Springtime for Goleta

Let the Fun Begin!

By Silvia Uribe

During wintertime, and rainy season, we hibernate, like bears, in the depths of our caves.

Don’t get me wrong. I not only enjoy the rain, I also recognize its benefits: It was very much needed to replenish our water reserves and to tame our land’s thirst, particularly after soaring fires ate everything in their paths. Now the rainy season’s blessings are displayed in all the pretty shades of green in our mountains, the young leaves on the trees, the wildflowers, the smells of early spring on the California coast.

Spring also brings warmer weather and lengthening days. The time has come for all of us to leave our cozy nests, and enjoy all that our city has to offer—though after long weeks of going from home to work and straight back home, it feels like two days at the end of each week are not enough to enjoy our good land and relax!

What follows is a comprehensive list of fun activities to pursue in any season.

Family Activities:

1. Bowling at Zodo's
2. Horseback riding
3. Books, music, and story time at Borders Books and the Goleta Library
4. Watching sports at UCSB and Dos Pueblos HS
5. Camping at El Capitan and Refugio state beaches
6. Enjoying an Easter egg hunt at Girsh Park
7. Attending Summer Concert Series at El Capitan Canyon, Stow House, and Girsh Park
8. Savoring the Lemon Festival
9. Shopping at the Farmers Market on Thursdays on Calle Real, or Sundays at Camino Real Marketplace
10. Having some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, or yogurt at Yo-Yo-Yum!
11. Eating delicious pastries at Anna’s Bakery
12. Taking an art class at Michael's Arts & Craft
13. Parents and babies: Catching a movie at 10 a.m. every first Tuesday of the month at the Fairview and Camino Real theaters
14. Taking small hike at the Ellwood Bluff
15. Riding the bike path between Goleta and Santa Barbara
16. Admiring monarch butterflies at Ellwood Reserve
17. Swimming in the ocean at Goleta Beach
18. Building castles in the sand
19. Going to UCSB's Marine Science Institute’s touch tanks
20. Learning about the history of Goleta at the Goleta Historical Society and the South Coast Railroad Museum
21. Dining out at restaurants in Old Town Goleta, Fairview Shopping Center, and Camino Real Marketplace
22. Shopping in those same areas
23. Taking a day trip by train from Goleta to Carpinteria and spending the day there
24. Swimming at the Olympic-size pools open to the public at UCSB

Especially for Children and Teens:

1. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts
2. Girl's Inc. after school
3. Goleta Valley Community Center classes
4. United Boys & Girls Clubs
5. Isla Vista Teen Center
6. Summer, spring, and winter camps
7. School campuses for after-school classes including dance, martial arts, sports, music, gymnastics, and swimming
8. Girsh Park for soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, and volleyball.
9. Fairview Gardens for fresh produce, gardening, and cooking classes
10. Stow Grove, Goleta Beach, and the Isla Vista for parks with playgrounds
11. Lake Los Carneros for ducks to feed

Now, think about it. If anyone were to do one of these activities per month, it’d take them practically three years to do’em all. Not bad at all for a town our size.

Next time your children ask, “What are we doing today?” I’m sure you won’t be at a loss for ideas.

Silvia is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at the Independent.com