The Highly Interactive MOXI Museum in Santa Barbara

The MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation opened in a beautiful building adjacent to the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station on State Street in February 2017.

I took several pre-teen kids to the museum and the key word of this museum is --- INTERACTIVE! Every exhibit is made to be touched and experimented with. If you have kids, this is a local area must-do.

The moment you walk into the first floor of MOXI you are drawn to a gigantic handprint globe, gigantic guitar, magnet exhibit, sound studio and more.

The handprint globe exhibit near the entrance to the Museum.

Then outside in the first floor courtyard are some really fun activities involving wind propulsion, spinning devices, magnetic fields and a massive collection of see-through tunnels. Very fun!

But the fun just gets started on the first floor as the second floor of MOXI immediately brings back memories of Pinewood Derby - build a car and race it down a high tech track. Or do a jump shot, build a marble roller coaster, use your mind and compete in a game of Mindball and more.

You'll find light-driven exhibits on the other side of the second floor, with a gigantic "Lite Bright" type exhibit, a color mixing machine, light waves and more.

On the top of the building after picking up your jaw that just dropped at the panoramic views towards the ocean, State Street, adjacent Amtrak Station and mountains, there's even more to experience.  The "Whitewater" exhibit allows everyone to help move water down the line. Make music with the Weather Orchestra. Try the five observation scopes. And more!

Tickets can be purchased online for $16 (ages 13+) and $12 (ages 3-12); 2 and under are free. Or if you plan to visit several times a year, consider a family membership. More information at moxi.org.

To get there from Ventura County, take the 101 to the Garden Street exit (96B) and turn left. Take a right on Yanonali Street to State Street and you'll see MOXI. You can park in the train station parking lot or any local lot. 

Another idea to consider to make your visit more of an adventure is to take the Pacific Surfliner Amtrak train from Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark or Simi Valley to the Santa Barbara Station adjacent to MOXI and the Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries. Fun!

Old Mission Santa Barbara is a Cultural and Historic Local Landmark

The Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786 and was the 10th of 21 California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. The Mission continues to be the chief cultural and historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara. Home to a community of Franciscan friars, the Mission also has a retreat center with guest rooms, conference rooms, a fully equipped commercial kitchen and dining room, a beautiful church with a large and active parish, a museum and gift shop, a cemetery and mausoleum and ten acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

The Santa Barbara Mission in July 2013

Old Mission Church, Santa Barbara (1876), by Carleton Watkins, via Wikimedia Commons

Mission Santa Barbara is California Historical Landmark No. 309. According to the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation website: Portions of five units of its extensive waterworks, built by Indian labor and preserved in this part, are a filter house, Spanish gristmill, sections of aqueducts, and two reservoirs, the larger of which, built in 1806, is used today as part of the city water system. The fountain and lavadero are nearby, in front of the mission, and a dam built in 1807 is located in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, one and one-half miles up Mission Canyon. Only ruins remain of the mission's pottery kiln, guard house, and tanning vats.

The Mission, located at 2201 Laguna Street, is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission for self-guided tours as of January 2019 is $9 for adults (18-64) $7 for seniors (65+) and active military (with ID) and $4 for youth ages 5-17. Parking is free.

Docent-led tours (approximately 60 minutes) on most Mondays through Fridays at 11 am and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Cost for docent-led tours is $13 adults, $11 seniors, active military and $8 for youth ages 5-17. Visit www.santabarbaramission.org or call 805.682.4713 to learn more.

2018 Amgen Tour of California May 13-19 Includes Ventura to Santa Barbara Stage May 14

Cycling fans can begin plotting their roadside viewing points along the 2018 Amgen Tour of California route.

The 13th edition of America's premier cycling stage race will cover 645 miles of roadways, highways and coastlines during seven stages from Long Beach to Sacramento May 13-19.

Three of the sport's greatest are confirmed to race this year: Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data), Marcel Kittel (Team KATUSHA ALPECIN) and "King of California" Peter Sagan (BORA-hansgrohe), cycling's first three-time consecutive World Champion, who also holds the California race record for most stage wins (16).

Sagan, who recently won his 2018 season opener, will come into the Amgen Tour of California defending his seventh California Green Jersey for dominating the race's overall Sprint competition.

The Amgen Tour of California Women's Race empowered with SRAM, showcasing the world's best women cyclists, will run concurrently May 17-19, covering upward of 187 miles over three stages.

Presented by Visit California, a visual overview of the men's and women's courses is viewable at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/2018-route-overview.

With seven new courses between them, the annual professional cycling events are the only U.S. races on the UCI WorldTour calendar and attract some of the most renowned cyclists and teams in the world. The Amgen Tour of California is designed to cover a variety of terrain, allowing different types of specialists among the field of the world's greatest cyclists to shine throughout the week. 2018 will mark the third time the race will run south to north.

Signed apparel from these all-star sprinters, along with other past Amgen Tour of California favorites, are available through an Amgen Tour of California online auction benefiting American Red Cross Disaster Relief in light of the devastation brought on by wildfires and mudslides throughout the state. Race fans - and California fans - will be able bid on exclusive items from merchandise to behind-the-scenes race experiences to help people affected by disasters. 100 percent of the proceeds from the Amgen Tour of California auction organized by STAPLES Center Foundation support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. More details soon at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

With parts of the state still impacted by wildfires and subsequent mudslides, affected portions of the route will be inspected up until race time, and race routes are subject to change to ensure fan and rider safety.

STAGE 1 PRESENTED BY AMGEN'S BREAKAWAY FROM CANCER®
SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018
LONG BEACH CIRCUIT RACE
83 miles / 133 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint

The 7-mile circuit will start and finish on Shoreline Drive near Shoreline Village and the Long Beach Convention Center. The 11 laps of the circuit will utilize portions of Shoreline Drive, Ocean Blvd. and Pine Avenue. Several Long Beach neighborhoods will get a ring-side seat as the peloton races through Bixby Park and Bluff Park, as well as Retro Row and Downtown.

STAGE 2 PRESENTED BY LEXUS
MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018
VENTURA TO GIBRALTAR ROAD (Santa Barbara)
97.6 miles / 155 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Select group of 2-3 riders

Gibraltar Road has been the most requested mountaintop finish since the race began. After the mountain road was paved and therefore able to be contested in the 2016 race, it became an instant fan favorite.

The City of Ventura warmly welcomed the race in 2016 as the peloton bid a quick hello passing through to Gibraltar. This year, Ventura will host its first stage - the start of the "Queen Stage" just a few feet from the Pacific Ocean near the Ventura Pier. Will the riders be relaxing and taking in the sun at the start? Probably not. Most will be thinking about the coming assault of Gibraltar Road.

After a neutral parade route through downtown Ventura, the race will head through Oxnard, Santa Paula and Ojai. The riders will climb out of Santa Paula to the first of three King of the Mountain climbs (KOMs) on the day. The 97.6-mile stage has 7,700' of elevation gain, with the journey to the top of Gibraltar featuring a 3,100' climb over the final eight miles of the stage.

UPDATE: The stage passes through the Ventura County cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Somis, Santa Paula and Ojai after beginning at the Ventura Pier at 11:15am. Here are some directions transcribed from the course map at THIS LINK:

• Ventura Pier
• East on Harbor Boulevard
• Right (North) on Figueroa St
• Left (West) on E. Santa Clara St
• Right (North) on S. Ventura Ave
• Right (East) on Main St
• Right (South) on California St
• Left (East) on E. Santa Clara St
• Right (South) on S. Hemlock St
• Left (East) on E. Thompson
• Right (Southwest) on San Jon Rd
• Left (South) on Harbor Boulevard
• Left (East) on W. 5th St
• Right (South) on S. Victoria Ave
• Left (East) on W. Wooley Road
• Left (North) on S. Rice Ave
• Right (East) on E. 5th St
• Left (North) on Lewis Road/Somis Road
• Right (East) on E. Los Angeles Ave
• Left (North) on Balcom Canyon Road
• Left (West) on S. Mountain Rd
• Right (North) to Highway 150 (Ojai Santa Paula Rd)
• Then towards Santa Barbara via Ojai Rd, Ojai Ave, Baldwin Rd, Casitas Pass Rd, Foothill Rd., etc.

STAGE 3 PRESENTED BY LEXUS
TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2018
KING CITY TO LAGUNA SECA RECREATION AREA (MONTEREY COUNTY)
122.4 miles / 197 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Mass sprint of 15-20 riders

STAGE 4 PRESENTED BY TAG Heuer
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
SAN JOSE/MORGAN HILL INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL
21.6 miles / 34.7 kilometers

STAGE 5 PRESENTED BY VISIT CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018
STOCKTON TO ELK GROVE
109.4 miles / 176 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint

STAGE 6 PRESENTED BY VISIT CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018
FOLSOM TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
122 miles / 196.5 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Mass Sprint of 10-15 riders

STAGE 7 PRESENTED BY AMGEN'S BREAKAWAY FROM HEART DISEASE
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018
SACRAMENTO
90.7 miles / 146 kilometers
Expected Outcome: Field Sprint

"Wild Things" Winning Photos of Animals on Display at Santa Barbara Zoo through August 7th

Robert Houchen’s image of a tree frog emerging from behind a leaf.

Earlier this year, animal-loving shutterbugs were invited to snap and submit photos of animals at the Santa Barbara Zoo as part of the first-ever “Wild Things” contest, and now the winning works are on view. Sponsored by the Zoo and the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, the “Wild Things” exhibit features more than 40 winning images by adults and “juniors” (aged 17 and younger). The exhibit is hung in the Zoo’s Volentine Gallery through August 7, 2018, and is free to view with Zoo admission.

Of 265 entries in the adult category, 20 winners were chosen. Of 75 junior entries, 21 were chosen. The juried exhibit gave prizes for first, second, and third place in both age groups. The photographs are for sale, with prices from $40 to $500. Proceeds from sales benefit the artists, Zoo, and Wildling.

Kirsten Henke’s 2nd prize “Bright-eyed and Bushy Tailed”

Top Winners Announced

Robert Houchen’s image of a tree frog emerging from behind a leaf was the “Wild Things” First Prize winner. Kirsten Henke’s “Bright-eyed and Bushy Tailed” won Second Prize and captures the long tongue of an infant giant anteater as it rides on its mom’s back. Third Prize went to Hunter Anglemoyer for “The Rainbow Plumage,” which shows a scarlet macaw’s plumage from an unusual angle.

Top winners in the Youth category include “Tastes Like Chicken” by Madisyn Iversen, aged 16, which captures Masai giraffe Michael with his long tongue in one nostril. Second place went to 

11-year-old Emma Lossing’s image of a fennec fox. “Am I Blue,” a portrait of a blue and yellow macaw, won third prize for 11-year-old Aislinn Wilson.

Prizes include memberships and passes to both the Zoo and the Wildling, gift cards and gifts for each’s gift stores, artwork created by Zoo animals, and more.

“Wildling at the Zoo”

This is the second collaboration between the two organizations. Last year, the Wildling staff curated an exhibit of student art at the Zoo which tied into the “Animals from A to Z” exhibit in their Solvang location. This partnership, formalized as The Wildling at the Zoo, continues with this contest and exhibit, and with future coordinated projects at the two locations.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of botanic gardens and is home to nearly 500 individual animals in open, naturalistic habitats. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), representing the highest level of animal care. A private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Zoo depends on community support, not tax dollars, for operations and improvements.

The Wildling Museum, where art and nature meet, offers visitors a unique perspective on the importance of preserving our natural heritage. Through the eyes of artists, education and field experiences, guests can renew their relationship with the wilderness and understand its fragile nature – hopefully leaving more committed toward ensuring those spaces remain for future generations.

Masai Giraffe Calf Born at the Santa Barbara Zoo on Wednesday, March 14th

The Santa Barbara Zoo’s Masai giraffe Audrey has given birth to a female calf, and the two are currently bonding, off view to the public, in the Giraffe Barn. The calf was born on Wednesday, March 14 at around 3 p.m., is 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. The calf will be named as part of a contest sponsored by the Zoo and KEYT News Channel 3.

Animal care staff will determine when the calf will leave the Giraffe Barn, weather conditions permitting. Until that time, Audrey and the newborn calf are not on view to the public.

“Name the Calf” Voting Opens Today, March 16

The calf’s name will be selected by popular vote by the public in a contest co-sponsored by the Zoo and KEYT NewsChannel 3. Four names have been selected by Zoo giraffe keepers and supporters – the one receiving the most votes will be announced live on KEYT on a date to be determined. Voting opens on today, March 16 at www.sbzoo.org and www.keyt.com.

The names are Amirah, Makena, Nugget, and Quintin.

Support the Herd

The public also can help the Zoo welcome this long-necked arrival by becoming a Foster Feeder sponsor of the giraffe calf. A donation of $50 helps with the cost of feeding the growing giraffe family. New giraffe Foster Feeders receive a baby photo of the calf along with a certificate, giraffe fact sheet, and recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

The Santa Barbara Zoo and Masai Giraffes

Audrey arrived in Santa Barbara in March 2010, from the Los Angeles Zoo. She was born on February 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Zoo. Michael, the calf’s sire, arrived from Parc Safari in Quebec, Canada, in January 2012. He is considered the most genetically valuable male Masai giraffe in captivity, because he has few relatives in zoos other than his offspring born here at the Zoo. Michael’s genetics help the diversity of the North American Masai population.

Joining Michael and Audrey in the Zoo’s herd is Parker, a male calf born in August 2016 to former resident Betty Lou (she recently relocated to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo); and Adia, a three year-old female from the Cleveland Zoo who was introduced to the herd in December 2017 as a potential mate for Michael.

The Zoo’s giraffe herd is among more than 120 Masai giraffes that live at 28 North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

There are an estimated 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, but a more thorough census is required. They are at risk due to poaching and habitat loss and degradation. Giraffes are the tallest land mammal, and the Masai is the largest subspecies, growing up to 17 feet tall and weighing 2,700 pounds.

Known as one of the world’s most beautiful zoos, the Santa Barbara Zoo is located on 30 acres of botanic gardens and is home to nearly 500 individual animals in open, naturalistic habitats. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), representing the highest level of animal care, and participates in AZA endangered species programs for Asian elephant, California condor, Channel Island fox, and Western lowland gorilla, among others.

A private nonprofit corporation, the Santa Barbara Zoo depends on community support, not tax dollars, for operations and improvements.

The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; general admission is $18 for adults, $13 for seniors aged 65+, $10 for children 2-12, and children under 2 are free. Parking is $8 weekdays, $11 on weekends and holidays. Visit www.sbzoo.org.

Blue Star Museums Program Free Admission to Active Duty Military at 1,800+ Museums

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year.

Free admission is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military  - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members.

Local area museums in Ventura County, Santa Barbara and nearby areas that are participating

• Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard
• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
• Santa Barbara Museum of Art
• Museum of Ventura County in Ventura

For a complete list of museums participating in the Blue Star Museums program, visit www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.

Historic Carousel at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara Closed First Week of December 2017

The historic 1916 Allan Herschell Carousel has operated at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara since 1999. Nearing the end of its 20 year lease with the City of Santa Barbara, the owner of the Carousel opted to relocate it Hood River, Oregon, for installation in a dedicated museum of historically significant carousels.

The Carousel is one of three machines produced by the Allan Herschell Factory in the 1915-1917 time frame. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 2000. It is 40 feet in diameter, with a 19 foot wooden pole in its center, supporting 35 jumping, hand-carved wooden horses plus two hand carved art deco style wooden chariots.

This carousel originally operated outdoors on the east coast, where it was used for decades without adequate maintenance. It was purchased in 1970 by Seaport Village in San Diego, where after 10 years in storage it was sold again to its current owners. 

While this is sad news for local residents, the good news is that this historical carousel will be preserved in its new location in Hood River.