Santa Barbara: home to a beautiful coastline, laid-back atmosphere, and the West Wind Drive-In Theater - photo courtesy of Benjamin Dumas via Flickr
Santa Barbara is often referred to as “The American Riviera”. This designation comes from its unrivaled location along California’s southern(ish) coast, its proximity to the mountains nestled behind it, and its spectacular ability to lie on the edge of a continent next to the Pacific ocean all the while maintaining a mean annual temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
In addition, Santa Barbara is home to old-Spanish styled architecture and the architectural congruence of adobe buildings and tiled roofs speak to the diligence of the city’s planning commissioners. Add to this an attractive waterfront and a thriving main street (called State Street), and you’ve got a quaint little town with quite a healthy reputation.
But a visit to Santa Barbara isn’t really about the to-do list. It’s more-so just about enjoying the essence of the place, of absorbing its small charms, its one-foot in the past and slower-paced beauty. One such way to experience this is the West Wind Santa Barbara Drive-In.
Tucked away by the airport and watershed, the West Wind Drive-In was inoperative for some years, but has recently been resurrected. A great way to experience a movie with your date or the whole family, the West Wind has been seasonal in operation, but currently plays double features every day of the week.
Cars and trucks line up along its dusty furrows in amicable bundles, and before the movie people socialize with wine and make friends over tail-gate served hors d’oeuvres, music, and the occasional BBQ. The West Wind is fully outfitted with bathrooms and a concession stand, and watching the sun set and the lights flicker on a 100-foot outdoor movie screen, you realize that this indeed is a modern city, though the pace feels comfortably fifty years behind the times.
And those are good times on the American Riviera.
For showtimes, prices, and more visit: http://www.westwinddriveins.com/di-index.html
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West Wind Santa Barbara Drive-In from San Diego Things to Do
