by Shari Dragonja, Germany
Santa Barbara Zoo
The Zoo in Santa Barbara is not the biggest Zoo, but it is really pretty. There are over 600 animals located in the Zoo, which you can feed and have fun with. For adults it is $17 per day and for children it is $10. I’ve been there with my friends and I really enjoyed my time there.
Botanic Garden
This park/ garden is about 26 hectares large. There are over 1000 species of rare and indigenous plants. There are a lot of ways to walk through the garden which you can use to enjoy the nature. The best thing is that it is free, so you don’t have to pay to enter the park and spend your free time there.
Arroyo Burro Beach
This is a beautiful beach in Santa Barbara, the best place to watch the sunset and have dinner. There is a gorgeous restaurant where you can have dinner and a good time. The name of the restaurant is “Boathouse”. If you want to take your dog with you, you are allowed to do this. When I watched the sunset with my friends while we had dinner, I was really impressed. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
Stearns Wharf
The Pier in Santa Barbara is really pretty. There are a lot of stores and restaurants where you can spend time. It is also a good spot for taking pictures. If you are lucky you can see dolphins and see dogs. I spend a lot of time with my friends there and we always enjoy to be there.
Arlington Theatre
The Arlington is one of the biggest theatres in Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival takes place in this theatre. While this film festival you can see a lot of celebrities and EF students are able to work at the festival as a volunteer. It is really beautiful in the inside and the architecture is amazing. Every Tuesday there is a discount where you can watch movies for less money.
Paseo Nuevo
This Mall is the best place to spend your evening. There are a lot of stores, like Victoria’s Secret or Footlocker. If you want to take a break, there are a lot of restaurants where you can rest. I love it to spend time after school there and just go window shopping.
Rattlesnake Canyon Park
This is the best place to go hiking and be active. The hiking trail is about 3 to 5 miles and when you climb the mountain you have a beautiful view over Santa Barbara. You can enjoy nature and take beautiful pictures. I love go hiking and spend my free time in nature, so it is a good way to do some exercise and do something what you like.
Nightlife in Santa Barbara
There are two clubs that are the best in Santa Barbara where you can go and spend your night out. If you want to enter the EOS club, you have to be 21+. For Velvet Jones you have to be 18+. You can go there with your friends on Friday nights and have a good time. In my opinion the best time to go there is on Friday nights. The DJ is really good and everybody have a good time.
Restaurants
On State Street there are a lot of restaurants where you can get some really good food. The price depends from restaurant to restaurant, so you can get some tasty food for less money. There are a lot of different restaurants, so you have a lot of choices. I prefer “California Pasta”, because the have a lot of different food and it is really good.
Farmers Market
This market is a good place to buy healthy and fresh food. The have fresh vegetables, fruit and other things to buy, like flowers or herbs. It is every Tuesday at 4 pm in downtown on State Street. You have a lot of choices to buy a variety of organic food.
