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Santa Barbara's innovative beggars

If you’re down and out in Santa Barbara – or just need a little extra shopping money, here is a great idea.

For sideshow tricks throw a quarter in the hanging bucket

Set up a little wishing well with a bucket to collect all the coins from gullible pier walkers, entice them with sign on a piece of cardboard saying, Have a go, and sit underneath and watch the money fall out of trees. Well impressed.

"I know it's windy but have a go"

Personally I reckon Santa Barbara, the sunny Californian city just 2 hours drive north of LA, is the prettiest city in America.

It is protected from the hot desert winds by the Santa Ynez mountain range and is actually south facing thanks to its location on a nook of the west coast. That means warm southerly breezes. But aside from the climate, the buildings are pretty much ALL Spanish style. The main street is bursting with flowers and piazzas and fountains and no skyscrapers are seen. Italian restaurants cosy up next to coffee shops (and they know how to make a decent non-Starbucks latte!)

The beach is impossibly wide and the pier hosts little souvenir shops and practical warnings like, do not wear bare feet or stilletos.

No feet allowed

I didn’t actually see any of these entreneurs, but can only image they were sitting under the bridge waiting for money to fall out of the sky.

I heart Santa Barbara!

Read my driving story from LA to San Francisco with 2 nights in Santa Barbara here >>>

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Elena

Friday 23rd of March 2018

Hi Megan,

I'm thrilled and impressed with your writing and description of places. My husband invited me to experience LA to San Franc this May and gave me your block to read. I was hesitating before, but not now! Thank you very much! And I'm looking forward on more of your stories and will come back to your block when go to other places.

Kind Regards, Elena. xx

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Hi, I'm Megan Singleton and I'm the word slinger of this travel blog as well as on radio in NZ every Sunday. Former Travel Editor at Yahoo NZ and current freelance writer for a few newspapers and mags from time to time, I set off on this travel writing journey 20 years ago and I've pretty much always got a suitcase half packed (or half un-packed!) I'd love you to join me on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for my newsletters if you want loads of travel tips, advice and deals!