Three Days in Santa Barbara with Kids

Day 1 (Friday) The animals at the zoo inhabit prime beachfront property on the site of the former Childs Estate. In addition to the many engaging and interactive exhibits, the Santa Barbara Zoo has just completed full renovations and additions to its play areas. Check the event calendar to see if your trip coincides with one of the many educational events offered on the weekend.

After lunch or a picnic at the zoo, continue along the waterfront Cabrillo Boulevard to Chase Palm Park, where you’ll find the Shipwreck Park playground and an operational antique carousel. If the kids aren’t too tuckered out, dinner on the pier upstairs at Longboard’s Grill or at the Harbor’s Brophy Brothers Restaurant are both kid-friendly destinations with breathtaking views of the harbor. Try to time it with sunset. (Hint: Longboarder’s has a treasure chest, barrels of peanuts to shuck, and a kids’ menu, but Brophy Brothers has better seafood…). Read more here.