by Mary Fairchild/Mfairlady

Whether you’re a new visitor to the area or have lived in Santa Barbara your entire life, there are many fun things for you do in this lovely part of California. The obvious activities are connected to the great outdoors and natural environment, from biking, to swimming or watching dolphins and whales swimming from the deck of one of the boats offering cruises around the waters just off the coastline. But there’s a side of Santa Barbara that’s away from the ocean, and it’s full of interesting things to do on your vacation.

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum which focuses on marine life is one such place. Alternatively, the Museum of Natural History is home to eleven different exhibit halls, containing many birds, mammals, insects and much more. Paleontology will be busy trying to discover what it is they’ve found, while you examine all of the marine life they’ve discovered. As you tour the building, don’t be shocked when you turn a corner only to discover many varieties of reptiles! The museum’s planetarium is a fascinating place to visit and even has introduction to astronomy shows for children.

Animals are another big attraction at the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens where you’ll be able to see over 700 animals from across the globe, not to mention walk amongst the beautiful gardens. Built in 1817, the Casa de La Guerra is still standing and a very interesting place for anyone with a passion for history, but if railways are more your thing, take a look at the Stow House & Railroad Museum. Wine aficionados however will be looking to travel a little bit further north of the main Santa Barbara area where they can find the local vineyards.

Although Santa Barbara is well known for it’s ocean views and lifestyle, there’s more to the area than just sand, sun and water – it’s a place where you can spend some of your time enjoying the beach, and the other part of it checking out the other various activities the area has to offer.

Paleontology

Principles of Paleontology
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Smithsonian Handbooks: Fossils
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The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (Princeton Field Guides)
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Paleontology: A Brief History of Life (Templeton Science and Religion Series)
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Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
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Paleontology

* Paleontology in Alaska refers to paleontological research occurring within or conducted by people from the U.S. state of Alaska. During the Late Precambrian, Alaska was covered by a shallow sea that was home to stromatolite-forming bacteria. Alaska remained submerged into the Paleozoic era and the sea came to be home to creatures including ammonites, brachiopods, and reef-forming corals. An island chain formed in the eastern part of the state. Alaska remained covered in seawater during the Triassic and Jurassic. Local wildlife included ammonites, belemnites, bony fish and ichthyosaurs. Alaska was a more terrestrial environment during the Cretaceous, with a rich flora and dinosaur fauna.

During the early Cenozoic, Alaska had a subtropical environment. The local seas continued to drop until a land bridge connected the state with Asia. Early humans crossed this bridge and remains of contemporary local wildlife such as woolly mammoths often show signs of having been butchered.

More recent Native Americans interpreted local fossils through a mythological lens. The local fossils had attracted the attention of formally trained scientists by the 1830s. Major local finds include the Kikak-Tegoseak Pachyrhinosaurus bonebed. The Pleistocene-aged wooly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius is the Alaska state fossil.

Unearthing Alaska’s Prehistoric Dinosaurs [BEYOND DINOSAURS 2015]
Paleontology

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