Santa Barbara Places and Photos

Gardens, beaches, canyons, community events, cultural sites, and historic places around Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden — December 31, 2024
Mount Calvary Retreat Center
Mount Calvary Retreat Center — March 4, 2018
Saint Mary’s Seminary and Rattlesnake Canyon
Saint Mary’s Seminary and views of Rattlesnake Canyon — July 25, 2015
Santa Barbara Brawlin’ Betties roller derby
Santa Barbara Brawlin’ Betties versus the Prison City Derby Dames — May 7, 2011, at the Earl Warren Showgrounds.
Cabrillo Bathhouse at East Beach
Cabrillo Bathhouse at East Beach, Santa Barbara

After breakfast at East Beach, we traveled to Matilija Canyon in Los Padres National Forest above Ojai. The photographs include flowering chaparral, toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), and white sage (Salvia apiana) — February 22, 2011.

Chumash gathering at Syuxtun
Syuxtun Story Circle Mosaic, tomols on the ocean, and the Chumash gathering — November 7, 2009.
Garden at Ganna Walska Lotusland
Ganna Walska Lotusland in Montecito — August 7, 2009
Santa Barbara Cemetery overlooking the coast
Santa Barbara Cemetery — January 10, 2009

This is a peaceful, meditative cemetery garden with special views of the ocean and mountains. Memorial art in the stone crosses, mausoleums, markers, and headstones was a new art form for me to discover. The gentle respect for loved ones and heartfelt gestures to people no longer here are sentimental and soothing to contemplate while walking around.

Interments at Santa Barbara Cemetery date from 1860, with more than 46,000 individuals listed. Historical cemetery records helped me locate family graves after this visit. The former CAGenWeb links have been removed because those domains no longer lead to the historical records.

I was disappointed that I could not find my grandparents’ graves on this visit. The records list Bertha Buse in Mountain View, Block C, Grave 238, and Fred C. Buse in Mountain View, Block C, Grave 237, giving me a reason to return.

View of Santa Barbara Harbor from a sailboat
Sunday sail with Dave Briggs — August 2008. Views of Santa Barbara City College, Shoreline Park, Leadbetter Beach, Cabrillo Bathhouse, oil derricks, and sailboards.
Horse and rider in the 2008 Santa Barbara Fiesta parade
Santa Barbara Fiesta Equestrian Parade — August 1, 2008

The parade included costumes, Santa Barbara dignitaries, horse-drawn carriages, horseback riders, and breeds including Andalusians, Friesians, and Blue Roan Percherons.

Santa Barbara Fiesta music and dancing — July 31 and August 1, 2008

Santa Barbara Fiesta parade photographs and links, 2004–2008

Ceanothus blooming in Rattlesnake Canyon
Rattlesnake Canyon and California chaparral — March 17, 2007

California lilac, Ceanothus megacarpus, in full bloom in the Santa Barbara foothills. See more Santa Barbara County trails and mountain canyons.

Jepson Flora Project treatment and an Ecology journal reference.

Santa Barbara East Beach
Santa Barbara East Beach — March 2, 2007
Santa Barbara County Courthouse Mural Room
Santa Barbara County Courthouse Mural Room — April 13, 2007

Santa Barbara in February and March 2007: the courthouse and Mural Room, East Beach, Mission Creek outflow, Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden, and the Santa Barbara Library.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse Mural Room — October 8, 2004

Coral trees at Santa Barbara Harbor
Coral trees (Erythrina) at the Santa Barbara Harbor — May 29, 2006
East Beach looking toward Palm Park and Stearns Wharf
Looking toward Palm Park and Stearns Wharf — January 16, 2005

John and I went to East Beach to see Black Skimmers and have breakfast. A flock of Black Skimmers flew near the beach; the original page also includes a QuickTime movie.