Condor Express - Whale Watching

Condor Cruises @ Sea Landing
301 West Cabrillo Boulevard
Santa Barbara , California 93101
Tel: (805) 882 0088 or (888) 77-WHALE

"Whale watching with a guarantee" is the motto of Condor Express—that's what they all say. But the waters off Santa Barbara are home to one of the world's largest concentrations of migrating blue and humpback whales, plus orcas, minke whales, dolphins, and other finned mammals throughout the year. And, if you go out and not see a whale, they will give you a whale-check for another FREE cruise!!!

Best time to see blues and humpbacks: May through September. Dolphins can be seen throughout the year, and orcas surface occasionally between late February and March. Catch the gray whales during their winter migration to Mexico between December and March, or between February and May, when they head north with their newborn calves.

Condor Express offers two-hour coast cruises and half-day tours of the Channel Islands, depending on whale migrations. The only time that spotting a whale is not guaranteed is during the fall. They also offer private charters and adventure cruises.

CONDOR Cruises is recommended by, and affiliated with, the University of California Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. With qualified naturalists always on board, the CONDOR EXPRESS offers an interesting, informative and exciting trip on the most advanced & comfortable excursion vessel on the West Coast.

CLICK HERE for pricing and options.

Contact Wish Upon A Star Travel for pricing on a hotel or for more information.  You can reach them at (805) 964-3601 or e-mail.  

S.B. International Orchid Show March 20 - 22

Often called the "American Riviera", Santa Barbara has an ideal climate for growing orchids. In fact Santa Barbara now produces more orchids then any other region in the country. Every year Santa Barbara hosts the international orchid show at the Earl Warren Showgrounds located at the intersection of the 101 freeway and Las Positas Road. This year, it takes place from March 20 - 22. Many orchid dealers are present at this show. Some local nurseries that are usually not open to the public exhibit their orchids and are open to the public for tours of their greenhouses.

You will be amazed to see the large number and variety of orchids displayed. People come from all over the world to see this great show and display their orchids. You will see many orchids in the main pavilion. Some are displayed by private growers, others are displayed by public growers. They are judged and then awarded prizes. Then in a smaller room many dealers sell many different varieties of orchids. The prices range from 10 to over 100 dollars, with most Orchids in the range of 15 to 45 dollars. Orchids were originally introduced to Santa Barbara around the early 1900's when wealthy industrialists came to enjoy the spa resorts. Many of these people fell in love with the climate (its not hard to do!) and they commissioned world class horticulturists to plant orchids in their elaborate gardens. Exotic orchids soon became popular and were heavily planted in the Montecito and Hope Ranch estates. After World War II, the oil baron Samuel Mosher spent $ 1.5 million on breeding orchids at his Dos Pueblos Orchid Company. His breeding grounds provided young plants for other growers who would often times pay up to tens of thousands of dollars for rare varieties. Today the prices have dramatically dropped due to the cloning of many orchids and various laboratory techniques. There are various Orchid growers that are present at the Orchid Show.

Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara Zoo
500 Ninos Dr.
Admissions Information: 805-963-5695
General Visitor Information: 805-962-6310
(with recorded information)

www.santabarbarazoo.org

Open daily (except for Christmas)
10am-5pm. Tickets sold until 4pm.

Adults (13 - 59): $11.00
Children (2 - 12): $8.00
Seniors (60+): $8.00
Children under 2: FREE
Parking: $4.00

Consistently ranked as one of America's best small zoos, the Zoological Gardens are wonderful.

Among the over 600 animals you'll find elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, gibbons, sea lions, exotic birds and farm animals. There is a miniature train ride, children's playground, snack bar, and spacious picnic area.

The zoo is constantly in the process of making changes so there's always something new each visit.

Note: If the animals and the park don't amaze you, think of the amazing piece of land this zoo sits on. You're right next to the ocean and the giraffe's have the equivalent of a multi-million dollar condo!

Directions

From the South on U.S. 101 (Going North): Take the Hot Springs / Cabrillo Boulevard Exit (LEFT EXIT). Turn left on Cabrillo and continue to the first stop light. Turn right on Ninos Drive. The entrance is about 2 blocks on the right side. Note: If you miss your exit, you can use the Milpas Street exit and follow the directions below after going around the roundabout and LEFT on Milpas Street towards the beach.

From the North on U.S. 101 (Going South): Take the Milpas Street exit and go RIGHT on Milpas Street. Cross the railroad tracks, and turn left on Cabrillo Boulevard. Turn left at the first light, which is Ninos Drive. The entrance is on the right side across from the playing fields.

Strollers, Wagons & Wheelchairs

Strollers, Wagons & Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis:
single w/steering wheel - $5.00
double stroller - $8.00
wagons - $7.00
wheelchairs - $5.00

Admission & Parking Policies

The zoo does not allow skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles, RV's, dogs or barbecues in the Zoo or the parking lot.

Ty Warner Sea Center

Ty Warner Sea Center
211 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 962-2526

Hours:
Open daily 10am-5pm; Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (3:00 p.m.), Christmas Day, New Years Day.

Admission:
Adults $8, Seniors (65 and over) $7, Teens 13-17 $7, Children 2-12 $5, Children under 2 free

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.

Interactive exhibits, scientific discovery!

• Opportunities to work like scientists, sampling and testing ocean water, studying animal behavior, and examining microscopic marine life
• Live tidepool animal encounters
• A theater showcasing the wonders of the Santa Barbara Channel
• At the Ty Warner Sea Center, you will discover the fun science and the wonders of the natural world.
• Enter the two-story glass foyer and greet a 39-foot, life-size model of a California Gray whale and her calf.
• Crawl through a tunnel inside a 1,500 gallon surge tank to see the life of the ocean. Observe sea stars, urchins, limpets, and much more.
• Be an oceanographer for a day. Take ocean samples and view sea life close up through video magnifiers. Test your ocean samples to determine water quality.
• Learn about ongoing scientific research, get an update on marine mammal sightings, and sing along with whales and seals.

Directions:
Take the 101 to the Garden Street exit. Turn towards the ocean. Turn right Cabrillo Blvd. Turn left at State Street on to Stearns Wharf.