••• These are rough times to open a hotel. But the new La Playa Inn on Castillo came out pretty nice.
••• The Santa Barbara Bowl has postponed its May concerts (Kesha, Dead Can Dance, Bright Eyes, and Stick Figure). The shows will be rescheduled, so if you bought tickets, don’t toss them.
••• I didn’t know that The Mill, Darrell and Kirsten Becker’s retail complex at E. Haley and Laguna, has a vacation rental: “The Loft at The Mill is a 2 bed/2 bath Airbnb with a fully equipped kitchen to make all in house meals.” The nightly rate is $305.
••• The Los Padres Forest Association would like a word with you:
While it’s great that people are out enjoying nature, there have been some instances of trail-overcrowding and in some places the overcrowding has led to additional trail closures. PLEASE DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN HERE. We’ve included some safety tips and guidelines below to follow as you head out to enjoy the great outdoors:
—Do not use the trails if you have any COVID-19 symptoms or if you are feeling sick.
—Maintain a 6-foot distance from other people along the trail. If you see trail users heading your way, find an area where you can safely walk off the trail and let them pass. It doesn’t hurt to smile and say hello either. [Amen to that! —Ed.]
—Try to time your trail visit away from the typically busy times of the day.
—Keep in mind that many public restrooms are closed, more on that below, so take care of business before heading out. You should also avoid touching any public drinking fountains, benches, etc… and take the necessary precautions both before and after in the case that you have to use public facilities.
—Keep your dogs on leash, away from other trail-users or leave at home.
—Stay in small family groups or alone while on the trail.
—If the trailhead is packed or parking is hard to find, go somewhere else or come back later. Our collective mission right now is to isolate not congregate. If the trail is busy, then use this as an opportunity to discover lesser known trails. This is the main reason why some trails and forests are being closed. HikeLosPadres.com might be able to help you find a new less crowded trail to explore.
••• Yeah, Groundhog Day.
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