Sunset from Goleta Beach

Sunset from Goleta Beach

After I took this photo today at Goleta Beach, I got in my car and drove to the store. While I was paying I noticed that my camera wasn't in my purse and figured that it must be in my car. I walked out to the parking lot and there was my camera - sitting on the roof. And to think.. I could have easily lost this nice photo!

Sunset from Lizard's Mouth

Sunset from Lizard's Mouth.

A new friend of mine took me up to a place in the Santa Ynez Mountains called the Lizard's Mouth this past Wednesday to watch the sunset. Lizard's Mouth is in an area of sandston outcroppings that overlooks Goleta and beyond.

When I went up there the evening was a little bit hazy, making the ocean and sky melt together, undifferentiated. The Channel Islands looked like they were floating in the sky. The view of the mountains sloping down into Goleta was spectacular - certainly one of the best views in Santa Barbara I have seen so far. Lizard's Mouth is also easy to get to. Whereas most vistas require a decent hike to get to, the trail to Lizard's Mouth can be measured in yards rather than miles.

To get to the trailhead drive up the 154 and take West Camino Cielo for a few miles. Just before you arrive at a shooting range, there will be a brown sign on the left that says, "Lizard's Mouth," indicating the trail head. Follow the short path and there you'll be.

Although Lizard's mouth is a great spot to hang out and relax, it also has some darker secrets. I knew that the 2008 Gap Fire started here (accidentally by a 16 year old boy), but there is an even stranger piece of history tied to this place. In August 2000 Jesse James Hollywood ordered the kidnapping and murder of 15 year old Nicholas Markowitz as revenge for a $1,200 debt his older brother, Benjamin, owed him. Hollywood's henchmen went up to the Lizard's Mouth beforehand to dig a shallow grave. Later that night, after telling Nicholas that he was going home, the men took Nicholas up into the mountains where they bound him, hit him over the head with a shovel, and shot him nine times, after which they buried him in the shallow grave. The body was found several days later and police began making arrests. Hollywood, however, fled the country through Canada and then flew to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a fake passport. He managed to hide out in Rio de Janeiro and Saquarema until 2005 when he was captured and later extradited to the US. While Hollywood was in Brazil, all participants in the murder were convicted or made pleas. In 2006 the movie Alpha Dog, based on Jesse Hollywood and the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz, was released. Finally, in July 2009, Hollywood was found guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

I didn't know about the Hollywood case before I went up there. It is interesting how once you find out something new about a place it can totally change your perspective of it. I went up there for pure enjoyment, yet I wonder, had know about this story beforehand would I have been enjoying myself to the fullest or would I have been looking for the "X" on a rock that supposedly marks the grave site, thinking that this was the last view that boy saw - at least it was a nice view (<-- is that morbid?). I will certainly go up there again and I will be sure to monitor my own reaction.

All in all, the Lizard's Mouth was an excellent place to watch the sunset and spend time with a wonderful person, having great conversation.

REEF: UCSB's Aquarium and Touch Tanks

Kathy checking out the touch tanks.

After two years at UCSB I finally made it to the Research Experience & Education Facility - better known as The REEF - UCSB's interactive aquarium facility at Campus Point (map). There are a few small aquariums and seven large aquariums, four of which are touch tanks full of a variety of star fish, urchins, sea cucumbers, and baby swell sharks. There is also one tank with a grown female swell shark, who was about to lay eggs (mermaid's purse) when I visited. 


The REEF is staffed by informative UCSB marine science students. I easily spent 45 minutes getting my hands wet, asking questions, and learning some new fun facts.

Coast and North Goleta Bike Route

Only did a 10 mile bike ride today. I did, however, use the North Goleta route for the first time. Pretty nice.

See the map.

Beach and Foothill Bike Loop

Relaxing after my bicycle ride.

I've decided to go back to biking. I drive my car too much, it is great exercise, and it is fun! I went on a 15 mile bike ride (see the map) and it felt so good.... So exhilarating.

I left from my house and took the Coast Route past Goleta Beach to Patterson Avenue. Then I took Patterson to connect to the Foothill Route and took that until Glenn Anne/Storke Road. Storke goes all the way down to Coal Oil Point, winding past Devereux Lagoon - which very beautiful, but the road is bumpy. I took the nice, new dirt path that overlooks the ocean towards I.V., then stopped for a water and banana break at one of those nifty new benches. I took some time to read Favela on my kindle and watched the sun fall behind the trees before I headed home.

That beautiful ride was a nice addition to the seriously delicious breakfast at Alphie's I had with Kathy and the afternoon beach BBQ, followed by beach volleyball - or something that was supposed to resemble beach volleyball.

An overall excellent day!

A New Favorite Photo

Aura

Andrea came up from LA to visit me in Santa Barbara. She brought along her dog Mooie -- who, by the way, is incredibly smart and well trained. The two of them came hiking with Russell and I up my favorite trail, Cold Springs trail. Of course we had to stop at the natural waterslide - all three of us went down the slide and into the refreshing water below (note that this took place on Feb. 12 -- I love California!). There really isn't a better feeling, except maybe a steaming hot shower on a cold rainy night.