No, I didn’t get arrested. Neither did Ursula. We went into the courthouse unshackled and free, and we left the same way. What brought us here were the glorious architectural features, incredible interior art, and magnificent views from atop the bell tower. You’ll see what I mean in a moment.
We departed Mission Santa Barbara on foot and headed southeast along Santa Barbara Street. Along the way we discovered the enchanting Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. After our detour through the park, we continued southeast until reaching the Santa Barbara Courthouse. This architecture wonder has been called the, “. . . grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built.” The person who made that claim should know, as it was none other than Charles Willard Moore.
And here are the views from atop the bell tower, inside the courthouse, and on the hike to get there:
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- Courthouse fountain
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- Courthouse tiles
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- Santa Barbara Courthouse and sunken garden
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- Courthouse bell tower
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- Incredible ceilings
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- Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
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- More magnificent ceilings
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- Courthouse details
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- Murals in the courtroom
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- Courthouse tiled stairway
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- Courthouse views
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- Looking toward the coast
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- Courthouse details
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- Courthouse view
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- Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
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- Santa Barbara in the distance
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- The views from the bell tower
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
R. Doug Wicker — Author 