Santa Barbara is known for its salty breezes, mountain topped skyline, tropic beaches, and warm climate. Why then, one might ask, are there so few people populating these beaches? Rather than a simple answer, you receive a dark secret. The people of Santa Barbara take their city for granted.
A typical Santa Barbarian will go through a standard nine-to-five day of work, or school, and finish it off with dinner at home, studies, television, and the all-mighty internet. This routine is a dull and stagnant one that leaves you yearning for a vacation. Wait a minute; don’t we live in a tourist’s destination? Is Santa Barbara not enough of a paradise?
Rather than contributing money to their home city, locals have opted to take refuge in other destinations such as Las Vegas, Miami, and Yellowstone. These cities are known for holding specific characteristics seemingly unique to their location, Santa Barbara is the perfect hybrid of the above.
Las Vegas is sought out for its casinos, nightlife and gentleman’s clubs. Santa Barbara has night clubs such as EOS and Tonic that are full of life every weekend. It’s also home to the Spearmint Rhino, a top-notch gentleman’s club. And, if you’re willing to make the trip to a different state to gamble, then you should be more than willing to make the 30-minute drive or bus ride to the Chumash Casino in neighboring city Santa Ynez. Not only can Santa Barbara compare to Las Vegas but it also holds its own against Miami’s golden-sand appeal with Butterfly Beach, Leadbetter Beach, and Hendry’s beach. Are you seeing the trend yet?
Santa Barbara is the perfect melody of city, beach, mountain, forest, and suburb. On one side you have the Pacific Ocean and Santa Barbara’s very own islands. One such island, Catalina, appeared on a Travel Channel special that reviewed the most secluded beaches in the world. On the other side you have mountains that provide hikes and climbs that are no further than 15 minutes away from the beach. On top of those two types of wilderness, Los Padres National Forest resides in Santa Barbara’s backyard. Santa Barbara even has its own suburb, Goleta, for those wishing to lead a life a bit quieter than downtown.
Not only are vacations being sought away from this paradise of a home we inhabit, but also day-to-day activities are being pursued indoors rather than out. For people to be healthy and feel good about themselves they enjoy working out in the gym and tanning at the salon.
It’s this kind of thing that is the most troubling for me. There are outdoor gyms in Santa Barbara, one of which is located next to the Santa Barbara Zoo; the Zoo being a hop, skip, and a step away from the beach where you could lay out and get a tan. If you are hopping from home to work to gym and back again you might as well be living in the desert because what’s the use of living in paradise if you never bask in it?
There is so much that can be done and taken advantage of in Santa Barbara that always seems to be forgotten about. Every Sunday there is a farmers market along the beach on Cabrillo Street. There are beautiful places to visit such as Lotusland, The Museum of Natural History, and The Mission. The attractions and the history of the city make it one of the most unique cities not only in California, but the world, and it’s a shame that it isn’t being appreciated.
