La Arcada

La Arcada, a Spanish courtyard and paseo, is a magical place. By day it is filled with color, with its flags, murals, archways, vines and flowers, lifelike statues, and fountains. By night, it is lit with little golden lights and it looks its most delightful! La Arcada was built in 1926 around some older historical buildings. Many of the buildings are labeled so that you can read about them and when they were built. The surprisingly lifelike statues and murals are by J. Seward Johnson Jr: the father with his son on his shoulders at the fair (on State Street), the grandpa and little girl with a doll (at the Figueroa Street entrance), the seated man holding a hamburger (near the alley that leads out to the parking) and the window-washer (in the alley that leads to State Street). Also in this alley is the movable statue, Mozart trio, by Stirnberg, which has music that you can turn on. There are bronze dolphin statues by Bud Bottoms that kids can pretend to ride and the statue of Ben Franklin sitting on a bench. You can sit next to him!

Try Andersen's Danish Restaurant. It's nice to have cake and tea on their patio on State Street while people watching. Their meals are so so. Kids enjoy eating in the fancy interior and pretending they are the Queen (or King!).
At 1131 State St, across from La Arcada, is San Marcos Courtyard, with a Spanish fountain and the most gorgeous historical architecture. You can get an empanada and coffee at Mosaic Locale and enjoy it at their seating beside ivy, in the Spanish courtyard in the back.
Walk around the courtyard and side alley for Arlington Theater and admire the Spanish architecture.
A little further, check out the Santa Barbara Public Market, where you can eat a taco or get a mini ice cream cone at Rori's Artisanal Creamery, and sit outside with views of Spanish arches and the pale blue Victoria theater. 
Just outside La Arcada, on Anacapa Street, is the Courthouse, which is also magical at night. The sunken gardens at the courthouse are lush with exotic palms and you can sit on the huge lawn and look up at the Spanish architecture. There are 360 degree views from the top of the tower.
On the same block as La Arcada is the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, a small museum with an impressive collection of late 19th century European art, Asian art, and some great temporary exhibits. Other colorful Spanish paseos are: El Paseo, a quiet paseo at the 800 block of State Street, and Paseo Nuevo, an outdoor mall with gorgeous blue-green tiles at the 700 and 800 block of State Street.

Directions

Exit Highway 101 at Carrillo St. If coming from the 101 northbound, turn right. If southbound, turn left. At the fourth street, Chapala St, turn left. Go two blocks and turn right on Anapamu St. Turn right on Anacapa St and pull into the driveway for the parking lot immediately on your right.
Parking costs $1.50 an hour. The first 75 minutes are free.
From the parking lot, walk down the driveway towards the back entrance to the art museum. Turn left and you will enter the tiny alley that leads to La Arcada.
Andersen's Danish Restaurant, 1106 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, call (805) 962-5085.

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