The Savvy Checklist
How much of the South Coast have you done?
The Mission, the tide pools, the hot springs, the Bowl and 35 more. Tick what you've done; your list stays in this browser.
Outdoors 10
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78 acres of native plants and trails in Mission Canyon.
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More than 1,500 rose bushes in the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden, in Mission Historical Park.
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Lawns, a playground, a whale-watching spot and stairs to the beach.
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Mesa bluff open space with an off-leash dog area.
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The locals' dog-and-sunset beach.
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The islands can only be reached by boat.
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The canyon trail beside Skofield Park starts off Las Canoas Road.
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A palm-lined cove with a campground, about 20 miles west of town.
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Rocky tide pools below the bluffs. Go at a low tide.
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Goleta's first pier, More's Landing (1874), stood about half a mile down the beach.
Culture and history 14
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Founded in 1786, and the Franciscans have lived there ever since.
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Ride up the 85-foot El Mirador tower for a 360-degree view. The courthouse was finished in 1929.
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Finished in 1872, it was then the longest deep-water wharf between San Pedro and San Francisco.
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The Natural History Museum's ocean center, out on Stearns Wharf.
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Ganna Walska's garden, by advance reservation, roughly March to October. The 2026 season is sold out.
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A Montecito estate you see by booked tour.
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Creekside museum with the Gladwin Planetarium.
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Santa Barbara's science museum.
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Where Santa Barbara started: the Spanish presidio, downtown and open every day.
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An outdoor concert at the Bowl, in season.
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Opened in 1931 where the Arlington Hotel stood. Home to much of the film festival.
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Opened in 1924 as a movie palace and live stage.
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Founded in 1873, it calls itself California's oldest continually operating theatre.
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About 30 acres, open since 1963.
Once a year 8
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Old Spanish Days, every August.
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Carpinteria, early October, and free.
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Late September at Girsh Park.
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A weekend in April at Alameda Park.
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The overwintering grove, October to February. Counts have been very low lately, so go for the grove.
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Watch from the bluff. The beach below closes Dec 1 to May 31 for pupping.
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Gray whales pass mid-December to mid-March. Blue and humpback whales come in summer.
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Every February. The Arlington hosts many of its events.
Off the beaten path 6
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Planted in 1876, it's one of the largest Moreton Bay figs in the country.
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UCSB's reserve runs a snowy plover conservation program. Give the fenced nesting areas room.
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Sandstone boulders off West Camino Cielo, with a view over Santa Barbara.
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A residential trailhead. The county backed closing the trail on Red Flag days in 2025.
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Sulfur springs in the Gaviota State Park backcountry.
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The little yellow water taxi between Stearns Wharf and the harbor.
Food and drink 1
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Saturday mornings downtown, on Carrillo Street and the 900 and 1000 blocks of State.
Each fact was checked on the linked page on October 30, 2026. Hours, prices and seasons change, so check before you go. Left off on purpose: Knapp's Castle (private land, reported closed) and Seven Falls (an off-trail scramble with repeated rescues). Your ticks are saved only in this browser; nothing is sent to us.
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Every Thursday the email has the weekend picks, the beach call and the season things that only happen once a year.