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Text by Barnaby Conrad
The beautiful and sophisticated city of Santa Barbara has been called the American Riviera for its astonishing ocean views, pristine beaches, stately architecture, luscious restaurants, and exclusive shopping. It is a place where exotic trees and plants abound, even in its most densely populated neighborhoods, where charming Spanish and Moorish architecture dominates even the most modern buildings, a place where hiking, running, swimming, surfing, mountain biking, and even relaxing at an outdoor café with a newspaper and a cup of coffee are year-round pastimes. Now, in this elegantly designed book, the exquisite color photography of lifetime Santa Barbara resident and renowned landscape photographer Marc Muench reveals the heart and soul of Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities of Goleta, Montecito, Summerland, and Carpinteria.
Tour the famous Mission Santa Barbara, known as the “Queen” of the California missions; take in the stunning Santa Barbara Courthouse, one of the most breathtaking buildings in the country; stroll down State Street and window-shop its many stores and boutiques; stop for a relaxing seafood lunch on Stearns Wharf.
An informative, poignant, and very personal essay by longtime Santa Barbara resident and writer Barnaby Conrad takes the reader through a brief history of this wonderful place—from its days as a Chumash Indian village and the landing of Juan Cabrillo through the 1925 earthquake that changed Santa Barbara forever to its present-day status as the glistening jewel of Southern California. |
