Surfing Lessons Offered Live In Santa Barbara

You’re born and raised in California but never tried to surf? If you’ve always wanted to learn, Santa Barbara Adventure Company is making it easy for you to brave the board and waves near your Santa Barbara home this Spring. Just in time for beach season, SBAC is offering surfing lessons for beginners from 10am-2:30pm this Saturday, May 5th. What a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Why not try your luck at the sport that is certainly at home in Santa Barbara, throughout the California Coast and also Mexico? Maureen McDermut knows surfing is a great workout and always a good time if you love the beach and ocean.

The Santa Barbara coastline has several safe and fun locations for beginner surfers to learn the ins and outs of catching a wave. Each participant will be taught the fundamentals of this exciting sport: reading the water, paddling, etiquette, catching waves and riding. Surf sites will be based on the current swell and tide conditions, in order to find the best breaks for successful learning.

A Surfing trip will include 2 sessions with a break for lunch on the beach and costs only $99 per person, with a 2 person minimum. Children must be at least 7 years old and all students must be comfortable in the ocean. This trip package includes 3.2 wetsuits (short and full), soft-top surfboards, lunch and beverages, knowledgeable guides and comprehensive instruction. Some personal equipment such as sunscreen and bathing suits are also required. For more information, click here.

CycleMAYnia Begins Next Week Live In Santa Barbara

May is almost here and with it the arrival of even longer days full of a natural ambiance at home in Santa Barbara that can’t be found at any other time of year. Maureen McDermut suggests that now is the perfect time to pull out your two-wheeler and get out for a fresh air spin to boost your spirits and your health. If you live in Santa Barbara, bicycling is your ticket to front seat views of the beautiful, rich panorama all around you and Maureen McDermut also hopes you’ll get the chance to participate in CycleMAYnia!

CycleMAYnia! is the unique program lasting the whole month of May that encourages and inspires Santa Barbara residents to ride their bikes more. Bicycling has a much lighter footprint than driving and benefits the rider and everyone in the community with fresher air, less car traffic, better health and myriad of other perks. Most days in May, CycleMAYnia will host an event, activity or contest to boost the community’s enthusiasm for biking. Some of the events include a Bike Fashion Show, Bike to Work Day and Children’s Bike Crafts.

The Bike Challenge competition will take place all month with participant teams competing to bike the most throughout May. The winners will be awarded charitable contributions to a Santa Barbara Organization of their choice. There will also be raffle drawings throughout the month for bike gear and certificates to local sponsors such as Bicycle Bobs and REI. For more information, click here.

Santa Barbara Home To Botanic Garden Bounty In April

Your home in Santa Barbara is springing with the sweet aroma of rain and budding flowers as Spring is just beginning with the late rains bringing moisture to the soil. Now is the time for home gardeners to work overtime to catch up with nature’s bounty. If you live in Santa Barbara, you have a great advantage in The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. To those with a green thumb as well as those who want to develop one, Maureen McDermut suggests you learn about the SB Botanic Garden’s terrific range of more than 5,000 California native plants that are conservation-wise and drought-tolerant along with many other interesting species for local gardens as the season warms.

You are invited to come and delight in shopping the Garden all throughout the month of April. The Garden’s courtyard has been transformed into a botanical wonderland full and overflowing with fascinating plants from growers across the state, including many grown locally right here at the Botanic Garden. You won’t want to miss out on an added bonus to take advantage of expert planting advice from the Garden’s staff. The Garden is located at 1212 Mission Canyon Road in Santa Barbara and is open daily from 10am to 5pm. For more information on the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, click here.

Free Swing Dance Lessons Near Your Santa Barbara Home

How long have you been waiting to learn to social dance? If you crave some endorphin-firing, mood-boosting, wholesome recreation, you’re in luck because now you can take swing dance lessons for free. When those swinging blues start to play, don’t be left sitting this one out. Everyone can learn to twist and shout when the genre is swing because there are so many styles to choose from near your Santa Barbara home. Maureen McDermut wants you to know about the Lindy Circle, a UCSB student-run organization dedicated to teaching Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa live in Santa Barbara at the Santa Barbara Housing Co-Op.

With a little help, you’ll be tapping your feet to the beat and getting ready to shake a leg once you try out the Lindy Circle Dance Lessons. Everyone is welcome to the free weekly lessons recurring on Mondays from 8-10pm through June 11th. If you are interested in swing dancing, Maureen McDermut suggests that you definitely come check it out and have a ball in the process of learning. Beginner and intermediate lessons take place from 8 to 9 p.m. with open dancing from 9 to 10 p.m. The Santa Barbara Housing Co-Op is located at 777 Camino Pescadero, Isla Vista, CA 93117. For more information, click here.

Fair Brings Sweet Dreams Near Your Santa Barbara Home

Happily ever after is just around the corner at home in Santa Barbara at the Santa Barbara Fair and Expo from April 25th to April 29th. Maureen McDermut is sure that families will come to find that fair-y tails do come true while you enjoy farm animals, the petting zoo, sensational fair food, magic and of course, music and dancing. There will be free family entertainment, exhibits, contests and demonstrations, and even midway rides including a Solar Powered Carousel! Games and a lot of other surprises can be had by all who live in Santa Barbara. Children will feel as if they are swept into another world as they ride on real ponies and see the exotic animals in the Petting Zoo. The Kid’s Carnival will especially be a hit with parents and children and everyone will enjoy laughs watching the All Alaskan Racing Pigs.

The Storybook Land features local foods, wine & beer, arts & crafts, horticulture and fine arts displays. Taste free samples of the featured desserts, appetizers and other scrumptious foods in the Fair & Expo Cooking Contest, offered daily at Fair. Be sure to visit “The Land of Make-Believe” to enjoy the interactive displays and see artwork, photography, pottery and many other projects entered by children from our community. The fair will take place at Earl Warren Showgrounds at Las Positas Road at Hwy 101, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. For more information on the schedule, click here.

Santa Barbara Home To Earth Day Biking!

Earth Day is coming up this Saturday, April 22nd and, naturally, if you live in Santa Barbara, you have some exhilarating options for celebrating with your friends and family. According to Maureen McDermut, there’s no better place to enjoy Earth Day than near your home in Santa Barbara. If you want to be active in your celebration and get some great exercise, bring your bike and join hundreds of riders in an Earth Day Bike Ride entitled Evolution of Man: Century and Fun Ride.

Riders will meet and begin in three divisions from East Beach, and continue to finish a 100k at the top of La Cumbre, a Half Century or a 5 or 10 mile Fun Ride. Families can even participate and ride alongside our beautiful coast together! Participants who dress up to prove how evolved they are can be eligible for prizes for the best costume and prizes. Of course, best times will also be awarded. The rides begin at 8am and 9am.

For more information on Evolution of Man: Century and Fun Ride, please click here. Tickets ARE still available to this unforgettable event!

Santa Barbara – Home to Maritime Memories

Saturday, April 28th is a day to mark on your calendar if you love maritime history! From 11 a.m. to 4p.m. you and your family who live in Santa Barbara can join in the fun of the Sea Festival at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, located at 113 Harbor Way. From demonstrations, crafts, arts, and food to sing-a-longs and live music, this event will have something that will keep everyone entertained. Maureen McDermut recommends this event for anyone who wants to learn a little more about life and homes in Santa Barbara and adult admission is $4, although museum members and children (under twelve) are free.

The film Santa Barbara and the Sea – 13,000 Years of Maritime History will be playing twice that day, at 11:30 a.m. and at 1 p.m. and tours of the amazing vintage ship, the “Bill of Rights,” and the Maritime Museum’s own “Ranger” are not to be missed, as well! A “sunset sail” will leave for a special evening journey at 4:30 p.m. for an additional cost. Please click here for more information or call 805.962.8404, extension 111. The museum opens everyday but Wednesdays, beginning at 10 a.m. if you would like more time to enjoy a brush with Santa Barbara seaside history.

Santa Barbara Home to Earth Day

Earth Day is coming up and the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is just the place to celebrate according to Maureen McDermut! With two full days of activities on April 21st (from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and April 22nd (from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), you and your family who live in Santa Barbara can have a blast on the "green scene." This free festival will be held at Alameda Park, located at 1400 Santa Barbara Street, and will feature over 200 exhibits. You can see amazing "green" cars near your Santa Barbara home and learn about ways that you can be more eco-senstive through lectures, demonstrations, and hands on activities geared towards all ages.

Food and beverage vendors and live music will add to the spirit of the day! Santa Barbara has long been a proponent of environmental friendliness and this event is a well loved tradition among residents and visitors alike. "Bike World," "Campus Point," an "Eco-Marketplace," and Kid's Corner" are just several of the special places you can visit. To find out more, call 805.963.0583 or click here.