Elevation:50 feet

Time Zone:Pacific Time (Three hours behind Eastern Standard time: when it is 12:00 noon in New York City; it is 9:00am in Santa Barbara) Daylight saving time observed April-October.

Location:90 miles north of Los Angeles: 330 miles south of San Francisco. Substantially reduced fees at many tourist attractions are available for children, students, and senior citizens.

Average Temperatures (in Fahrenheit):   High Low January - March 66 43 April - June 72 48 July - September 76 57 October - December 74 43

 Located on the coast of California, Santa Barbara County's climate is mild and sunny all year, with an average daytime temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (16 and 21 degrees Celsius). Summers in Santa Barbara are dry and warm. The rainy season begins in late fall and ends in early spring. The coastal areas of Santa Barbara are usually cooler than the inland regions by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Public Holidays:Jan. 1 New Year's DayJanuary ( 3rd Monday) Martin Luther King Jr's birthdayFebruary 12 Lincoln's BirthdayFebruary (3rd Monday) Washington's BirthdayMay (Last Monday) Memorial DayJuly 4 Independence DaySeptember (1st Monday) Labor DaySeptember 9 Admission DayNovember 11 Veterans' DayNovember (4th Thursday) Thanksgiving DayDecember 25 Christmas Day

What to pack:When packing for a California vacation, prepare for changes in temperature. Take along sweaters, jackets, and clothes for layering as the best way to cope with temperature variations. Include shorts or cool cottons. Always tuck in a bathing suit. Casual dressing is a hallmark of the California lifestyle, and this is true of Santa Barbara. However, you will find that patrons of many restaurants will interpret this as "chic" casual and will be fashionably, though casually, dressed. Santa Barbara is a coastal town and can be chilly at any time of the year, especially in summer, when the fog creeps in from time to time.

Business Hours:Most banks are open from 10 to 4 Monday through Friday. Many are open for several hours on Saturday. Most businesses in Santa Barbara are open Monday through Saturday, from 9 or 10 am to 6 or 9 pm. Many others, including shopping centers, are also open Sunday from noon - 5 or later.Most museums in Santa Barbara are open Tuesday - Sunday. A few are also open on Monday. Major attractions are open daily.

Emergencies:Ambulance ( 911)Fire ( 911)Police ( 911)Hospital Emergency Rooms: Cottage Hospital (Pueblo St. at Bath St., Santa Barbara, 805/682-7111; 805/569-7210 for emergency).

Mail:1st class letters (under one ounce) sent within the United States cost 33 cents; postcards are 20 cents. A one ounce letter to Canada takes a 48 cent stamp and a postcard 45 cents; for Mexico, you'll need a 40 cent stamp for a half ounce letter and 40 cents for a postcard. Airmail letters (under a half ounce) to other overseas destinations cost 60 cents, and postcards are 55 cents. For 60 cents, you can also buy an aerogram -- a pre-stamped sheet of lightweight blue paper that folds into its own envelope.

ATMs:are readily available throughout California.

Electricity:The U.S. electrical standard is 110 volts/60 cycles AC. Foreign visitors traveling with dual voltage appliances will not need a converter, but they will need a plug adapter. The standard U.S. electrical outlet takes a plug of two flat pins set parallel to one another.

How to Travel to Santa Barbara:

By Air:Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (500 Fowler Rd., 805/683-4011), 8 miles from downtown, serves the Santa Barbara region. Flights from outside the United States involve a change of planes, often in Los Angeles or San Francisco. Flying time is roughly five hours from New York and four hours from Chicago.

By Bus: The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District ( 805/683-3702) Bus 11 runs from the airport to the downtown transit center. Greyhound ( 800/231-2222) provides service to Santa Barbara from points within California, the U.S., and Canada.

By Car:U.S. 101 and Highway 1 are the main routes to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles and San Francisco.

By Train:Amtrak ( 800/872-7245) Coast Starlight runs between Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle, and stops in Santa Barbara. Several trains operate daily between Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Amtrak's local number in Santa Barbara is 805/963-1015.

Consider flying into LA - where you would board the Coast Starlight train. This is a first-class experience, and a great way to meet folks. After clearing the LA suburbs, the train travels along the coast line (much closer than Hwy. 1) for several hours. You'll actually look down on gulls and water - it's like being on a ship. If you opt for this, even if only for a few hours, be sure to get a compartment that will gain you entrance to the first-class observation car (where coffee, pastry and fruit are served, first thing), and your meals in the dining car will be included. The complete trip (two days/one night) would take you all the way up to Seattle, thru some gorgeous mountain scenery, and include two sunsets, and complimentary wine and champagne tastings each evening. But even if you don't take the train all the way north, do consider hopping aboard for that first.

Customs:(for passengers arriving from other countries).For customs information, contact the U.S. Customs Service (inquiries, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229, 202/927-6724

Travel within the City of Santa Barbara:Take a vacation from your car and explore Santa Barbara's downtown and waterfront areas the most relaxing way, on foot. Visitors and locals alike also enjoy taking advantage of convenient bike rentals and scenic bike paths. Additional transportation options include taxi and local bus service.

By Bus:Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District ( 805/683-3702 or 805/963-3364) provides local service. The State Street and Waterfront shuttles cover their respective sections of Santa Barbara during the day every 10-15 minutes from 10:15am-6pm.

Cable Car:A motorized San Francisco style cable car operated by Santa Barbara Trolley Co. ( 805/965-0353) makes 90 minute runs from 10 am- 4 pm past major hotels, shopping areas, and attractions. Get off when you wish to, and pick up another trolley when you're ready to move on. The trolley departs from and returns to Stearns Wharf. The fare is currently $9.

By Car:You can buy detailed maps in bookstores and gas stations and at some grocery and drug stores.

Road Conditions:The roads in and around Santa Barbara are well maintained. Some congestion occurs on U.S. 101 during the morning (7-9) and evening (4-7) commuting hours. To find out more details on local conditions, call Caltrans ( 800/427-7623).