From idyllic and scenic to hectic and ritzy

Santa Barbara is a spanish town - the church took over in the 18th century and occupied the land and christianized the native people. Later it became part of Mexico. Twice destroyed by earthquakes, in 1812 and 1925, it was rebuilt in a Spanish Colonial style and features fantastic architecture, many theaters!, as we noticed when we walked through downtown and visited the Saturday's Farmers Market. What a variety of oranges and other fruit and veggies!

 

 

 

Santa Barbara Mission (photos below) was the 10th of the 21 Spanish colonial missions founded in California, consecrated December 16, 1786, by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. Still today, the Mission is home base for Saint Barbara Parish, which operates under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It's huge mission surrounded by gardens, olive trees and a park, worth the visit!

 

 El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara is a former military installation, built by Spain in 1782 (pics below). Today it's part of El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park which contains original adobe structures, like El Cuartel and other side buildings. 

The Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH)/Hwy. 1 crosses many canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, passes several major beaches, and many residential and commercial developments - more than we remembered! When we drove it on Sunday, from Santa Barbara to L.A., it was packed, first because of Valentines' Day Weekend, second, because of Superbowl in L.A. on Sunday. Almost no chance to find parking along the beaches and viewpoints, and, especially the strip around Malibu was stop&go-traffic. Since it took us so long to get into L.A., we skipped our originally planned stops in Malibu and Santa Monica and drove through to our 1-night-motel in Culver City. Hadn't been easy to find a moderately priced place on this busy weekend!

L.A. not really a city of Angels, but of traffic. Certainly a lot to see, but horribly spread out and not easily to reach considering multiple-lane-freeways and constant traffic. Also, very expensive, very swanky and a bit ritzy. Have never seen so many German - Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, VW - and other luxury cars - Jaguar, Masarati, Lamborghini, Tesla - on one day!