|
more articles like this
Chase Palm Park
updated: Oct 09, 2010, 9:30 AM
By the Dedicated Staff
Locals know it as the place where they gather to enjoy free summer concerts on June, July and August evenings. It's the park with the carousel and the shipwreck-themed playground. The park is a perfect spot for picnics, but also a hangout for many of the city's homeless. Chase Palm Park bridges two sides of Cabrillo Boulevard along Santa Barbara's waterfront, and it has many facets that visitors will want to note.
Named for Pearl Chase (1888-1979), a forward-thinking visionary when it came to Santa Barbara's future. She saw the potential of our beautiful ocean side city and pushed for preservation of its best attributes through her civic involvement. Called "the most influential woman in the history of Santa Barbara" by one local columnist, she attended Santa Barbara High School and UC Berkeley. After graduating, she came back to Santa Barbara and immediately became civically involved.
She fought development of two noted spots that have already been featured as Edhat Tourist Attractions of the Week - the Mission Rose Garden and Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden. The park is named for her efforts on behalf on behalf of the city, not because she gave the land to the city. The property was actually a donation by the late Fess Parker, as part of the original agreement to conduct waterfront development on adjacent parcels.
The Pearl Chase Society committed to preservation of historic sites around Santa Barbara, continues her legacy. The Botanic Garden and Franceschi House are among the current sites on the society's watch list. The society has a campaign to try to save the decaying Franceschi House. Learn more about Pearl Chase at this link.
Here are 5 reasons you may want to visit Chase Palm Park on your trip to Santa Barbara:
 If you have small children, they'll want to ride the carousel and play on the playground. The carousel anchors the park's entrance at Garden and Cabrillo. Housed in a round building, it's a vintage Allan Herschel Co. creation that dates back to 1915. You'll notice, though, that some of the paintings around the carousel's lavishly decorated awning look as though they could be scenes of early Santa Barbara, including ocean-traveling Native Americans and sea lions on a sunny beach. Rides on the carousel are $2.00, and the machinery is in impeccably restored condition. Adjacent to the building that houses the carousel is a large fountain surrounded by benches, a nice place to take a break or have a snack. You'll find the playground midway through the park; a large recently built structure with all sorts of fun for younger kids.
 Half of the park is on the ocean side of Cabrillo Boulevard. Popular with joggers, cyclists, sunbathers, dog walkers, fitness fanatics and many others, the grassy, palm tree lined oceanfront half of Chase Palm Park is one of Santa Barbara's signature walks. Heading south from Stearns Wharf, you'll enjoy a view of the coastline that stretches all the way to Ventura on a clear day, and just to Montecito if things are misty. A bike path between the park and the sand is a good place to roller skate or ride bicycles, including rented surreys or reclining bikes. The park ends at East Beach, where the Bathhouse is a great spot to have breakfast any day of the week.
 Learn about native plants and wetlands. The city has set up an educational program about the importance of coastal wetlands as part of the park's wandering garden paths. Beneath the mature oak trees is a wandering creek that winds through the park, a variety of carefully selected native plant species, and educational plaques that provide information about wetland ecosystems. Because most of Santa Barbara's waterfront has been developed in one way or another, it's interesting to learn what it would be like in its natural state.
 Go to a concert in the park (summertime only). These Thursday evening shows are free, put on by the City Parks and Recreation Department, and overwhelmingly popular with locals and visitors alike. They feature a variety of types of music, and are usually packed with families picnicking, couples dancing, passers-by catching a few tunes and much more. Local resident and famed musician Kenny Loggins even dropped by and sat in on one of the shows this summer. See some of the photos Edhat subscribers have taken at the concerts, which happen in the open air amphitheatre on the park's south end, at these links:
Last concert of 2010
Cow Bop in the Park
Hapa Concert
Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries
 You simply shouldn't miss Santa Barbara's waterfront. It's the city's crown jewel and great insight into why so many locals talk glowingly about local quality of life. Stretching from the Mesa neighborhood at the top of Shoreline Drive, down Shoreline along Shoreline Park, to Santa Barbara City College and the Santa Barbara Harbor, past Stearns Wharf, and out to East Beach, the full length of the waterfront is something you'll want to see on foot, bicycle, or by car. Chase Palm Park is a significant part of that experience. Every day, hundreds of people - visitors and locals - run or walk through here to enjoy the best of Santa Barbara. Join them and see what it's all about
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
# # # #
Send this picture as a postcard
# # # #
THIS LOCATION ON THE MAP
Back to Main Story
Be the first to comment on this article.
# # # #
|
