Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park consists of 5 of the 8 Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coast. Although the islands are close to the shore, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped.

The northern Channel Islands are Anacapa (1.1 sq mi), San Miguel (14.6 sq mi), Santa Cruz (96.5 sq mi) and Santa Rosa (83 sq mi) and the southern islands are San Clemente (57 sq mi), San Nicolas (23 sq mi), Santa Barbara (1 sq mi) and Santa Catalina (75 sq mi).

The islands in Channel Islands National Park include San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands. Anacapa is in Ventura County while the other four are in Santa Barbara County. San Clemente Island, the southernmost Channel Island, is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy. Catalina Island as we know with its population of 3,700 is a popular tourist destination. San Nicolas Island in Ventura County is also controlled by the U.S. Navy. On a clear day you can see two of the five islands, Anacapa and Santa Cruz.

Visitors to the islands may swim, snorkel, hike, camp, watch wildlife, sail and explore tidepools, beaches and canyons. There is no food service on the islands, so bring what you need. Take a commercial service to the islands like Island Packers, which has been servicing the islands since 1968. Landings at Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands are year-round while the more remote outer islands, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and San Miguel are scheduled late spring through early fall.

Visit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/chis to learn more about visiting Channel Islands National Park. The park is open year-round.

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park is located in the Ventura Harbor at 1901 Spinnaker Drive (805.658.5730) and the Outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor Center is located at the Santa Barbara Harbor at 113 Harbor Way, 4th Floor.

On a clear day you can see two of the Channel Islands from Newbury Park and other Ventura County spots. Here's a view from the Rancho Potrero Open Space area.

Santa Barbara Bowl

The Santa Barbara Bowl, located at 1122 N. Milpas Street, Santa Barbara, was originally built in 1936 and today with its capacity of nearly 4600 people is the largest outdoor amphitheater in Santa Barbara County.

The Bowl is a beautiful outdoor setting with views of the ocean and the city.  It offers top notch acts on a year-round basis.

The parking lot utilized by the Bowl for patrons is located at Santa Barbara High School, less than 200 yards away from the venue. A short climb beside stone masonry walls through a beautiful glen with old oak trees leads to the amphitheater. Due to the historic design of the Santa Barbara Bowl, it is recommended that all patrons arrive early- 90 minutes before scheduled start of concert- to ensure ease and comfort of parking and entry to venue.

For more information and to buy tickets visit www.sbbowl.com or call 805.962.7411.

Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries in Santa Barbara

President Reagan’s home for 25 years and the Western White House during the height of the Cold War, the Reagan Ranch embodies the life and ideas of Ronald Reagan. In the spring of 1998, Young America’s Foundation stepped forward to save the Reagan Ranch; eight years later, in June 2006, the Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara opened its doors. This Schoolhouse for Reaganism serves as an important complement to the Ranch itself.

The Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara is open to the general public for tours and visitation Monday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm year round.

These galleries feature original Reagan Ranch artifacts matched with state-of-the-art, interactive, multimedia exhibits that highlight the history of Ronald Reagan’s quarter-century at Rancho del Cielo and the accomplishments of his presidency.

Over six hours of dynamic multimedia exhibits provide access to exclusive speeches, interviews, radio addresses, and original video presentations. The centerpiece of the gallery is a 28-foot-long interactive “timeline” that gives users the ability to explore the “Western White House” during the 1980s.

The galleries also feature several unique collections on display, including the Lorraine Wagner Letter Collection, a nearly 300-piece collection of letters written by Ronald Reagan over a 50-year period and the Russell D. Sibert Collection, featuring rare Reagan-related memorabilia such as campaign buttons, posters and commemorative items.

A massive 5,000 pound section of the Berlin Wall greets visitors as they arrive at the Reagan Ranch Center, reminding the world of Ronald Reagan’s role in eliminating this assault on human dignity and freedom. The president’s famous blue Jeep Scrambler, complete with “Gipper” license plate, sits in the center of the gallery, flanked by a selection of his favorite books, an original saddle and chainsaw owned and used by President Reagan.

The Reagan Ranch Center is designed to engage visitors of all ages; younger children can even earn their “Junior Secret Service Clearance” by completing a fun and educational scavenger hunt.

The Reagan Ranch Center is located at 217 State Street next to the train station.

Admission is FREE. For more information call 1-888-USA-1776 or visit www.yaf.org/ExhibitGalleries.aspx.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum houses a collection of over 80,000 objects and artifacts of significance relating to Santa Barbara’s past. Constructed in 1965 by the Santa Barbara Historical Society, the Museum is the primary repository of Santa Barbara’s collective cultural heritage and ethnic diversity. Visitor see a wide array of unique paintings, objects, photographs, furnishings and textiles dating from the 15th century. Santa Barbara’s rich past is represented with artifacts from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, “Yankee” and Chinese cultures. The Museum also hosts three to four special exhibitions a year in the rotating Sala gallery.

The Gledhill Library contains rare literary and visual documents, including 70,000 historic photographs. Two early 19th century buildings, the 1817 Casa Covarrubias and the 1836 Historic Adobe are adjacent to the Museum.

The Fernald Mansion, a fourteen room Queen Anne Victorian located at 414 West Montecito Street, is currently closed for renovation.

Admission is free, $5 donation suggested. The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm, and is closed Mondays. Free guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.

The Gledhill Library is open for research Tuesday to Friday from 10am-4pm and the first Saturday of each month from10am-1 pm and is closed weekends/Mondays.

The Museum is located at 136 E. De la Guerra Street, on the corner of Santa Barbara St. and De la Guerra. Visit www.SantaBarbaraMuseum.com or call 805.966.1601 to learn more.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located at the Santa Barbara Waterfront Center and is a beautiful, high tech facility. The mission of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is to preserve and celebrate the maritime heritage of the California Coast and present it to the public in an interesting and exciting way.

Exhibits include boat models, surfing artifacts, historic Goleta cannons, interactive environmental displays, rescue and emergency equipment, fishing and diving technology, shipwreck displays, a children's gallery and more. The Museum is also a unique event venue that can accomodate from 200 to 400 guests.

My young boys particularly enjoyed 3 things at the museum - the interactive fishing game (combines a video game with an actual fishing pole as you attempt to catch a variety of virtual fish), the kids computer area (I had to pull them away from the Spongebob game) and the U.S. Navy periscope exhibit on hand. The periscope is particularly interesting for all ages because it is an actual, working periscope from a submarine that they've set up so that you can check out 360 degree scenes around Santa Barbara.

The museum is bright, packed with numerous items and has a large video viewing room upstairs. Go check it out!

The museum is located at 113 Harbor Way Suite 190, Santa Barbara. Open every day except Wednesday. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors 62+, kids 6 to 17 and students (with ID), and $2 for kids 1 to 5. Active military is $4 but in uniform it is FREE. The 3rd Thursday of each month is free admission!

Hours 10am to 5pm from Labor Day to Memorial Day and 10am to 6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. More information at www.sbmm.org or call 805.962.8404.

Mission Historical Park and A.C. Postel Garden in Santa Barbara

Directly across the street from the Old Santa Barbara Mission is the 8 acre Mission Historical Park (at the corner of Los Olivos and Laguna Street). The centerpiece of this park is the 1,500 plant A.C. Postel Garden which has a stunning All American Rose Garden. It is appealing to both your sense of sight and sense of smell. For more information or to reserve the site for a wedding or event, visit www.santabarbaraca.gov or call 805.564.5418.

Opera Santa Barbara

Founded in 1994, Opera Santa Barbara brings high quality opera performances to Santa Barbara, such as La boheme, Madama Butterfly, Aida, Don Pasquale, The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, Pirates of Penzance, Rigoletto, Don Giavanni and other productions. There are generally three productions each year, plus other great events.

Performances take place at the Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street, Santa Barbara.  To learn more and purchase tickets, visit www.operasb.org.

Casa de la Guerra in Santa Barbara

Casa de la Guerra is one of the most important remnants of Santa Barbara's Spanish-Mexican heritage, along with El Presidio de Santa Bárbara (1782) and Mission Santa Barbara (1786). This adobe residence was constructed between 1818 and 1828 by Josè de la Guerra, the fifth comandante of the Presidio. In addition to his military post, de la Guerra ran an active commercial trade enterprise and served as a patriarch for the community.

His home was the social, political, and cultural center of Santa Barbara during the Mexican period. Descendants of Josè continued to occupy the building until 1943, when the Casa was fully incorporated into the El Paseo complex. In the 1990s, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation restored the building to its appearance between 1828 and 1858.

The adobe is now a museum, containing exhibits on the history of the de la Guerra family and the building, furnished period rooms, and rotating exhibits on Santa Barbara and Early California history.

Casa de la Guerra is a City Landmark, a California Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Museum hours are Saturday/Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Located at 13-15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara (just half a block off of State Street. Admission is Adult: $5, Senior (62+): $4, Student: $5, Children (under 16): Free  (Note: Free admission to SB Presidio with purchase of admission to Casa de la Guerra).

Visit sbthp.org/casa.htm or call 805.965.0093 for more information.

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bike Rentals - Ventura

With a number of locations in Ventura and Santa Barbara, Wheel Fun Rentals provides a nice assortment of bicycles, quads, coupes, surreys, tag-alongs and other 2 to 4 wheel human powered vehicles for rides along the beach. They also offer a wide assortment of water vehicles...boats, surfboards, boogie boards, etc.

Nearby locations as of June 2012 are:

Oxnard- Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort, 2101 Mandalay Beach Road, Oxnard (805.984.1994) Oxnard - Channel Islands Marine Emporium Landing, 3600 S. Harbor Blvd, Oxnard (805.382.6233) Ventura - Crowne Plaza, 450 E. Harbor Blvd (805.648.2100) Ventura - Four Points by Sheraton, 1050 Schooner Drive (805.658.1212)

Ventura Pier 850 Harbor Blvd., Ventura (805.650.7770)

Ventura State Beach Picnic Area, 901 San Pedro, Ventura (805.650.7770)

Ventura- Marriott 2055 Harbor Blvd., Ventura (805.643.6000)

Santa Barbara - Fess Parker's Double Tree Resort 633 East Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara (805.966.2282)

Santa Barbara - Cabrillo, 23 East Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara  (805.966.2282)

Santa Barbara - State Street, 22 State Street, Santa Barbara (805.966.2282) Santa Barbara - The Hyatt, 1111 East Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara (805.966.2282)

They also do group and teambuilding activities. For more information visit www.wheelfunrentals.com or call 805.650.7770.

Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show

The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show that runs along Cabrillo Boulevard from State Street east about a mile every Sunday and holiday, barring bad weather. This is truly a unique show in that only local Santa Barbara artists, around 200 of them, display their original drawings, paintings, sculptures, crafts and photos. This show has run continuously since 1965 and has been sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department since 1966.

So make a day of it and check out the show and take in some of the other great activities in Santa Barbara while you're at it. And of course buy something to support local artists! I'm actually looking up at an original, signed art piece from artist Jean Nerfin on my wall purchased at this show.  Learn more about the show at the aptly named www.santabarbaraartsandcraftsshow.com or call 805.897.1982.

Ty Warner Sea Center - Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Ty Warner Sea Center is a fun, engaging, interactive marine education facility located on Stearns Wharf. Owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Ty Warner Sea Center fulfills the mission of the Museum to inspire a passion for the natural world.

We love this place!  This is a not a huge museum but it is worth stop by with the kids every now and then. Very hands on! There's a shark tank where you can interact with and pet the sharks and other sea life, a tidepool tank and various other displays such as an octopus, moray eel, jellyfish, etc. There's also an area of where they dredge up sand and sea life from below and let you sift through it, looking for interesting things under easy to use microscopes.

Make a day of it in Santa Barbara, have lunch, stop by the carousel at Chase Palm Park, ride bikes along the beach, shop and eat on State Street, etc.

The Sea Center is located at 211 Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., major holidays excepted. As of August 2011, admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+) and teens (13-17) and $5 for children (2-12). But BETTER YET...do as we did and purchase a family membership at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and get in FREE anytime you want to both museums! It's great!

For more info visit www.sbnature.org/seacenter or call 805.962.2526.

Santa Barbara Audubon Aviary

Eyes in the Sky (EITS) is an education program with the Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS) that brings a variety of programs to children and adults in the Santa Barbara area. EITS features wildlife messengers - birds of prey native to the area that are no longer capable of surviving in the wild. As of December 2011, EITS's rescued raptors include Max the Great Horned Owl, Ivan the Red-Tailed Hawk, Puku the Western Screech Owl, Kachina the American Kestrel and Kisa the Peregrine Falcon.

The SBAS has teamed with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara) to build the Santa Barbara Audubon Aviary, a physical structure located in the "backyard" area of the Museum. The Aviary is open every afternoon between 2 and 4PM. During this time, volunteers bring the birds out for exercise, sunshine, misting/baths and close up encounters with visitors.  We have seen these animals up close and they are quite impressive!

For more information, visit www.santabarbaraaudubon.org/EITS.html or call 805.898.0347.

Max the Owl. (I kind of liked the red eye look on him so I left it.)We met Kisa the Peregrine Falcon when her caretaker was taking her out for some fresh air. This is one stunning bird to look at. Wouldn't want to mess with her though with those claws!

Condor Express Whale Watching in Santa Barbara

The Condor Express is Santa Barbara's newest, most modern whale watching, party cruise, and private charter vessel, launched in March 2002. A beautifully appointed vessel, the Condor Express boasts large walk-around decks, a generous upper sun-deck, and a raised forward bow area. These features provide unparalleled, close-to-the-action, viewing of the Santa Barbara Channels' marine life and scenic coastline. The luxurious teak-paneled cabin seats 68 people for comfortable dining with a smoked glass skylight.

The Condor Express is the ideal platform for whale watching, island excursions, weddings and receptions, company charters, dinner cruises, educational and research trips - virtually any type of ocean outing! The Condor Express's unique combination of speed, luxury, safety, and experienced crew offers our passengers the opportunity to see and experience more of the sights, wildlife, and beauty of the Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands than any other vessel.

Today, with the California Gray Whale population restored to its pre-whaling numbers (18,000-26,000), and the recent appearance of Humpback and Blue whales during the summer months (since 1992), whale watching aboard Condor Cruises has evolved into a year-round adventure.

With more than 30 years of experience, over 100,000 satisfied passengers, and a love and appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants, Condor Cruises has evolved into one of the most successful whale watching and private charter boat operations in the U.S.

Visit www.condorcruises.com or call 805.882.0088 for more information. Trips depart delay from the Sea Landing (Cabrillo Blvd and Bath St).

Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Stearns Wharf is located at the juncture of W. Cabrillo Road and State Street in Santa Barbara. Originally constructed in 1872 by lumberman John P. Stearns as the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is now one of the most visible and visited tourist destinations in Santa Barbara.

Placemarker in front of Stearns Wharf facing State Street

Our family particularly enjoys visiting the Ty Warner Sea Center located on the wharf, followed by a stop at the candy store or the ice cream shop. Of course, The Harbor Restaurant and Longboards Grill are crowd favorites. There's also wine tasting, Moby Dick Restaurant, fish and chips, souvenir shops and other places that are fun to stop by.

Facing the wharf from the northeast side

You can get onto the wharf in a number of ways. There is limited parking on the wharf that currently (as of August 2011) costs $2.50/hour up to a maximum of $20 per day...but first 90 minutes are FREE with validation. Or you can park along Cabrillo Road or in a local beach parking lot and walk onto the wharf. Or do what we enjoy...park at the Santa Barbara Harbor and ride bikes onto the wharf. The wood planks are a bit bumpy but you'll survive!

Learn more about Stearns Wharf at www.stearnswharf.org.

Beautiful views of the harbor area as you'll see below from the pier. If you walk onto the wharf, you may encounter some locals that "live off the land" with sand sculptures and other monuments on the sand for your viewing pleasure (and perhaps some spare change). They are part of the carnival atmosphere. And of course on Sundays you'll be treated to the Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show that has been running since 1965.

Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens in Santa Barbara

Located at 1500 Santa Barbara Street, adjacent to Alameda Park, Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens is a beautiful botanic garden with over 75 tree and plant species. There's also a large koi pond with some ducks floating around (at least the day we were there), picnic area, gazebo and walking paths. Gorgeous park quite suitable for weddings.

Visit the City of Santa Barbara website at www.santabarbaraca.gov/eRecreation/Facilities/FacilitiesDetail.asp?FacilityId=16 or call 805.564.5418 to make reservations.

Lots of turtles in the pond!