Santa Barbara the Place I Call Home
Santa Barbara. The place I was born, raised and now I am raising my own family here. When you grow up here, sometimes you take it for granted. However, when I travel other places I am reminded how lucky we are to have so much beauty and free stuff surrounding us. So here is a working blog of the things we have done with my family and continue to love to do time and time again.
If you are visiting Santa Barbara here are the top kid friendly places!
The Moxi stands for Museum of Exploration and Innovation. My boys absolutely love roaming the 3 stories of this place. One of their favorite exhibits is building the race cars and watching them race. There is also an awesome area downstairs that rotates with different hands on projects they get to build. If you are in town you definitely want to put this on your list for you and your littles. One of our favorite parts about the Moxi location is that it is right next to the train station. My boys love running to the top level of the moxi whenever we hear the train coming.
2. The Museum of Natural History
One of our favorite things at the Natural History Museum is the Prehistoric Forest. Through the back of the Museum, they have dinosaurs set out among the landscapes. The dinosaurs move and make noise and the kids love it (or they are sometimes a little scared). Another part of the museum we love is the backyard area that is complete with a little creek. Warning: Bring a pair of extra clothes because they will most likely get wet. My boys spend hours in these two areas. They often have a staff member out here holding some kind of bird or reptile for the kids to look at and ask questions as well. Other parts you dont want to miss are the planetarium shows, Butterflies Alive (when they are in season) and bird hall.
3. Sea Center
The sea center is located at Sterns Wharf. The sea center is affiliated with the Museum of Natural HistoryThough, it is small, my kids love coming here and are always asking to visit. They love the touch tanks where they can touch swell sharks, sea cucumbers, sea stars and other small creatures. They also love the little water tunnel and the spot in the very back where you can pick up sand from the ocean floor and see what kind of creatures you have dug up.
Listen, this zoo is not like the San Diego zoo, but it is still pretty cool for a small town like Santa Barbara. We continue to get new animals and I swear, our giraffes are always popping out babies. Another highlight of the zoo is the train ride that takes you around circumference of the zoo and you even get a few behind the scenes looks. Our favorite animals at the zoo are the lions, giraffes, gorillas, leopards, gibbons, flamingos and the walk about kangaroo enclosure. My kids also love feeding the farm animals whenever that is a possibility. Definitely bring a lunch and chill on the grass or even better, take it to the playground area so you can get a little time to eat in peace. The zoo is a great way to spend 1-3 hours.
5. Lil Toot
If you are headed to the Sea Center or want to take a ride from the Sea Center, take the little toot. It just takes you from the harbor to the wharf (or the opposite) but the kids really enjoy this little ride. When we do the little too we usually start at the Sea Center, follow it by some ice cream and then take the Lil Toot to the harbor. On the ride they will pass by a buoy that always has a bunch of sea lions sun bathing on it. Once to the harbor take a walk around the break water to burn off that ice cream energy.
As I mentioned above this is a great little family walk. My boys love looking at the boats, checking out the surfers and scaring all the seagulls. And the best part about the break water is that it is FREE. This is honestly one of our favorite spots in Santa Barbara and come here often for some fresh air and to burn off that energy right before bed.
7. Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
8. Kids World
This park is located in Downtown Santa Barbara, just a couple blocks off state street. If you want to spend some time on state street, then come wear your kids out at kids world first. This huge wooden play structure is what every kid dreams of. I can’t tell you how many nights I spent in high school with friends playing tag on this playground. It is fun for kids of all ages.
9. Go for a Hike
-Lizards Mouth: This is more of a walk and climbing through big boulders kind of hike. I have to admit I haven’t gone here in quite a while because it scares me a little bit with 2 very high energy boys. But it is such a fun and stunning spot to explore.
-Hot Springs Canyon Trail: This hike is pretty can be a bit tiring in some spots but is very doable. We took both my boys on this hike and they loved the hot springs at the end to soak those tired feet. Be prepared that there is usually someone who is lounging in the spring topless or naked.
-
10. Go Tide Pooling
Check the local tide charts and take your kids tide pooling. We always find various crabs, sea stars, sea anemones and if you are really luck you can find an octopus. Some of our favorite beaches to go tide pooling are: Hendry’s(Arroyo Burro), Shoreline, Devereaux.
11. Rent Surrey Bikes along Shoreline
It has been a while since I have done this but it is always a good time to rent surrey bikes and ride them along the beach.
12. Go to the Beach
Fun fact: I actually dont usually get in the water at any of our beaches anymore. As a kid, that couldnt feel cold, I was all about boogie boarding. As I have gotten older, the water is definitely too cold for me. However, my kids still enjoy going to the beach and will get into that cold water. Some of my favorite beaches are: Butterfly Beach, Haskells, Campus Point, East Beach and Ledbetter Beach.
13. Check out the Elwood Butterfly Groves:
The butterflies are only there during a certain time of year (October- February) but dont let that detour you from checking out this stunning area. I love the way the eucalyptus trees sound swaying and creaking. I love the view from the top of the bluffs, especially during the golden hour. And you can take the trail all the way down to the beach and find some shells. This is another one of my favorite spots in Santa Barbara and again…ITS FREE!