A colorful California tour

Author: By Louis A. DiIorio, Globe Staff

Date: SUNDAY, November 8, 1998

Page: M7

Section: Travel

Future Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman were guests, and in his classic ``Two Years Before the Mast,'' Richard Henry Dana details a weeklong Casa wedding celebration.

It was where the elite met. It was where the first City Council met in the 1850s and where plans were made to rebuild the city after the 1925 earthquake. And it was where, in the 1920s, El Paseo, a unique Old-Spanish style shopping arcade, was built around the Guerra homestead, one of Santa Barbara's most famous architectural landmarks and one of the stops on the city's ``Red Tile Tour.'' El Paseo was among the first of the nation's shopping centers and inspired the revival of Spanish Colonial architecture in California.

The entrance to the oldest shopping center in town -- if not the state -- is adjacent to Bryant & Sons jewelers at 812 State St. Appearances to the contrary, it is an extensive area and requires some exploring to appreciate its one-of-a-kind small shops and three restaurants.

Gone are the days when actor Leo Carillo would ride his horse into the El Paseo restaurant, when Rita Hayworth would dance there before becoming one of Hollywood's leading ladies, or when Tyrone Power would rent an upstairs hideaway. But the Hollywood crowd still comes, in limos, Jaguars, and Beemers, while the rest of us take it all in stride . . . as part of the ``Red Tile'' walking tour.

Located in the 800 block of State Street in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, the historic site is across the street from Paseo Nuevo, a Spanish-style shopping plaza built in 1990 over two city blocks. Not only does it house some 50 retailers, anchored by Macy's and Nordstrom, but is home to an art museum and theater group. Several eateries also have found a home here, and during the summer and the holiday seasons, diners and shoppers are treated to musical entertainment in flower-bedecked, open-air courtyards.

State Street, which is about six miles long, begins at Stearns Wharf, the oldest operating wharf on the West Coast, and runs through town before rejoining Highway 101 north of town.

Often compared to the French and Italian Riviera, ``America's Riviera,'' the only stretch of Pacific coastline from Alaska to Cape Horn that runs east and west, is sheltered between mountains and five channel islands 20 miles offshore. The result: a lush, tropical, south-facing paradise where red tile and bouganvilla glow; clean air, stunning scenery, and palm-lined beaches are taken for granted; street signs bespeak its Spanish heritage; and a renowned temperate climate reigns 300 days a year.

It's a West Coast city with Old World charm, and if you're into Spanish/Mediterranean architecture, you'll get your fill here. What is distinct about Santa Barbara architecture is its blend of century-old adobe houses, renowned mission churches, and lush tropical horticulture. Out of these evolved one of America's first major regional architectural styles -- that of Mission Revival.

However, Santa Barbara didn't always look like this. A population boom in the 1880s brought a variety of architectural styles. A legacy of that period and a Victorian landmark, the Upham Hotel (at 1404 De la Vina) remains the oldest continually operating hotel in Southern California. Concerned citizens, though, began a beautification movement to develop a Hispanic Mediterranean image in the city in 1880; this movement continues.

A major turning point in the city's architectural design was the '25 quake that razed the majority of dwellings. Following the temblor, an architectural board of review was established and developed guidelines that are reflected in the downtown area's present-day design.

Today, restored 19th-century adobes blend beautifully with the Mission Revival mansions of nearby Montecito and Hope Ranch, making Santa Barbara's architecture one of the most recognized in the world.

In Santa Barbara, red tile roofs extend from the mountains to the sea -- a truly visual feast where festivals, music, and the arts flourish. You need a car to explore the outlying areas, but the city's 76 designated historic landmarks can easily be explored on foot via the self-guided, 12-block ``Red Tile Tour.''

A Spanish-Moorish architectural masterpiece, in the 1100 block of Anacapa Street, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse was completed in 1929 and remains one of the most beautiful buildings in California if not the states. Tropical gardens and spacious, well-groomed lawns surround the public offices and courtrooms. The elegant interior includes hand-painted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, giant murals, carved wooden doors, and imported tiles. From atop the 80-foot tower, the entire city can be appreciated. There are free guided tours Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Monday through Saturday at 2 p.m. It's open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Continue across Anacapa Street to the elegant Spanish-style public library, then head west on Anapamu Street to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (at 1130 State St.) where they are adding a wing, cafe, and more gallery and office space. Construction, which caused us to miss out on the works of O'Keeffe, Eakins, Sargent, and Hopper, not to mention Monet, Matisse, Degas, and Chagall, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

At Carrillo Street, make a side trip to the Hill-Carrillo adobe, then walk back out to State, and go south two blocks to enter the El Paseo complex for lots of history and a bit of refreshment. Rested and raring to go, you continue along Presidio Avenue, the oldest street in Santa Barbara, to the Presidio gardens on the site of the parade grounds. There are more stops: the historical museum, the reconstructed Presidio chapel, the Spanish-deco-style main post office and the Lobero Theatre.

The most visited (and most photographed) landmark in the city, the Mission Santa Barbara, was founded in 1786 by Spanish Franciscans and was for many years a home for Chumash Indians whom the Spaniards trained in agriculture and animal husbandry. The 10th of Father Junipero Serra's California missions, it has a beautiful setting, unique twin bell towers, and a lovely facade that have earned it the title of ``Queen of the Missions.''

The mission was severly damaged in the 1812 and 1925 earthquakes, and after a local fund-raising drive, the structures were repaired, with the main facade completely rebuilt in the 1950s.

At the upper end of Laguna Street at Los Olivos, the building remains a Catholic parish and is open to the public year-round. A self-guided tour includes the mission museum, gardens, courtyards, chapel, cemetery, and gift shop near the entrance. The building is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Christmas Day). Tours are $3 for adults; free for children under 12. Call 805-682-4713.

From the mission, drive up Mission Canyon Road toward the mountains. At 1212, home to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, are 5 1/2 miles of bright meadows and creekside canyon paths, woodland, arroyo, and desert environs, home to true natives of California: scarlet bugler, blue lobelia, lupine and monkeyflower, Apache plume and white-meadow foam, indigo ceanothus and California poppy.

Established in 1926 by Anna Blaksley Bliss in memory of her father, Henry, the garden is devoted entirely to the study of California's native flora from regions including the deserts, the Sierra Nevada, the southern mountains, and offshore islands. More than 65 acres provide glimpses of cactuses, redwoods, wildflowers, and much more.

The garden has an excellent library, research facility, gift shop with books, souvenirs, native plants, and a home demonstration garden. The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends March through October; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 9 to 5 on weekends November to February. Docent-guided tours lasting approximately an hour are offered daily at 2 p.m. and Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, teenagers through 17, and students with ID, and $1 for children 5-12. Admission is free for members and children under 5. Both the mission and gardens have free parking.

A city with marvelous restaurants (The Wine Cask, Citronelle, and Downey's, to name a few), it also has farmers' markets for those who do their own cooking. Every Tuesday, weather permitting, two blocks of State Street are closed to traffic and opened to local farmers. From Ortega to Haley, shoppers enjoy a great selection of flowers and produce as well as street musicians and some of the best people-watching in the city. Summer hours: 4 to 7:30 p.m.; winter hours: 3 to 6:30 p.m. There are two markets on Saturdays: fresh fish (7:30 to 11:30 a.m.) at the Breakwater near the harbor; and salad fixin's, veggies, flowers for your table, and berries at Santa Barbara Cota Streets (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).

The Santa Barbara coastline includes dozens of golden sand beaches, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, strolling, volleyball, and jogging. Locals seem to think that Goleta, 12 miles west of here, has one of the best family beaches in South County. It's also home to the lovely seaside campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and its 19,000 students.

Twenty miles offshore, five channel islands attract nearly 500,000 visitors a year, but for anyone staying in town, two beachfront properties worth visiting (or staying at) are the Four Seasons Biltmore, a magnificent Spanish-style hotel with grand tradition, glamour, and luxury; and Fess Parker's Double Tree Resort (formerly a Red Lion property), a 24-acre, 360-room resort. The adjacent property is also a Parker project, and until he gets city approval to build a 150-plus room hotel, under the name Villa Marcella after his wife Marci, it will continue to be a park.

Down by the shore, the temperature is usually around 72 degrees, but when it gets warmer plenty of shade can be found under the Moreton Bay fig tree, the largest tree of its kind in the nation. At the intersection of Chapala Street and Highway 101, this Australian native's 160-foot span provides 21,000 square feet of shade.

On a former oceanfront estate at 500 Ninos Drive off Cabrillo Boulevard, the Santa Barbara Zoo's delightful garden setting is home to more than 700 animals from around the world (including big cats, elephants, gorillas, and giraffes), a new restaurant, a spacious picnic area, a miniature train, and a children's playground. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and children 2-12.

The Sea Center, operated by the Museum of Natural History at Stearns Wharf, offers a fascinating glimpse into marine life of the Santa Barbara Channel, with live marine animals in saltwater tanks and a computer learning center. The center is open through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and September through May, noon to 5 p.m. Weekends and holidays, the hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed major holidays.

In the '40s, the wharf was partly owned by Hollywood legend Jimmy Cagney and his brothers. Now a Santa Barbara landmark, it offers gifts and souvenier shops, a fresh seafood market, restaurants, a bait and tackle store, and other small shops.

For far too many years, I spent much too much time on the road, motoring up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego, Orange County, and points south. Always in a hurry. Rushing to visit as many of Father Serra's missions as possible; taking in Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel; and stopping at the artichoke and strawberry fields of Castroville and Watsonville.

It didn't end there. It was on to family and friends in the Bay Area, the Redwood Empire, and eventually the Pacific Northwest.

Although I was gone for a month, it was too much driving and much too much to absorb!

This time, I did Father Serra proud. I finally stopped -- and stayed. Modern-day Santa Barbara is a city much like its climate: sunny and warm. It's a feel-good city that makes you wonder why it took you so long to get here.

Santa Barbara is 90 miles north of Los Angeles, and Route 101 takes you right into the lower part of town. Regional and commuter flights connect the city to every major airport. Nonstop ground connections from LAX to Santa Barbara are offered seven times daily by Santa Barbara Airbus. Amtrak train service stops there eight times daily, and Greyhound Bus Lines provide daily service.

-- Los Olivos, where they filmed the TV movie ``Return to Mayberry'' with Andy Griffith and Ron Howard.

-- Montecito, a favorite hideaway of the rich and famous.

-- Solvang, the ``Danish capital of America.''

-- Carpinteria, a beach town with old-fashioned luxury.

Los Olivos, 28 miles north of Santa Barbara in the unhurried Santa Ynez Valley, is a charming turn-of-the-century town that bears reminders of stagecoach days. Nestled between the San Rafael and Santa Ynez mountain ranges, it is a serene, scenic delight, surrounded by pastoral farmland and rolling hills. Yet, Los Olivos (the olives) is fast becoming a thriving cultural giant, boasting fine art galleries, shops, and first-class wineries, including Fess Parker's, one of nine out on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, 20 miles of country road that connect the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys.

The winding, mountainous drive on Highway 154 (off 101) over the San Marcos Pass presents breathtaking views, from coastal panoramas to verdant pastures. You pass Cold Springs Tavern, an old stagecoach stop atop the pass; vineyards; horse farms; and man-made Lake Cachuma, just a wonderful spot for fishing, boating, picnicking, and camping. Sorry, no swimming but there is a pool and play area nearby. Boat rentals are available as well as seasonal eagle and wildlife cruises.

Don't leave town without visiting Mattei's Tavern, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the Santa Ynez Valley and the second oldest in California. Mattei's was established in 1886 by Lucy and Felix Mattei as a stagecoach stop. It now serves as the town's social hub.

Los Olivos makes for a delightful day trip. Overnighters, however, will be pleasantly surprised with Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn (formerly the Grand Hotel), a luxurious Victorian hideaway. For reservations call 800-446-2455.

Montecito (Spanish for little mountain) is an exclusive area east of Santa Barbara with wooded hills dotted with expansive estates; magnificent mansions; lush, exotic gardens; quiet tree-lined country lanes; and a lovely little downtown area with quaint shops, Mediterranean-style restaurants, and the 60-room Montecito Inn, built by Charlie Chaplin and friends to cater to the Hollywood crowd.

Enough can't be said about this plush -- and posh -- area. Everything is done in such good taste.

Referred to as the Gold Coast, I did come across one real estate listing for less than $500,000 -- the rest are in the ``if you have to ask, you can't afford them'' category. An estate, owned by actress Geena Davis and director Rennie Harlan, reportedly sold for $9.2 million, but if you're looking for something less expensive, Whoopi Goldberg's 180-acre ranch -- the former John Deere family retreat atop San Marcos Pass -- is on the market for a paltry $1.8 million.

Italian and California cuisine dominate Coast Village Road, while picnickers and beachgoers flock to Tutti's for takeout. But for someplace extra special, take in the 540-acre San Ysidro Ranch out on San Ysidro Lane. This is where some of Hollywood's biggest stars escape from the limelight. It's not uncommon to see them strolling in its lush, flower-laden grounds or relaxing in one of the ranch's 21 private cottages. The new ``presidential'' cottage, by the way, with two bedrooms, two baths, plus living room and 15 by 35 foot private swimming pool and spa, won't be ready until the fall. Cost: $975 a night.

The 103-year-old ranch, named for the patron saint of farmers, hosted John and Jacqueline Kennedy on their 1953 honeymoon, and the Wedding Garden served as the site where Lawrence Olivier and Vivien Leigh exchanged vows.

The ranch's Stonehouse Restaurant offers regional cuisine while the Plow & Angel Pub, built in 1893 as the original wine cellar, offers cocktails and a casual dinner menu.

Solvang, founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators from the Midwest, represents a page from a Hans Christian Andersen story and remains an authentic Danish settlement where the heritage and customs of the Old World live on. Among them, the ``Rejsegilde,'' a celebration at the raising of the highest rafter of a new building. This tradition is observed with most new construction in the area, spreading throughout the non-Danish population of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Tours are provided daily in the spring, summer, and fall and on weekends in the winter aboard the Honen (the Hen), a replica of an early 1900s Copenhagen street car powered by a pair of massive Belgian horses.

Also: two museums; a repertory theater; Mission Santa Ines, the 19th of 21 Spanish missions founded in 1804. And if you're into ranch living, The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort, a 10,000-acre working cattle ranch and resort 35 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, offers all the romance of the Old West with the comforts of a world-class resort. The visitors bureau can be reached at 800-468-6765.

Carpinteria's small-town charm (and that of neighboring Summerland) remains relatively undiscovered, yet the home of California's Avocado Festival, held every October, is a mere 12 miles south of Santa Barbara.

If you're into polo, matches are held every Sunday April through October, yet its main attraction remains Carpinteria State Beach Park with 4,000 feet of ocean frontage, overnight camping, and the best surf fishing for miles around.

Antique stores, small shops, and restaurants are clustered along the main street. There are a variety of year-round motels, B & Bs, and beachfront rentals. For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at 805-684-5479.