Anyone visiting Santa Barbara will find the architecture and gardens alone worth slowing down and taking a good look, but by the same token, the beaches can't be passed up. Carpintera State Beach is not only a place to wade the surf, but keep an eye out for seals and sea lions, and other beaches, such as El Capitan and Refugio, are similarly untouched and filled with fish and wildlife.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is another stop for the wildlife lover. The art lover won't be disappointed either, with a vast range of galleries to visit and both the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the University Art Museum. Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is another kind of art, preserving religious drawings from Chumash Native Americans.
