Knapp's Castle is an abandoned mansion in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara. A trail just under one mile out and back takes you to the ruins and a stunning vista point overlooking Los Padres National Forest and the Santa Ynez Valley. George Owen Knapp, founded of Union Carbide, created the mansion for his residence in 1916. Famous Opera Singer Lotte Lehmann moved here in 1940, but the castle was destroyed by fire only 5 weeks later.
#122 Boddy House
The Boddy House is a beautiful Hollywood Regency Mansion at the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Designed by Hollywood's James Dolena for newspaper tycoon Manchester Boddy in 1937, the 22 room mansion has stunning views of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains. This 12,000sq. ft. house is a wonderful way to relive the glamour of Hollywood's past by a visit to the gardens.
#23 Franceschi Park
Franceschi Park in Santa Barbara is the essential spot to view a panorama of Santa Barbara. The drive up via Alameda Padre Serra road is a thrill in itself. Located on the former estate of Francesco Franceschi, an Italian Botanist, this 18 acre park contains the ghostly remains of a mansion and gardens. During the turn of the 20th century, Franceschi imported nearly one thousand different species of plants into Southern California transforming the way SoCal would be landscaped forever.
