Say you’re traveling around the country or around the world — not necessarily doing exalted mayor or semi-exalted city council stuff, but maybe just being a person. You mention to someone you’re from Santa Barbara. And even before you can deftly slip into the conversation that you’re kind of running the place — how often do you hear something like:
“Oh, Santa Barbara. It’s so beautiful! You’re so lucky!
Obviously, Santa Barbara is one of the world’s iconic places. Like Paris or Venice or Prague or Barstow. And what’s the most famous site in Santa Barbara, the one every tourist has to visit? Obviously, it’s La Super-Rica Taqueria. But second has got to be the Santa Barbara Mission.