Monday, June 29, 2009

My Town Monday: Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

San Diego sunset (because I'm back home and it's an evening post) :)

I should really rename this post My Town Monday EVENING EDITION!

It was a busy weekend. I was in Santa Barbara from Thursday to Sunday with Child #3 for a water polo tournament. Very fun times. Child #3 played well. The weather was great. I shared a hotel room with another mother and her son. They dynamics among the four of us were perfect. However...the traffic back down to San Diego last night was HORRENDOUS! And, I already had plans for today.

Hence, the very late (fashionably late?) My Town Monday post. ;)

So...Santa Barbara....There are many, many things to do in this town of about 100,000 (including outlying areas such as Goleta and Carpenteria). From The Santa Barbara Natural History Museum to Chumash Painted Cave State Park to University of California, Santa Barbara to the Summer Solstice Parade to....and the list goes on. There is A LOT to do in Santa Barbara and its environs.

For this evening's post, we're going to stroll along Stearns Wharf. This wharf is visited by FIVE MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR! We won't be lonely. And many pelicans (who love to hang out at the end of the wharf)!

We'll start our walk at the three dolphin entrance.

Some facts and a little history:
-Stearns Wharf was built in 1872 to handle both passenger and freight shipping.
-It's mostly built of creosote, a chemical that helps protects it from sea water damage
-The Wharf has dealt with a fair number of natural disasters such as earthquakes, wars and fires.
-It was named after its builder, John Peck Stearns.
-It's the oldest operating wharf on this coast.



Some things we can do on the Wharf:
-learn about the future from psychic Madam Rosinka
-stop for a bite to eat at one of several restaurants, such as at Longboards Grill or Moby Dick's
-shop at Mother Stearns Candy Company!! I love candy!!
-visit the Coastal Winery
-buy souvenirs for our friends back home from Coastal Treasures
-pop into the Stearns Wharf Bait and Tackle to get outfitted for some fishing
-squeeze in another visit to Mother Stearns Candy Company

We really would have fun, wouldn't we?

Here's a link for a virtual tour of Stearns Wharf

Please pop over to Travis Erwin's blog. He's our Fearless Leader for My Town Mondays. Along with his own MTM post, he'll have a list of participants.


Sources:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Visitor/Things/Waterfront/Stearns_Wharf.htm
http://www.santabarbara.com/points_of_interest/the_waterfront/stearnswharf/

19 comments:

  1. I haven't been to SB in so many years! I would love to go back!

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  2. It never occurred to me in a million years that SB had 100K people. I grew up in Green bay thinking it was small, and California...I dunno, I guess I expected 5 times that many.

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  3. I was born in SB. My mom used to say when we were little (and before the Hollywood A-listers discovered the place) it was the land of the newlywed and nearly dead. She hated it there.

    I have fond memories of the town swimming pool where I learned to swim (now filled in)and the wharf. We spent many hours on the beach all year round. Last time I was there it was a massive suburban sprawl. Used to be ranches and dry hills between Goleta and SB!

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  4. Sounds like a great place to spend an afternoon or evening! The material they made it out of is very interesting, and obviously very hardy given that it has been through so much and is the oldest on the coast.

    That is a beautiful sunset too.

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  5. Sounds like a busy day. Thanks for another look at your town. I'd love to come and see it all in person some day.

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  6. Thanks for a great, informative post, Barrie. It makes me want to go to Stearns Wharf.

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  7. I wish I could go to Santa Barbara with you! :)




    Love,
    #4

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  8. How fun! I love the pictures. I've never been to Santa Barbara, but I'm taking notes of all the places I need to go visit some day.

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  9. Gorgeous picture of the wharf at sunset, Barrie. I haven't spent any time there lately, but it used to be a favorite weekend getaway spot for me and the DH. Guess we'll have to go back soon.

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  10. OMIGOSH!!

    I can't believe you were in Santa Barbara! That's like 30 minutes from me and we're down there all the time. If I knew you were there I would have brought my book down for you to sign :) Glad you had a good time!

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  11. That sunset photo is a stunner! It looks slightly like wide-angle. Did you take it?

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  12. wonderful skies!
    Waikiki salute you...
    Aloha-

    Comfort Spiral

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  13. It's gorgeous in SB. Glad you had fun and didn't have roomie issues.

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  14. It's been many years since I was in Sanata Barbara, but I remember it was a lovely place.

    The sunset photo is wonderful, Barrie.

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  15. Nice place… I haven’t been there yet, it sure is exciting to go to a place like Santa Barbara,

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  16. I got to go there way back in the day--and I still believe that Santa Barbara is heaven on earth.

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  17. I love the picture of the San Diego sunset you have posted … it is very beautiful photo.

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  18. I did not take the sunset photo....although I wish I had! I'm more of a chop-their-heads-off kind of photographer!

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  19. I've only driven through SB on the way to Chumash, the Indian Casino near there, but I'd really love to go visit and look around the town. It seems charming and I hear great things- and your pictures make it look even more enticing!

    -Lana

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Comments are always welcome!