Known as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara is all about being outdoors. Visitors enjoy seductive scenery, great eateries, shopping and, most of all, the comfortable year-round weather. There are activities for all interests from riding bikes, strolling along sandy beaches, taking a lazy drive into the hills, shopping at expensive boutiques or sipping wine in world-class vineyards.

Santa Barbara has lured celebrities here for decades. It has a very Mediterranean feel with its sandy beaches, rocky coves, sunny skies, relaxed attitude and arid mountains in the backdrop. Visitors here who bike or stroll along the waterfront quickly learn what makes this seaside city so special. It doesn't get much better than clear, blue skies with the sun shining over golden beaches.

People are friendly, the city's signature white-stucco buildings with red-tile roofs are pretty and pelicans fly overhead. In addition to strolling along the waterfront Santa Barbara offers museums, trendy restaurants and great shopping opportunities that are often compared to Rodeo Drive. Visitors also enjoy going to Santa Maria and the Santa Ynez Valley, where there are many well-known wineries and the old-time Danish town of Solvang.