The SB Post

Channel Islands Adventures

The Channel Islands National Park & Marine Sanctuary is one of North America's greatest natural treasures and sits just 25 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara. If you have an adventurous spirit and want a one-of-a-kind eco-tourism experience, do make a point to visit the islands.

Considered "America's Galapagos", the Channel Islands are a habitat for an extraordinarily rich population of flora and fauna - of the 2,000 species found on the islands, 145 are endemic. The pristine, relatively untouched environment is accessible to visitors for day trips, hiking, camping, diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking and whale watching. Equally rich in history, one of the site's most fascinating facts is that the oldest human remains found in America were discovered on the islands, tracing back 13,000 years.

As amazing as the islands are, getting there from Santa Barbara is not the easiest feat if you don't have a boat. But it's gotten easier lately with expanded charter service. Truth Aquatics is the only Santa Barbara Harbor-based concessionaire authorized to land on the islands and they offer a variety of guided experiences including day visits and multi-day SCUBA diving, camping and hiking trips. (To be fair to our neighbors down south, plentiful day trips do depart from the Ventura Harbor, but from Santa Barbara that adds 90 minutes round-trip on the road.)

Santa Barbara Adventure Company recently introduced a Painted Cave Kayak Tour in partnership with Truth Aquatics, offering kayaking and snorkeling Santa Cruz Island excursions throughout the summer. The tour includes transportation from Santa Barbara Harbor, cooked meals, gear and guides who will fill you with facts and keep you safe while you kayak through Painted Cave, the 2^nd longest sea cave in the world.

I can handle a kayak but I'm not a brave adventurer, and I have to say kayaking in Painted Cave was one of the most memorable - albeit slightly nerve-wracking - adventures I've been on. There happened to be an unusually large swell the day we went out, and all was going swimmingly until I looked back towards the cave opening to see the silhouettes of massive-looking waves looming behind us. However, our guides were awesome and kept close by so I knew my life would not be ending in that cave. Jitters quickly calmed, I could appreciate the sheer majesty of Painted Cave - which is so large and long, a whale watching boat can easily fit into it. So it's not an adventure for the faint of heart, but with the help of the Adventure Co. guides, you really don't need experience to take the challenge on. Kids 12 and older can join the Channel Islands kayak trips, too.

If you'd rather not get out on the water or have less time to spare but want to see the Channel Islands, Condor Express is your best bet. The Condor is a high speed catamaran that reaches the islands in 45 minutes and they offer whale watching cruises daily, weather permitting. While you don't actually set foot on the islands, you can see them and the boat will enter Painted Cave for an up-close look. You'll also see whales and dolphins in the Santa Barbara Channel along the way.

It's not just tourism cheerleaders who tout the Channel Islands' greatness. Santa Barbara resident and international ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau (yes, that Cousteau, he's the son of Jacques) regards the Channel Islands as one of the most spectacular places in the world to dive. Hear what he has to say about it in our Inside Santa Barbara video series. And filmmaker Ken Burns recently put the spotlight on the Channel Islands in his widely-watched "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" PBS series.

Celebrate Summer Solstice, Santa Barbara Style

Santa Barbarans will be celebrating Summer Solstice in colorful fashion this weekend during the annual Summer Solstice Celebration June 25-26. The party kicks off Friday night with a two-day festival in Alameda Park which runs through Saturday evening and features live music, food, drink and art. The centerpiece event is the parade up State Street starting at high noon Saturday. More than 100,000 people come from near and far to witness the wacky, whimsical and fantastically creative display of the 1,000+ parade participants who dance, drum and entertain spectators. The tradition of the parade started in 1974 as a celebration of a local artist's birthday and it evolved into one of Santa Barbara's most popular signature events.

If you can't make it to Solstice, there are many other ways to honor the season and take advantage of summer's sublime, long evenings. From live music in the park to outdoor film screenings at the Zoo, the spirit of summer can be celebrated and savored all season long.

1^st Thursday: An Evening of Visual & Performing Arts takes place year round, but 1^st Thursdays during summer are extra glorious and lively. Downtown galleries keep their doors open from 5pm-8pm (some later), allowing you to gallery hop ‘til you drop. State Street hums with public performances and interactive exhibits and the 30+ participating venues feature live music, artists' demonstrations, refreshments and more inspiring entertainment.

Live music in the great outdoors under a canopy of stars is a consummate crowd pleaser. Every Saturday night May through September, El Capitan Canyon guests and neighbors gather at the Creekside Green for a night of blues, jazz and bluegrass. Stow House presents "Music at the Ranch", a six-week live music series Tuesday evenings July 13-August 17. The City of Santa Barbara's free Concerts in the Park series takes place every Thursday at Chase Palm Park July 1-August 19.

Movie night goes communal at the Santa Barbara Zoo during the "Zoovies" outdoor film series. Family-friendly G- and PG-rated films are shown while guests lounge on their blankets and enjoy refreshments Wednesday nights in July and August.

If you're an active, adrenaline-loving type, break a sweat alongside locals during the weekly Nite Moves Summer Sunset Series. The popular summer series runs Wednesdays May 5-September 1 and includes walking, running, swimming and kids' events in sporty, social, fun-filled evenings. All levels and ages are welcome. The action starts and finishes at Leadbetter Beach, where participants congregate to enjoy live music, food, raffles and fantastic views after their workouts.

There's a lot more of this type of entertainment on tap here this summer. Search our calendar of events for your travel dates. And if you prefer Facebook, we're constantly posting interesting happenings on our Santa Barbara page, as do our fans and local partners.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Five Stellar Santa Barbara Beaches

Santa Barbara has 100 miles of coastline and plentiful options for beach-going. Here's a short list of five stellar beaches to help you simplify choosing which beach to hit for soaking up sun and fun this summer.

Butterfly Beach:  Travel+Leisure magazine named this one of the nation's best beaches for people watching a few years ago, and for good reason. Butterfly is in Montecito (home to many a celebrity) and sits across from the luxurious Four Seasons Biltmore Resort. It's a narrow but lovely stretch of sand, offering views of the Santa Barbara Harbor, popular for sunning, swimming, surfing (when there's a swell) and walking. In the summer time, it's quite the social scene for the local 20- and 30-something set.

East Beach:  A Santa Barbara icon, East Beach is one of the area's broadest beaches. It's a top choice for families, with kid-friendly waters and facilities including East Beach Grill, a playground, kayak rentals, two parking lots and restrooms. East Beach has a thriving beach volleyball scene, too. East Beach is on the east end of Cabrillo Boulevard, so easily accessible from waterfront hotels by foot, bike and the electric shuttle.

Hendry's (Arroyo Burro Beach):  This is a fantastic walking beach-you can go in either direction for miles at low tide. Dogs are allowed on leash to the right and off leash to the left. So, if you're looking to sit and stay awhile, I suggest going to the right for a more peaceful experience. This isn't the ideal swimming beach because it's rocky in areas and seaweed prone. But kids can definitely get a good splash in. The Boathouse is a popular restaurant here, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The beachfront setting can't be beat, and if you're more interested in enjoying the view than eating, you can sip on a drink at the bar. Fabulous at sunset.

Leadbetter Beach:  On the opposite side of Cabrillo Boulevard, to the west of the Harbor, Leadbetter is another family fave with waters that tend to be tranquil and very swimmable. Barbecue pits with picnic tables line a grassy area just above the beach, and you can sit with your feet in the sand at the Shoreline Beach Café. Leadbetter is an ideal Stand Up Paddle Surfing location, and rentals and lessons are available from Paddle Sports at the Harbor nearby. Leadbetter is easily accessible from downtown and also on the bike path and electric shuttle route.

Refugio State Beach:   Refugio is an idyllic beach, about 20 miles north of Santa Barbara off of Highway 101. The crescent shaped beach almost looks tropical with the many palm trees lining it. If you can get a reservation in advance, camp and stay a while. For daytrippers, it's absolutely worth the drive to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. There is a camp store, but bringing your own food for a picnic or barbecue is ideal. A trail connects Refugio to El Capitan State Beach for walkers and bikers.

Summerland Beach:  About 5 miles south of Santa Barbara, Summerland Beach is a gem right off of Highway 101. There is not a great deal of parking and the beach can get crowded on summer weekends, so arrive early or be prepared to park on the street nearby. You'll have to walk down a paved path to reach the beach, which offers a fantastic sandy expanse and easy-going waters. There are no food facilities, but a couple of barbecue pits are available at the park above the beach. The tiny town of Summerland has a few casual burger joints or you can pick up food to-go at the Summerland Market.

Fly to SBA

Anyone who has ever flown into Santa Barbara Airport falls in love with it. Airports don't get much cuter or easier than SBA.

Locals adore it. I don't think you can get away with arriving 30 minutes before your flight at many airports these days. While I'd recommend giving it a little more wiggle room (say, 45 minutes, or an hour for the earliest morning departures) so you don't break a nervous sweat and do make life easier for airport personnel, it is actually possible to be so down-to-the-wire at SBA. It's that small and laid back. Another one of its many charms is that a person actually unloads bags by hand at baggage claim - there's no automated carousel, your bag is literally handed over to you.

All this to say that SBA is a great entry and exit point for visitors to Santa Barbara, and it's often overlooked as a very viable and affordable option. With direct service to major hubs like Denver, LAX, SFO, Salt Lake and Phoenix, as well as non-stops to Seattle, Sacramento and San Jose, SBA is pretty much one  connection away from any domestic airport. And last week, we became even more connected with the introduction of Frontier Airlines' new service to and from Denver, bringing us up to five daily Denver flights in both directions. United, Delta, Horizon Air/Alaska Airlines, American and US Airways also serve SBA.

Thinking of flying into LAX and renting a car to drive up to Santa Barbara? You might want to think twice. Check out SBA's online cost comparison tool, which calculates airfares, mileage and parking at both airports to help you compare savings. The calculator doesn't factor in the risk of time spent in LA traffic and general opportunity costs of spending that much more time in transit, but you can figure that part out for yourself! SBA is located eight miles northwest of downtown, with plentiful car rental options and bus, shuttle and taxi services to get you where you need to go once you're on the ground, too.

So if you're thinking of coming to Santa Barbara and you live more than a few hundred of miles away, consider flying into SBA. You'll be glad you did!

Sipping on Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail

Many locals don't even know about the excellent selection of wine tasting rooms located in downtown Santa Barbara, which are definitely worth checking out. So consider yourself in-the-know. The Urban Wine Trail is ideal for visitors who don't have the time to drive to wine country but want to taste superb local wines, or want to mix wine tasting in with a day at the beach, exploring museums and shopping downtown. The Urban Wine Trail is a perfect place for those new to tasting to dip a toe into the world of wine because pretension and snobbery are absolutely not on the menu!

From the classic vibe of Santa Barbara Winery to the laid back, surfboard-adorned Jaffurs Wine Cellars, these tasting rooms are relaxed, welcoming and, at times, quite lively. Wineries like Carr and Oreana put on the occasional after-hours event featuring live music or film screenings, so you can rub elbows with locals and get a dose of culture with your vino. You'll want to linger in the fresh, modern atmosphere of neighboring hot spots, Kunin Wines and Municipal Winemakers, located in the Funk Zone neighborhood by the beach. And you can taste several different local wines at The Alliance, which also offers the added benefit of the Wine Cask Bar Café menu if you crave a bite to eat.

Check out the map and listings for the full line-up of wineries-each has a distinctive personality, atmosphere and offerings. You can also pick up a map at any of the wineries or at the Visitor Center.

Most of the eleven tasting rooms are located within easy walking or biking distance of each other, and accessible via public transportation. If you're on foot/bike, they'll even arrange to have any wine you purchase delivered to your hotel for you. Prefer to let someone else do the driving? Book a tour with Captain Jacks, or put an eco-friendly spin on it and let someone else do the pedaling on an SB Pedicab tour.

Tasting room staff are a great resource for restaurant recommendations and insider tips, so don't be shy about tapping into their local knowledge. And know your chances of meeting a winemaker or two are pretty great, as most of these are boutique, hands-on operations.

Happy tasting!