Kobe Academy Begins Today!

Kobe Bryant is in town for his Kobe Academy at UCSB.  This is a sold-out event but is a great camp for children who love basketball. 

Photo:  BBallVideos.com

Inn by The Harbor

Escape to a Santa Barbara Hotel and Resort Destination! Nestled among tropical gardens beneath the swaying palms, the Inn by the Harbor is an enchanting Santa Barbara hotel and resort escape. Built in the Spanish Colonial tradition, the white adobe inn features red tile roofs, inlaid tile staircases, wrought iron embellishments, and a heated pool. The Inn is just a short walk from Santa Barbara’s golden beaches, yacht harbor, and oceanfront restaurants.

The guest rooms at this Santa Barbara hotel and retreat are decorated with charming French Country furnishings. Many also feature full kitchens, which make them ideal for vacations and extended stay lodging. The Inn serves a deluxe continental breakfast, afternoon wine and cheese, and evening milk and cookies.

The Inn by the Harbor hotel is within walking distance of many Santa Barbara attractions including West Beach and the beachfront bike path, the yacht harbor, Stearns Wharf, and the vibrant shops and cafes lining State Street. Golf courses, wineries, and the Santa Barbara Mission are all just minutes away.

Amenities

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  42 individually-appointed accommodations, all non-smoking
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  Heated swimming pool and whirlpool
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  Enclosed sundeck courtyard
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  Deluxe continental breakfast
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  Afternoon wine and cheese reception
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  Evening milk and cookies
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  Guest laundry
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  Free high-speed wireless Internet service

Guest Rooms

Charming Santa Barbara Accommodations - The Inn by the Harbor in the city of Santa Barbara, California offers individually appointed accommodations with charming French country furnishings. Amenities include air conditioning, refrigerator, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, wall safe, armoire with television, complimentary HBO, voice mail, data port, and free high-speed wireless Internet service.

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  Queen/King Bed - Room with queen or king bed
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  Queen/King Deluxe - Room with queen or king bed and sitting area, Separate full-size kitchen with dining area

The following one and two bedroom suites must be booked directly with the hotel.

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  Two Queen Deluxe - Room with two queen beds, Full-size kitchen with dining area
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  Harbor Pool Suite - Spacious bedroom with king bed, Second bedroom with king bed, Living room with queen sofa/sleeper, Fully equipped kitchen, Large sliding doors with pool view

Specials & Packages Car Free Experience Package - Take a car-free vacation and be rewarded with discounts. Seashore Cruise and Soother Package - Set sail on a sunset cruise for two with a bottle of wine Romance on the Riviera Package - Savor a romantic dinner for two, chocolates and wine. Four Days/Three Nights in Paradise Package - Sunset sail, winery tour, romantic dinners and more. Tee and Sea Golf Package - Savor a round of golf by the sea at Glen Annie. Wine Package - Taste your way through Santa Barbara’s wine country. Whales and Tales Package - Catch sight of whales off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Directions

• From the south: Exit 101 at Bath Street. Turn left onto Haley Street. Turn left onto Castillo Street. Turn right Montecito Street. The Inn by the Harbor is ¼ block on the left side.
• From the north: Exit 101 at Castillo Street. Turn right onto Castillo Street. Turn right Montecito Street. The Inn by the Harbor is ¼ block on the left side.

CLICK HERE for a direct link to this hotel's website...

Segway Rentals: See the City From A Segway

Segway of Santa Barbara

16 Helena Avenue , Suite A
Santa Barbara , California 93101
Tel: (805) 963 7672

Hopefully you'll fare better than President Bush, who took a tumble during his first ride on a Segway, the self-balancing electric-powered human transporter. It's really a no-brainer, and the most fun way to tour downtown Santa Barbara.

You can rent a Segway on a per hour basis for $45.00 per hour including training or a per day basis for $299.00. You can also opt for a 2 1/2 hour guided Tour of Old Santa Barbara ($79.00 including training), a 2 hour Tour of Butterfly Beach ($75.00 including training), or enjoy the popular 3 1/2 hour Mission Tour ($99.00 including training),

Open daily 10 am to 6 pm.

CLICK HERE for more information about this company.

Painted Cave

Chumash Painted Cave is located about 12 miles northwest of Santa Barbara off of the San Marcos Pass Road (Highway 154). The start of this highway is directly across from the start of upper State Street at the 101 freeway. The cave is on Painted Cave Road, an extremely narrow steep road that winds its way up the face of the Santa Ynez mountains. You will quickly climb in elevation for a few miles and then you will level out and drive for another few miles. The cave is situated on the left side of the road. There is little parking; expect to park on a narrow shoulder of the road. The cave is just a few hundred feet up a trail, above the road. The cave entrance is covered with a metal screen. Inside are brightly painted pictographs on the cave walls painted by the Chumash Indians hundreds of years ago. This artwork is believed to have religious connotations. If you are going to take pictures I would recommend taking a short zoom lens and a flash. There is a very steep trail that continues on up the hill from the cave, presumably to some smaller caves and pictographs. Note: There are no services here, not even water.

Santa Barbara History: Earthquake of 1812

On December 21, 1812, one of the largest earthquakes in California history completely destroyed the first Mission along with most of Santa Barbara. With an estimated magnitude of 7.2, and a hypothesized epicenter near Santa Cruz Island, the quake also produced a tsunami which carried water all the way to modern-day Anapamu Street, and carried a ship a half-mile up Refugio Canyon. The earthquake devastated the small early city.

Following the devastating earthquake, the Mission padres decided to build a larger and more elaborate Mission complex, which is the one that survives to the present day. While the church was ready in 1820, the bell towers were not finished until 1833.

Longoria Wines

Longoria Wines
(Los Olivos)
daily 11am - 4.30pm
2935 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos

866-RLWINES or (805) 688-0305

Upon his arrival to the local wine scene in 1976, Rick Longoria tasted the first vintage of Richard Sanford and Michael Benedict’s wines from their young vineyard in what is now known at the Santa Rita Hills. He has been a fan of this viticultural region ever since. He has been producing wine from a variety of vineyards in this area since 1984. In 1998, he realized his dream of planting a vineyard in this great appellation and has been gratified to see the outstanding wines produced from these grapes. Fe Ciega Vineyard, consisting of eight acres of Pinot Noir, is located on a south facing slope of the Santa Rita Hills, north of the Santa Ynez River at the far western edge of the appellation. In 2008, another clone of Pinot Noir was planted at Fe Ciega, in addition to a block of Chardonnay vines. 

In 1998, Rick established the first commercial winery in the city of Lompoc, in an industrial park near the east entrance to the city. This facility is not open to the public, although Longoria Wines can be tasted and purchased at his tasting room in Los Olivos. 

After 32 years of winemaking, Rick’s goal remains the same: to produce the best wines possible year after year. Because of this, Longoria Wines remains one of the smallest wineries in the area, averaging 3,500 cases annually.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Arts & Crafts Show

Arts and Craft Show
Sundays at Cabrillo Blvd
Time: 10am - Dusk
(805) 897-1982
www.sbaacs.com

The art show is a Santa Barbara Classic. It is strictly held as a "Santa Barbara" county resident show and you will find an eclectic mixture of arts and crafts.
 

It is a wonderful Sunday afternoon - check out the art show, stroll down to Stearn's Wharf to get an ice cream, visit the touch tank at the Natural History Museum's Sea Center and then wander out the end of the wharf to watch the pelicans catch fish off the pier.

Many of the artists are regulars - they come to the art show each week to show their work. Others come and go. The prices are often quite good.

 

Note: If you have children you need to make sure that they stay away from the road. Cabrillo Blvd. is one of the busiest streets in Santa Barbara and the traffic goes very fast, regardless of the 25 mph signs posted along a large stretch of the road.

 

Directions: East Beach is accessible from just about any exit along downtown Santa Barbara - Carrillo Blvd, Milpas (South), Garden, Castillo. Turn away from the mountains and when you reach Cabrillo, you can't miss the huge stretch of park between Stearns Wharf and the bird refuge.

Tour & Sightseeing Companies

Bike Down Gibraltar offers scenic downhill bicycle tours. (805) 963-3700

Blue Sky Bus offers personalized adventures. Their phone number is (805) 683-0722

Heli-Tours offers island and wine country helicopter excursions. (805) 964-0684

Pacific Coast Limousine offers wine country and custom tours.  (805) 683-0722

Pedal and Paddle offer customized kayak and bike tours. They can be reached at  (805) 687-2912

Personal Tours Ltd., offer personalized tours in a range of vehicles.  (805) 685-0552

Red Tile Walking Tour is a tour of 12 blocks through downtown Santa Barbara. Call the Chamber of Commerce for a map at (805) 965-3021

Santa Barbara Limo and Tours offer tours of a historic mansion, a casino, and winery tours. They can be reached at  (805) 961-2722

Santa Barbara Trolley Co. offers narrated tours and connections for hotels/attractions. Their phone number is (805) 965-0353 www.sbtrolley.com

Sightseeing Tours of Santa Barbara offers scenic highlights in a minivan. Call  (805) 966-3322

Turistorica is a 2 hour docent led stroll through downtown on Saturdays, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Call  (805) 965-6307