Page 74 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

Our home here was the ideally located, beauti-
fully designed Hotel Californian. Quintessential
Santa Barbara style with a Moroccan twist, the ho-
tel opened in 1925 as a gateway to the beach and
downtown Santa Barbara. The new hotel was de-
stroyed eleven days later by an earthquake and
fire. Rebuilt a few years later, it reigned as a play-
ground for the rich and famous.
Managed today by Preferred Hotels & Resorts,
the hotel now occupies the four corners at Mason
and State streets. Walk a few blocks to visit the
beach, the Funk Zone and downtown. Or relax in
the sunny outdoor courtyard, sheltered from the
urban energy just steps away. Or spend the

74 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021