Santa Barbara

When I want to escape the summer high fog of the northern California coast, I head south to Santa Barbara to warmer waters and the sun without smog of Santa Barbara. Oprah and all the Hollywood crowd have discovered this jewel of the Pacific as well. The Land Shark takes people on tours of old Santa Barbara and for a tour out into the ocean as well since it is a duck which goes on water or land. I tried a jet ski for the first time in my life recently and felt what it is to travel at 35 miles per hour across the ocean. My 35 year old son went up to 45 mph on his because he is younger and didn't mind more severe water impacts than I. Having ridden motorcycles and crashed in the desert on dualsport motocycles I knew that hitting the ocean at over 30 mph isn't very comfortable. Also, I have water skied as a young man and the impact of hitting water at any speed over about 20 mph is a little(or a lot painful). So every time I thought the jet ski might tip over I let off the gas lever(throttle) on the handlebars. The beaches tend to be nice and tend not to be overcrowded like Los Angeles Beaches. The water, however, is still relatively warm this far south during the summer time.

Another fun place to visit is near Pismo Beach, California. I think it is called Pismo Dunes state Park. However, I haven't been there recently since all 220 plus state parks are closing soon or already because of state budget issues. Obviously, eventually they should reopen but possibly not this summer at least.

However, Santa Barbara, if you can afford to visit here is a wonderful place during the summers and often during spring, fall and summers as well. There are almost no below freezing nights during the entire year along the California coast south of places like Eureka which is a long stretch of non- freezing nights 98% of the year. As for days it is highly unlikely to have any days in which even one freezing day per year could occur after 8 am south of San Francisco.

So, if I want warm weather, beaches, water, and no smog during the summer I go to Santa Barbara for fun in the sun.