There's a portion of California's 1,340-mile-long coastline that turns east and west to parallel lines of latitude. Keep this in mind when you set your course for the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, because Runway 11/25 parallels that coastline.
Santa Barbara should be high on everyone's list of fly-in destinations. This historic California town is home to excellent shops and restaurants, boasts a Mediterranean climate, and takes pride in providing for the needs of its visitors. But there is a catch — during summer months the airport is often blocked for VFR pilots by marine layer fog. If the fog has moved in or hasn't yet burned off when you arrive, one course of action is to divert to the Santa Ynez Airport. It's 15 miles to the northwest, and is almost always clear when Santa Barbara is shut down by fog. Local conditions can be obtained by calling the Santa Barbara ATIS at 805/967-0283.
The lay of the land
The Santa Barbara airport is surrounded by Class C airspace. Arrivals should contact approach control when they're 20 miles out on 120.55 MHz if arriving from the west or northwest, and 125.4 MHz if arriving from the east or southeast. The outer 10-mile ring of the Class C airspace (1,500 to 4,000 feet) is cut off on the north side because of the Santa Ynez Mountains, which rise quickly behind Santa Barbara with peaks topping 4,000 feet.
The prevailing winds along this section of the California coast are from the northwest at 10 to 15 knots. Point Arguello, 55 miles to the west of Santa Barbara, and Point Conception, 35 miles west, are the headlands that the shoreline seems to pivot around before it heads directly east to form the southern-facing shoreline that Santa Barbara nestles against. The northern faces of the Santa Ynez Mountains, which also run east and west to the headlands, block these prevailing winds. The result of all this topography is a very localized weather pattern — and a climate that many describe as perfect. For more information on the Santa Barbara airport, the Class C airspace, and standardized departure procedures visit AOPA's Airport Directory Online ( www.aopa.org/members/airports/) or the airport Web site ( www.flysba.com).
The fly-in beach and (fish) burger
Once you're on the ground and off the active runway, you'll have to choose between parking on the north side of the airport with Signature Flight Support or on the south side with Mercury Air Center. There's no city-run transient parking on the airport. Both Mercury and Signature charge tiedown and nightly parking fees, and both companies will waive all or a portion of the fees when a small amount of fuel is purchased.
There are two restaurants on the airport — the Elephant Bar is on the north side near Signature, and Silver Wings is in the terminal building. One of the advantages of parking with Mercury on the south ramp is that it's just a short walk to the Beachside Bar and Café at Goleta Beach State Park.
The walk to the Beachside took 12 minutes — take a right after exiting Mercury's front door and walk along the shoulder of the road past the Pilot House motel to a bike path. This path leads to the beach; take a left at the "T" and the long pier in front of the Beachside will soon come into view.
The California Riviera
Santa Barbara is a fun town to visit for a few days because the variety of events is nearly endless. Great beaches and water sports, boat trips to the Channel Islands Park and Marine Sanctuary, hiking, bicycle touring, and sailing — all wrapped in a near-perfect climate — draw visitors to this fascinating and accommodating place. The weather is almost too good to be true — six nights below freezing and four days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit are the yearly averages. The average high temperature varies from 64 degrees in January to 76 degrees in August.
A walking tour
The Santa Barbara airport is located in Goleta, which is five miles east of downtown Santa Barbara. Transportation is available by taxi, limo, or by boarding the bus system that runs past the airport. After getting into Santa Barbara, many people spend at least a day taking in the sights that are clustered in the downtown area.
Around State Street, and less than a mile inland from Stearns Wharf, are shops, theaters, museums of art and history, historical buildings, galleries, and restaurants.
Visit the Web site for walking tour maps ( www.santabarbaracarfree.com). The Red Tile Walking Tour map is available here. Tiles set in the sidewalks guide walkers past the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, and many other downtown attractions, including the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, which is recognized as one of the best examples of Spanish-Moorish architecture in California. Once the downtown area has been covered (it'll take a while) visitors will have to choose between heading uphill to Mission Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, and the Botanic Garden or easing farther down State Street to the Dolphin fountain at the waterfront. Not an easy choice since the attractions are compelling in both directions.
Mission Santa Barbara was built more than 200 years ago and is the only mission of the original 20 that is still run by the Franciscans. Often called "The Queen of the Missions" because of its striking architecture that features twin bell towers, this mission is well worth a visit.
State Street seems to extend seaward into the waters of Santa Barbara Channel in the structure of Stearns Wharf. This wharf, which was partially destroyed by fire during the 1990s, has been rebuilt and features the Sea Center, which has a life-size replica of a California Gray Whale, as well as other attractions, shops, and restaurants.
Getting around
Santa Barbara is a city that is made for, and caters to, bicycle travelers. Maps that can be downloaded off the Car Free Web site show these bike routes. Bike rental companies are willing to drop off their two-wheeled traveling machines at area accommodations. Spending a day pedaling around town is an easy and invigorating way to see the city.
There are also shuttle buses that can quietly and quickly climb the hill to the aforementioned mission and natural history museum if it's getting late in the day or if lunch has become an overindulgent affair. There's also a Wharf Woody shuttle for downhill trips.
Visitors have a vast array of accommodations to choose from and should have no problem finding a place to stay.
Events
The Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce ( www.sbchamber.org) is the online doorway for researching upcoming events. French Days, which feature a Poodle Parade and a car show with outstanding examples of Peugeots, Renaults, and Citroens, and the fifty-eighth annual Santa Barbara orchid show are just two of the events held throughout the year in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is worth the trip, and there's no way it can all be taken in during one weekend. There's just too much fun in the way of stimulating sites, stores, and memories to be gathered in one visit. So call the Santa Barbara ATIS, get some clear weather, and head for the California city on the shoreline that runs east and west. Once you've been to Santa Barbara, it's almost a guarantee that you'll soon return.
E-mail the author at [email protected].
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