By train (Amtrak) from Los Angeles and San Diego:
At Santa Barbara station you can walk 13 blocks (9 up State St., right on Figueroa, then 4 blocks to Garden St., or take a tram shuttle (25 cents) up State St. and get off at Figueroa, then walk/turn right onto Figueroa until Garden St.

Cross Garden Street. Halfway down the block, turn left onto asphalt Alta Vista driveway next to a stone wall. Go to the top of the hill. The office is behind the American Flag (daytime).

A taxi will cost between $5 and $8. Yellow Taxi knows Alta Vista well. Call 805 965-5111.

Notes:

If anyone is driving you, including a cabbie, you can say Alta Vista is one block past the Police Station which is one block past the Courthouse, in the center of the city.

Traffic within Santa Barbara is rarely held up.

Don't rely on Amtrak to catch a plane--trains are often late or sometimes canceled. Be prepared to rent an Enterprise car several blocks away if your train fails to arrive.

There are Amtrak trains from Central and Northern California, but the travel time is extensive. Check Amtrak schedules.