Refugio State Beach - Santa Barbara National And State Park
- Address: Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Website:www.sbchamber.org
Refugio State Beach
Santa BarbaraCalifornia, USA
Refugio State Beach Details
Descriptions from Across the Web
- Refugio State Beach offers excellent coastal fishing as well as trails and picnic sites. Palm trees planted near Refugio Creek give a distinctive look to the beach and camping area. A bike trail along the beach bluff connects the beach with El Capit�n State Beach 2.5 miles east.(California State Parks) - Location-Directions: The beach is 23 miles northwest of Santa Barbara on Highway 101. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Basking in a lush, year-round Mediterranean climate with 25 miles of prime Pacific coastline, a thriving arts community, historic architecture and scenic wine country, Santa Barbara instills all the components of a world-class destination -- without the masses. Glistening palm-lined beaches, white-washed red tile adobes with graceful curves and dramatic arches, tranquil fountains in harmony with luxuriant vegetation -- these are the ingredients envisioned by poets, song writers and novelists and the magnet that lures both residents and tourists to this seaside sanctuary. Ranked as one of the top 10 cities in the world* for magnificent weather, Santa Barbara sits on a unique east/west axis (the only stretch of land from Alaska to Cape Horn to do so), providing year-round soothing southern exposure and an annual average of 300 days of sunshine. The area's topographic set-up is equally impressive, from the lush vineyards and valleys of Santa Ynez and Santa Maria to the rugged Channel Islands and celebrity-stocked shoreline of Montecito. HUES IN HISTORY Early on, the area's soothing climate provided a prime stomping ground for the Chumash Indians, who were followed by the Portuguese, Spaniards and Franciscans, who later left their stamp with the beautiful Mission Santa Ines in Solvang, La Purisma Mission State Historic Park in Lompoc (one of the most complete and authentic missions standing) and the Queen of the Missions, Mission Santa Barbara. Mexico stepped in for 24 years before Colonel John Fremont crowned Santa Barbara a U.S. territory in 1846.* Pleasant Weather Ratings, Consumer Travel, 1997. In the early 1900s, Santa Barbara became the film capital of the world before the motion picture industry centralized in Hollywood. More than 1,200 movies (mostly Westerns) were made in a 10-year span and Santa Barbara became a favorite retreat for such legendary film stars as Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. The area soon evolved into a haven for wealthy Easterners and hot spot for health-seekers lured by the city's curing mineral baths. At the turn of the century, luxury rail cars turned out the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Carnegies and Duponts, followed by an artistic swell of painters, poets and authors. Today, Santa Barbara is home to some 90,000 residents and still exudes the warmth and relaxation of a small city, coupled with the major attractions of a metropolis. Pedestrian-friendly with 76 designated historic landmarks, an impressive line-up of performing arts venues, museums, galleries and restaurants, the area is an excellent vacation destination, especially from the California hubs of Los Angeles (92 miles north) and San Francisco (332 miles south). OUT AND ABOUT Santa Barbara's north county, just a 45-minute drive via Highway 154 or around the southern tip of Highway 101, offers a variety of excursions. Along the San Marcos Pass, Lake Cachuma is a fisherman's paradise with abundant trout, bass and catfish. The county park offers rental boats, picnic and camping sights, as well as seasonal wildlife and eagle tours. Touring the vineyards of Santa Barbara Wine Country is always a tasty sojourn. Some 42 wineries dot the inland region with 12,000 acres of planted vines. Warm days, cool nights and dry summer weather create excellent growing regions here, along with the east/west mountain chain which serves as a fan from the Pacific. The Santa Ynez and Santa Maria regions produce world-class wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Reisling, ... more on GoingToTheBeach.com, Inc.
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