Hollywood Celebrities abound on the California Central Coast. While visiting Santa Barbara, you may have a celebrity sighting. On several visits we've seen Bo Derek and John Travolta. Travolta showed friends or family the Santa Barbara Courthouse and was coming out of the elevator as we prepared to enter for a view of the world on the courthouse's spectacular top balcony. We saw Derek in Santa Ynez at the quaint downtown shopping region. She was in an art gallery we entered. We took no pictures and said nothing to the celebs. But you, on the other hand, may pull out your camera and interject into their lives if you don't mind bugging the Hollywood icons. That's just the way life is.

Why wouldn't celebrities want to reside at the crown jewel of the California coast?  With tucked away Montecito offering huge oceanside estates where privacy is great, the investment is only part of the advantage for choosing a location with better weather, wineries, amenities, art and the small town feel that allows celebs to escape from the Hollywood bustle.  We've been told that Ventura is also one of their great hideaways where they can relax but pound for pound, Santa Barbara has the market (per capita) for star power outside Hollywood, Belair, Holmby Hills and greater Los Angeles.

If you visit Santa Barbara, be sure to casually ask your food servers at restaurant or your sales assistants at shops if they've had any celebrity sightings. Not all can divulge their knowledge but many will tell you if and when a celebrity has been seen there recently. Some celebrities you may see in Santa Barbara are Alan Thicke, Bernie Taupin (Elto John composer), Bill Butler, Bo Derek, Bob Eubanks, Brad Pitt, Carol Burnett, Charlize Theron, Cheryl Ladd, Chris Carter, David Carradine, David Crosby, Dennis Miller, Diane Ladd, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Ellen Degeneres, Fess Parker, Jackson Browne, Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, John Travolta, Jonathan Winters, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kathy Ireland, Keith Carradine, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, Kevin Costner, Kirk Douglas, Michael Keaton, Michael McDonald, Michelle Pfeiffer, Oprah Winfrey (built a beautiful mansion recently), Richard Crenna, Richard Dreyfus, Rob Lowe, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg. Wow! That's mega-star power all in one little region comprised of just over 100,000 people.