We did a self-directed walking tour of Santa Barbara. This amazing carved door was on the public library. There are many lovely buildings in the downtown area of Santa Barbara that are well worth exploring. The Courthouse, just up the road from the Library, has amazing murals, a very interesting clock in the tower that has a museum as you climb up telling the history of the clock and a lovely tower viewpoint at the top of the tower. You can see most of the lovely old buildings as well as Stearns Wharf by walking from the waterfront up the main street, turning off in the centre of the older part of town to see this lovely door on the library the block before the courthouse.

On our Claifornia cost cruise one of our ports of call was the city of Santa Barbara. Wow....simply gorgeous city . Right from the very start of local ambassadors waiting at the end of the pier we were graciously greeted with very warm, friendly and helpful advice on what to do in such a short period of time. The city is impecably clean and tidy with stunning architecture that obviously has been well planned. We had a terrific lunch at one of the Seafood restaurants. Not like any North American city, Santa Barbara seems to maintain its highest of standards of what a picturesque scenic city should look like.....no high-rise office towers or condos here. Most definitely a must see and i can hardly wait to plan a drive down the California coast from Vancouver and spend a few days here with my wife.

I took the Santa Barbara Walking Tour this week and I learned a great deal about the local Santa Barbara art and the history of the area. Although I'm a local Santa Barbarian, there were many pieces of art that I had passed many times and hadn't noticed - also there was a lot about the culture and history that I wasn't aware of until this tour. Ellen provided a perfect educational experience, while still making it a fun tour! It was also nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful Santa Barbara weather. Since there was a small group in our tour it made it an authentic and personal experience. If you're visiting the city, I'd highly recommend taking this tour. Even if you're a local, I'd still recommend the tour as a fun weekend activity.

For many years we have been traveling annually to Santa Barbara, CA to visit with relatives and enjoy walking through the wonderful parks and visiting the many museums. This year prior to our visit we did some research on Trip Advisor for ideas on what to see and do and were delighted to find out about the Santa Barbara Walking Tours. We signed up, and Ellen was our guide. She enthusiastically walked us around the downtown area, providing us with excellent commentary on the art and history of Santa Barbara. We learned so much about the outdoor murals, sculptures and intricate mosaic pieces, and the contribution these artists made in the preservation of the history and culture of Santa Barbara. In the past, we did see several pieces, but Ellen made them much more interesting through the background she provided. Many of the murals and sculptures we never would have noticed if it hadn’t been for Ellen taking us through some off-the-beaten path areas. Ellen is very passionate and knowledgeable about Santa Barbara. She even e-mailed us with additional information on a question I asked. We loved her tour, and highly recommend her. The Lillys