While most of our year is gloriously sunny with the bluest of skies and the most perfect temperatures you can imagine, we still have days when the skies turn to steel, the sun hides, and the rains pour down from the heavens. It happens infrequently enough that you may spot Santa Barbara residents doing crazy stuff, like standing in the middle of their yards, laughing, and chatting excitedly with friends; we love the rain, we can't help it!
But if it happens to rain in the middle of your vacation in paradise, we can understand that you may be less than thrilled. There's no need to worry, though. We've prepared a list of some of Santa Barbara's best rainy day activities to keep you entertained! You may even find yourself wishing for "just one more day" of the wet stuff!
If you must stay indoors, why not learn a few things about the history and culture of the Santa Barbara area while you're at it? There are large museums that will take up an entire rainy day, but the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, with its large collection of historical manuscripts, has a quirky appeal.
We're not that far from Hollywood, and our star power has never been brighter. On any given day, you can see a show with the biggest and best stars in California, or keep it small and enjoy our talented up and comers. The Lobero Theatre is one of the oldest running community theaters in the state and features a fine mixture of local talent and big name acts.
We've lost count of how many vineyards and wine tasting rooms there are in Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities, but rainy days are the perfect time to visit as many as you can! Some even offer multiple stop wine tours with a bus that does all the driving for one reasonable price, but an Uber works just as well. Spending the day sampling delicious wines from all over the valley is always a good idea!
Read a good book as you sit on your covered deck, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the Pacific Ocean below you. Plan a game day with your family in the oversized living room filled with comfortable furnishings; puzzles, board games, or even the occasional video game are all amazing ways to bond with your family!
Even on rainy days there's a bunch of fun things to do in Santa Barbara and your Paradise Retreats vacation condo in Santa Barbara!
