com- pany, whose film scouts knew they were onto something special. By 1912, the city had become Hollywood North. Today, celebs still escape just 90 miles north of LA to luxuriate in the singular lifestyle of The American Riviera. But Santa Barbara is first and foremost a beach town. Even the giraffes at the Santa Barbara Zoo have an ocean view. There’s always a volleyball game on the beaches by Stearn’s Wharf, the state’s oldest working pier chock-full of restaurants and specialty stores — not to mention the panoramic views of the ocean, shoreline, and mountains. Surfing? Absolutely! Just check out the famed La Arcada Shopping Center Rincon Point, known to surfers as “The Queen of the Coast.” And for all other water-related pursuits, 60 APRIL 2014 usairwaysmag.com usairwaysmag.com APRIL 2014 61 Table of Contents Choose a theme and explore all that Santa Barbara has to offer. ACTION 6 4 Santa Barbara Downtown Organization 6 8 Santa Barbara Historic Theatre District 7 0 Channel Islands Outfitters 71 Chumash Casino Resort 72 Green Star Coffee 73 Santa Barbara Public Market 75 Only the Best — Retail & Restaurants SENSATION 94 Santa Barbara Wine Country Ganna Walska Lotusland in EDUCATION 97 Grassini Family Vineyards and Winery nearby Montecito 76 Creative Spirit — The Arts 98 Refugio Ranch 79 Music Academy of the West 99 Roblar Winery and Vineyards 8 0 Santa Barbara Museum of Art 100 Santa Ynez Valley 82 Brooks Institute 101 Rideau Vineyard 83 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 1 0 2 Santa Barbara Wine Sampler 8 4 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Sea Center VACATION specials — now that’s fresh! Pair your just-caught 104 Local Faves — Shop & Dine local halibut with a fine chardonnay barreled next INNOVATION 105 Santa Barbara Bowl door in Santa Barbara Wine Country. 8 6 Santa Barbara Airport 106 Lemon Tree Inn 87 Santa Barbara Trust for 1 0 7 Bacara Resort & Spa Viticulture Voyage Historic Preservation 108 The Fess Parker 88 Walkable in Santa Barbara 109 Santa Barbara Zoo Start downtown on the Urban Wine Trail, where 8 9 Devereaux California 110 Golf Santa Barbara you can sample wines from 22 different wineries 9 0 Ganna Walska Lotusland 111 Float Luxury Spa — right by the beach! Then hit the road and tour 91 Museum of Contemporary Art 112 Harbor View Inn the valley’s myriad wineries (more than 100). Santa Barbara 114 Santa Barbara Airbus Santa Barbara Wine Country winds along two- 92 Santa Barbara Art Foundry/ 115 Town of Goleta lane roads dotted with horses, 100-year-old oaks, Fox Wine Company 116 Town of Carpinteria and rolling pastureland. The winemakers are as PHOTOS (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF VISIT SANTA BARBARA / RON BERG, ISTOCK PHOTO friendly as farmers, and they might even be in PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY ISTOCK PHOTO AND COURTESY OF VISIT SANTA BARBARA the tasting rooms pouring for you. (Note that the movie Sideways was filmed here and celebrates its tenth anniver- sary in October. Find out more cities of Montecito, Goleta, Carpinteria, and Sum- The Funk Zone at Sideways10.com) merland all beg for day trips. Montecito is home to While you’re out and about, beautiful Butterfly Beach, Goleta is known as the towns in the Santa Ynez Valley “The Good Land” (think lemon groves), Summer- are all worth exploring. Be sure to land attracts antique lovers, and Carpinteria packs Cultured Pearls check out the gateway city of a combination punch of tranquil beaches, small- Visit Culture101SB.com for Buellton, the Old West stylings town goodness, and breathtaking mountain views. a special promotion March 17 of Los Alamos and Santa Ynez, Where to start? Go ahead and plan the ulti- – May 31 , in which Culture 101 the artistic enclave of Los Olivos, mate beach vacation, then let the spirit of the is of fering exclusive Only in SB experiences. You’ll also the Danish-tinged Solvang, the place capture your sense of adventure and your discover more than 101 ways Lompoc Wine Ghetto, and the appreciation of all things art. Soon you’ll be a to enjoy the singular place charming, rural Ballard. convert just like me and planning your next trip that is The American Riviera . Also nearby, the South Coast — or dreaming of your next address. 62 APRIL 2014 usairwaysmag.com usairwaysmag.com APRIL 2014 63 You can forget all t always feels like a In Downtown sunshine Saturday in your troubles and Santa Barbara, where indulge in the arts. the weather is perpet- ually beach perfect. Santa Barbara BY WAYNETTE GOODSON I But not everyone goes for the sand — they go for all the art and culture downtown. From Micheltorena to Gutierrez streets, locals and visitors alike buzz about the winding paseos that lead to restaurants, art galleries, wine-tasting rooms, and cozy boutiques brim- ming with undiscovered treasures.