Santa Barbara isn’t a big town and you may be tempted to explore it on your own. If you did, you might see “the sights” but you would likely miss the eclecticism that makes this California coastal township different. For the latter, you would need a local guide and Mike at Cal Coast Adventures is great. We learned about the north-south orientation of the city with the ocean being south (not west as I would have guessed from looking at a map of California), the origins of Funk Town, caught a few plays from the stands of Santa Barbara City College’s stadium (which must be the most beautiful football /track stadium in the country). Where else could you see the ocean and marina just beyond the field? And listen to a gathering of amateur local mandolin and ukulele players strumming Eagles songs at a park. We rode electric bikes all around town which made the small hills easy (unless the motor switched off!!) and had a wonderful time.