|
 From A to Z
Everything you need to know to keep your children
entertained
by Rachael Ross Steidl,
SBParent.com founder. For a complete list of family resources, visit SBParent.com.
I have seen so much change in the
city of Goleta as a native Santa Barbaran, a business
owner, a mother of three and a Goleta homeowner. Goleta
has always had plenty of families but in the past 10
years it has evolved into a real community with so much
to do. Parents can find it all by using
SBParent.com's ABC's of Goleta. Tourists will have
fun exploring Goleta with their kids. Locals can use
this list to try something new each week and learn more
about their community.
A is for Activities
Bowling, golfing, horseback riding and hay rides
Paint pottery at Color Me Mine
Enjoy books, music and storytimes at the Goleta
Library or Borders bookstore
Watch local sporting events at UCSB and Dos Pueblos
High. The semi-pro Santa Barbara Foresters, 2006
national champions, play their baseball games at UCSB.
B is for Babies
Play groups
Mommy & Me classes
Adult Education classes
Breastfeeding support
Birth Center at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital
Child Care and Preschools
C is for Camping
Camp at El Capitan and Refugio state beaches or
stay in a cabin at El Capitan Canyon
D is for Drive-Through
Find drive-through banks and pharmacies
Drive-through and curbside at Outback Steakhouse,
Chili's, McDonald's, In-N-Out Burger, Jack-in-the-Box,
Taco Bell and Wendy's
Fairview Car Wash has drive-through express
E is for Events
There are great annual events and festivals in
Goleta, check
SBParent.com for dates and times
Spring: Earth Day, Easter egg hunts, Mother's Day
5/10K & Family Festival
Summer: Summer Concert Series at El Capitan Canyon,
Girsh Park, Stow House, fourth of July Activities &
Fireworks, and Old Spanish Days Fiesta
Fall: California Lemon Festival, Halloween fun and
SBParent.com costume exchange
F is for Farmers Market
Shop at the Farmers Market every Thursday on Calle
Real or at Camino Real Marketplace on Sunday mornings
G is for Grocery
Trader Joe's, Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Costco, Kmart,
Scolaris
H is for Health
Pediatricians, pediatric dentists and OBGyns
Chiropractors and Physical Therapists
I is for Ice Cream
McConnell's, Carvel and Cold Stone Creamery
J is for Java
Parents can find coffee shops around every corner
Anna's Bakery
Mimis International Cafe
K is for Kids
Goleta has a great school system for kids
After-school care at Girl's Inc., Goleta Valley
Community Center, United Boys & Girls Clubs, Kids Club
and Isla Vista Teen Center
Summer, Spring and Winter Camps
After-school classes: dance, martial arts, sports,
music, gymnastics, swim team, Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts
Kids can play soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball
at Girsh Park
Drop-in classes at Home Depot and Michael's Arts &
Crafts
L is for Lemons
Come out for the annual California Lemon Festival at
Girsh Park in October
M is for Movie
Catch a movie at Fairview Shopping Center or Camino
Real Marketplace
First Tuesday of the month is Movies & Me at Camino
Real Theatres at 10 a.m. Parents and babies are invited
to watch movies together
N is for Nature
Explore the Ellwood Bluffs
Ride your bike along the bike path
Visit Fairview Gardens for fresh produce, gardening
and cooking classes for the family and kids camps
Monarch butterflies at Ellwood
O is for Ocean
Swim in the ocean at Goleta Beach
Build sandcastles
Surf at Campus Point
Explore tidepools
Fish off the Goleta pier
Learn about marine life with a visit to the touch
tanks at UCSB's Marine Science Institute
P is for Parks
There are great Parks with fun playgrounds: Stow
Grove, Goleta Beach Park and Isla Vista parks
Kids can feed the ducks at Lake Los Carneros
Find butterflies at Ellwood Butterfly Grove
Visit Stow House, a Goleta landmark
Girsh Park
Q is for Questions
Learn the history of Goleta at the Goleta Historical
Society (Stow House and Sexton Museum) and the South
Coast Railroad Museum
R is for Restaurants
Find great places to dine at Camino Real Marketplace,
Calle Real and Old Town Goleta
Follow your nose to local bakeries
S is for Shopping
Big stores, little stores, toy stores, art stores,
clothing stores, shoe stores, office stores
you can
find it all
Camino Real Marketplace
Calle Real
Old Town Goleta
Fairview Shopping Center
T is for Train
Board Amtrak in Goleta and take a train ride to
Carpinteria for the day
Visit the South Coast Railroad Museum located in a
restored train depot; it offers fun miniature train
rides for kids and a candy-cane train ride in December
U is for UCSB
There are Olympic-size pools for public swimming,
swimming lessons, swim teams, gymnastics and summer
camps
V is for Videos
Rent videos, computer games and more at Blockbuster or
Hollywood Video
W is for Workout
Workout at local athletic cubs and gyms that offer
child care, swimming, tennis and exercise facilities
XYZ
The rest is up to you. Use your imagination! |
