Hello all.  I am going to be visiting california for Thanksgiving this year and was wondering what all there would be to do.  I will be in the Santa barbara area.  It wouln't be so bad except I will be there for six days and just to be honest...I don't think I can stand to be around the liberal In-laws that much.  I will be there from the 24-30.  If anything is going to be going on that is maybe gun related, I would really be into that.

Thanks
david

Didnt you here that they banned turkey's out here.Yea they said that the reason why was because they said the turkeys were not good for us because they inhaled all of the smog out here.

Confuse the heck out of them.  Be eclectic.

One day drive up the coast to Piedras Blancas (San Simeon) and see the  elephant seal colony on the beach next to Highway 1. They actually had to relocate the road because the big seals were hauling out to bask in the sun on the highway.  That's about a 3 hour drive both ways.   And if you have the time continue up Highway one into Big Sur to either or both Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578  and take a short hike into the redwoods and definitely out on the overlook trail to see the waterfall falling to the beach and/or Limekiln State Parks  www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=577 where you can take about a half mile hike up the trail to some  redwood groves and the kiln towers of the abandoned lime kilns.  the Redwoods are pretty specatacular, although not as tall as some of the groves further north.

Get "Santa  Maria" Barbecue Tri-tip, pinquito beans and fresh corn.  In any case, if you do head up the coast roads, try tri-tip at one  of the local places.

And since they are liberal make a point of driving down to see the Reagan Library, it's probably just about  an hour and a quarter down the road.  

And you can really tork them by suggesting a trip to the Nixon Library. That could be done in a day trip also, 101 to 126 to 5 to 210 to 57 fwys to Yorba Linda Blvd., and then back.  That 126 to 5 to 210  segment routes you around most of the major freeway headaches of the downtown area.

Make a reservation to see Hearst Castle in San Simeon. It's roughly 3 hour 150 mile drive from Santa Barbara. This was the former home of newspaper magnate Randoph Hearst, the family donated most of his estate to Cali-fornia Parks & Rec, and is one of the top tourist attractions in Cali-fornia. I believe there are 4 or 5 different tours. The Hearst family still lives on part of the estate that doesn't belong to Kali-fornia.

There isn't much going on in Santa Barbara, it's a college town.  You have got to go South (Los Angeles 1 1/2 hours), North (bay area 4-6 hours), or maybe East (Bakersfield- aka Nashville West).

Aside from gun related outings (I am not aware of any) what kind of things are you looking to do? Tourist traps like amusement parks (Six Flags is the only on worth a damn) and  famous sights (Hollywood walk of fame), or natural sights (Yosemite)?  All of them?



IIRC the had to close Highway 1 because it kept collapsing due to wave action during storms.

Cheers

There's a gunshow at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds on 11/27 & 11/28, which is 140 miles south of Santa Barabara in Orange County which is an approximately 2 hour drive(home of Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm).

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.  I will pick through and see what all to do.  Six days is quite a while, too long with the in-laws.  I will be checking out all the suggestions and seeing which ones I like best.  Are the gun shows in cali really as bad as I've heard?  Oh well, thanks for all the great suggestions.

David

Well, I went with some guys to the burro canyon shoot yesterday and I've seen fewer guns at gun shows here. The gun shows are entertaining. they have accessories, knifes, flashlights, mags, parts, and other various things, but very few actual guns.

Rayn

go see Yosemite if you can. Nows the time that its not too crowded with tourists. Incredible place. One of the few things that keeps me in California.
On the way you can stop in Fresno and Ill buy ya lunch or something

Quoted: Well, I went with some guys to the burro canyon shoot yesterday and I've seen fewer guns at gun shows here. The gun shows are entertaining. they have accessories, knifes, flashlights, mags, parts, and other various things, but very few actual guns. Rayn

Calif DoJ has come down real hard on gunshow firearms vendors. The rule you must actually have that gun on the premises in order to sell it. You just can't take an order for a gun unseen. And you have to leave it with a FFL dealer(for a fee) for the 10 day waiting period.

But,
You can always visit the strange and mysterious pop icon Micheal Jackson, his home is a suburb of Santa Barbara.

I don't know about any similar place in SB but just down the road in Carpenteria, at 5096 Carpinteria Ave.  is Cabo's Baja Grill & Cantina.  An interesting kind of place for lunch.  Kind of a cross between a surfer, biker, baja taco place.  Has baja style fish and shrimp tacos, seafood, mexican food, homemade tri-tip sandwiches and chili.  Eat on the patio, beer, home-made chips and home-made salsa, tacos, and watch the scene pass by.  It's going to be food and atmosphere like you can't get in Tennessee.  One of those places you'll find hard to describe to the good old boys.  (Notice I said patio, yes dining al fresco or eating outside is perfectly possible in CA in November.)

Carpinteria is kind of a low rent district compared to SB.  Mostly a agricultural  community, with  a heavy dose of beach town.

Try some taquerias , see what real soft tacos and burritos ar like.