A trip to Santa Barbara is not complete without a visit to Stearns Wharf. When completed In 1872, it became the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco (thank you Wikipedia) and is the biggest tourist attraction in Santa Barbara. To me, it evokes part boardwalk, with all of the cute shops and restaurants, with its own museum (The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center) and has its own little culture, with the international flags proudly flying. The flags represent the 12 flags that have flown over California at some point in its history. Sundays there is an art show along the main street just in front of the pier, and Chase Palm Park is a short walk. Paid Parking is available on the pier, or in the visitor centers lots.
