Chapter 18 - Hawaii

Chapter 18 focuses on the string of islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands are the visible portions of volcanoes that are up to 3 miles high! Many active volcanoes exist on the islands and present some dangers to nearby cities. The South Coast isn't associated with volcanoes, however, the Rincon volcano in Hope Ranch, which first appeared in a report by Jose Maria Garcia in 1835, sits on the border of the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Luckily, it isn't active nor a threat.

Hawaii and Santa Barbara have an economy driven by tourism. Hawaii represents an exotic paradise far away from home; as with Santa Barbara, however, not as exotic, is still quite beautiful. Surfing is a popular activity in Hawaii. Likewise, Santa Barbara county has many popular surf locations. Waves are largest around Ventura and Point Conception rather than near the city of Santa Barbara itself. Here is a list of many great surf spots around Santa Barbara county. Rincon Point, 15 minutes south of Santa Barbara, is popular word wide known surfing spot.

Unfortunately, I've only attempted surfing once at Carpinteria. I even visited Hawaii and didn't get a chance to try surfing. Disappointed!! Here is where I bombard you with some pictures of my trip to Hawaii.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Kilauea Volcano!

At the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.

Zip lining through a beautiful Hawaiian rainforest.

[Sources]

http://www.independent.com/news/2011/aug/16/sb-volcano/

http://www.santabarbara.com/activities/surfing/

Chapter 16 - The North Pacific Coast

The coastal zone stretching from northern California to southern Alaska is known as the North Pacific Coast. The physical geography is very wet and rugged. High precipitation patterns and heavy moisture makes for lush vegetation around the coast. Rainforests are plenty in the Olympic Peninsula where ferns, mosses, red cedars, Sitka spruces, and the worlds largest Douglas fir grows.

As stated previously, Santa Barbara, which is located in the Southwest Border Area in California, has a Mediterranean climate; onshore breezes make for a moderate climate with warmer winters and cooler summers. Santa Barbara does received precipitation in the winters. It has a higher rate of precipitation than most cities in the area but the summers are unaffected by rain.

Going back to trees, while Oregon has the biggest Douglas Fir tree in the country, Santa Barbara has the biggest Moreton Bay Fig Tree.

The North Pacific Coast's economy once relied heavily on fishing and forestry. The cold waters made for excellent fertile fishing grounds and British Columbia, Oregon, Washington, and California were easily the largest lumber producers.

Santa Barbara's economy is deeply rooted in the hospitality industry with science and technology being the basis of private employment. 


[Sources]

http://www.ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=20

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California#Climate

http://www.clrsearch.com/Santa_Barbara_Demographics/CA/93111/Weather-Forecast-Temperature-Precipitation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreton_Bay_Fig_Tree_%28Santa_Barbara,_California%29

Chapter 14 - The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

 

The Southwest Border Area stretches from the Texas Gulf Coast to California's Pacific Coast past Central California. This region is rich in culture distinguished by Spanish American, American Indian, and Northwest European American people. Before American's took claim of this area in the 1830's, Spaniards occupied the Border Area, and before that even, American Indians arrived here more than thousands of years before.

The Chumash Indians started the history of Santa Barbara with approximately 8,000 - 10,000 Chumash living there. The Portuguese explorer Joao Cabrilho sailed through the channel in 1542 and in 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino gave the city its name. The Spaniards who did settle in Santa Barbara were missionaries and soldiers who came to build the Presidio and Santa Barbara Mission in 1872. 

Currently, only 1% of the population is American Indian and Hispanic/Latinos make up 38% of Santa Barbara. The biggest demographic in Santa Barbara is the Anglo population.

 

 

The Southwest Border Area brings upon socioeconomic disparities, especially for the Hispanic and American Indian population. Along with African Americans, Hispanic and American Indians have the highest poverty rate in Santa Barbara, let alone California. Many American Indians are placed on reservations and the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation holds the only federally-recognized Chumash Indians in the country. 249 people reside on the reservation while other take homes just outside. The Santa Ynez Chumash population directly contributes to tourism by the development of the Chumash Casino Resort which brings in about 6,000 people a day.

*An interesting webpage about the Chumash Indians and their lives in Santa Barbara can be found here.

[Sources]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California

http://pics.city-data.com/craces2/2475.jpg

http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Santa-Barbara-California.html

http://www.santaynezchumash.org/reservation.html

Chapter 15 - California

In the text, California is described as "a central element in the American cultural fabric." California is looked at as the ideal lifestyle driven mostly by its image of its physical geography and laid-back, innovative manners.
 
Santa Barbara, which is located in Santa Barbara (which you already know this!) is definitely an ideal place to live/visit. It isn't called the American Riviera for nothing: it is one of the most beautiful cities in America. It offers picturesque beaches, Spanish-Mediterranean style architecture, has an incredibly wonderful and desirable climate, and has a sort of majestic beauty.

 

 

GORGEOUS!!

 Unfortunately, California, and Santa Barbara obviously, lies along the most famous fault line, the San Andreas, making California susceptible to frequent earthquakes. As far as natural disasters are concerned, earthquakes are pretty much California's only downfall. Many believe that the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was among the biggest to hit California, however, the 1857 Ft. Tejon earthquake that hit Southern and Central California uprooted trees in the San Bernardino Mountains and caused the Kern River to flow backwards! It is approximated to have been about a 7.9 on the scale However, luckily for Santa Barbara, not much damaged occurred because of its proximity from the epicenter.

However, Santa Barbara has been home to many earthquakes that have started in that area; the 1812 and 1925 Santa Barbara earthquakes, the 1927 Lompoc earthquake, the 1902 Los Alamos earthquake, and the 1978 Goleta earthquake.



[Sources]

http://www.preservationnation.org/assets/photos-images/travel-sites/travel/dozen-distinctive-destinations/American-Riviera_mr.jpg

http://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/sb_eqs/

Chapter 13 - The Empty Interior

Chapter 13 deals with the Empty Interior: the United States' largest area of sparse population. Mountains and plateaus make up this large area. The climate is dry and arid and wildlife is diversified and populous.

Santa Barbara, on the other hand, is a Mediterranean climate, as stated previously. The city is right on the ocean so onshore breezes contribute to the city's moderate temperatures. Santa Barbara receives a winter rainfall, unlike the Empty Interior's aridity.

Mormon presence is abundant in the Empty Interior. About 1 in 7 people are Mormon. In Santa Barbara, a 2000 study found that 1.4% of Santa Barbara County's population was Mormon. The second popular religion following Catholicism.


Chapter 12 touches on the wildlife of the Empty Interior. Buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, and wild turkeys are abundant. Since Santa Barbara is right on the ocean, many Brown Pelicans, Terns, and Swallows hang out.

 

*Just a funny fact: while Google-ing information regarding Santa Barbara and the Empty Interior, I came across some older student websites for this class! Made me chuckle.

[Sources]

http://crcc.usc.edu/research/demographics/santabarbara.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California#Climate

http://www.calliebowdish.com/Birds.htm

Chapter 12 - The Great Plains and Prairies

Chapter 12 talks about the continuous plains and prairies that are located in the center of the United States. The landscape does have variation with it going from prairies to badlands which are created by sedimentary rock erosion. The Great Plains' weather is not identical to Santa Barbara; droughts, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and wind is not common in Santa Barbara.

Chapter 12 also discusses the countless novels, films, songs, and television shows about the Great Plains. In comparison, one book comes to mind when I think about Santa Barbara: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. The novel is based on a true story about Juana Maria who was left alone on an island on one of the Channel Islands off of the California Coast. In the end, she is rescued and taken to the Santa Barbara Mission.

Not so much ABOUT Santa Barbara:

• The final scene in The Graduate is set in Santa Barbara.
• Several scenes in the 1966 version of Batman were filmed at Stearns Wharf.
• The television show Psych follows a crime consultant in the city of Santa Barbara.

[Sources]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_the_Blue_Dolphins

http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/images/santa_barbara_mission/ca-santa_barbra_missn_5471_gardn_juana_maria_plaq.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California

Chapter 11 - The Agricultural Core

As stated previously, agriculture dominates the land use in Santa Barbara county. Strawberries, lemons, winegrapes, and vegetable crops are among the most fruitful in the area. Much of the success of agriculture can be attributed to Santa Barbara's climate. Elevations ranged from sea level to mountains over 6,000 feet giving Santa Barbara county various micro-climates which have naturally led to many agricultural regions.

The Santa Ynez Valley has been a big cattle-grazing land but until recently has become site for horse-breeding and wineries and vineyards.

The Lompoc Valley has prime soils which make it an ideal are for a variety of crops such as apples, cherries, and flower seeds.

The Santa Maria Valley is the prime agriculture trade center of the county. Many farm residences and agriculture processing plants are located in Santa Maria. One-half of the area's irrigated acres are vegetables and strawberries. More than half of the county's farm income comes from these crops. The foothills in the Santa Maria Valley are used as vineyards and beef cattle are grazed on the surrounding hillsides.

 

Santa Barbara's abundance of agriculture is also a negative aspect: it is also a leading source of water pollution. Rain water and irrigation water that washes over fields full of salts, metals, nutrients, and pesticides run off into the water nearby.



[Sources]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFgQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Flongrange.sbcountyplanning.org%2Fprograms%2Fgenplanreformat%2FPDFdocs%2FAgricultural.pdf&ei=T5LhTo_TBOariQLq-YWODw&usg=AFQjCNFBMWlIMSJqOpUf7jcjP-JlLMQLhw&sig2=haCH0MJIausOhZr_VbcWtw

http://www.sbck.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=7

Chapter 10 - The Southern Coastlands: On the Subtropical Margin

Chapter 10 discusses the Southern Coastlands of the United States which are comprised of parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and all of Florida. This environment is categorized as subtropical; the climate is humid, the winters are mild, and the summers are hot. Santa Barbara, in comparison, is a Mediterranean climate which is actually a variety of the subtropical climate.

In contrast to the Southern Coastlands hazards of hurricanes and winter freeze, Santa Barbara's most prevalent hazard would have to be wildfires. The Jesusita Fire on May 5, 2009 burned more than 8,000 acres and destroyed over 80 homes. The fire burned through the Santa Ynez Mountains to the hills above Montecito.

Satellite image of the Jesusita Fire burn scar on May 10, 2009, taken from the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite . Image shows the northern part of the burned area, which stretches from the outskirts of Santa Barbara (hidden beneath clouds) into the Los Padres National Forest.

Santa Barbara takes pride in the many fruit orchards it has all over the county. One successful crop that has cultivated in and around the county are lemons. Lemons are a subtropical fruit that bloom and bear fruit almost all year long. In 2007, over 1500 acres of lemons were grown in the Santa Barbara county.

However, Santa Barbara's most successful crop to date is the strawberry. In 2009, strawberries brought in a total of $299,442, 100.

“Agriculture... continues to provide a strong base for our local economy, and through the multiplier effect, agriculture and related activities had a total contribution in 2008 of more than $2 billion to the economy."





 [Sources]

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/may/14/santa-barbara-endures-its-most-threatening-natural/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusita_Fire

http://www.cfbf.com/counties/?id=42

http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/041409_strawberries_remain_santa_barbara_countys_top_crop/

Chapter 9 - The Changing South

California was not part of the changes of the South, including slavery of the African people. However, in comparison to the idea of slavery, many argue that the Spanish missionaries enslaved the Indian people. The idea of slavery in the context may not directly compare to that of the African slaves, but the Indian people were subjected to rapid and violent social and cultural change. The Indian people were pulled from their homes, traditions, families, and made to adapt to a new culture and values. Many forcefully did not submit to this new ways of life and ultimately were violated and subjected to slavery unintentionally.

A little hard to see, but a painting of Indians playing music at the Santa Barbara mission.

Add caption

A painting showing the Chumash Indian's revolt at the SB Mission.

[Sources]

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/78spring/labor.htm

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search/controller/view/chs-m2626.html

http://americangallery.wordpress.com/tag/american-west/

http://www.sito.org/cgi-bin/egads/showart?show=ham.0129

Chapter 8 - Appalachia and the Ozarks

The Appalachians and Santa Barbara don't really have much in common. The Appalachians topography made it difficult to be used in farming and settlement. However, Appalachia became significantly known for its mining, most notably coal. However, it had a big negative impact on Appalachia's physical geography making it undesirable to live. Poverty rates in the Appalachia's is significant, mostly in Southern Appalachia cultures.

Santa Barbara, in comparison, has had some issues with its physical geography and farming; the county being hilly and including lots of forest. However, Santa Barbara county has found ways to to go around this and has hundreds of successful wineries. The Coal Oil Point in Santa Barbara is the largest oil seep in the world. It hasn't adversely affected the area as much as the Appalachia's farming did, but the oil seep does produce tar balls that wash up on the beach. Also, the oil seep is a natural occurring process whereas the people in the Appalachia's farmed and created the problems. On the topic of poverty, in the 2000, the census data report stated that 13.4% of Santa Barbara's residents were below the poverty line. The per capita income for Santa Barbara then was $26,466. This compared to the actual cost of living shows that the number of people below the poverty line is quite high.

Satellite map of petroleum seep.

[Sources]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California

Chapter 7 - The Bypassed East

Santa Barbara is not included in the Bypassed East. Santa Barbara has been inhabited by people for over 13,000 years. Currently, it is a very popular place to live and visit. There are many neighborhoods with distinct history, architecture, and cultures.

Santa Barbara neighborhood map.

Spanish influenced homes.

Santa Barbara marina.

University of California Santa Barbara.

As specified previously, tourism alone gives the Santa Barbara economy more than a billion dollars per year.

State Street.

Stearn's Wharf.

[Sources]

http://www.danaoneill.com/santa-barbara-neighborhoods/

http://express.ece.ucsb.edu/pictures/aerial_campus2.html

http://www.worldofstock.com/stock_photos/TAC3417.php

http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~garrick/ce254/ce%20254%202009/lecture%20and%20home%20work%20index%202009.htm

Chapter 6 - All about Canada

Since Chapter 6 is supposed to be skipped, considering I'm not blogging about Canada, I thought I would include an interesting crop report on Santa Barbara. (pdf file)

Agricultural Production Report 2009

Chapter 5 - The North American Manufacturing Core

Santa Barbara is widely known for its wonderful wineries and wine trails. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the 1800's on the grounds of the Santa Barbara Mission. Many know Santa Barbara as Wine Country, which also extends up north to include places such as Sonoma, CA. Santa Barbara has become a prominent viticultural region (viticulture meaning the study and harvest of grapes). The grapes in this county are are now among the highest priced wines in the state. Santa Barbara is known as an American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Rancho Sisquoc - one of the first wineries in Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara county now has more than 115 wineries. Included in the Santa Barbara Central Coast AVA is the Santa Maria Valley AVA, Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Los Olivos AVA, Ballard Canyon AVA, and the Happy Canyon AVA.

One of the most widely known wine trails is the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail which includes Foxen Winery and Rancho Sisquoc, among others.

[Sources]

http://www.ranchosisquoc.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara_County,_California

http://www.foxencanyonwinetrail.com/

http://www.santabarbara.com/winecountry/trails/foxenvalleytrail.asp

Chapter 4 - Megalopolis

Located in the California megalopolis, Santa Barbara is 13th in rank in urban agglomeration. The largest being the Los Angeles area. Santa Barbara is located off the 101 freeway which links the city along the coastal regions of California. Santa Barbara also has its own airport and access to an Amtrak service. The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District provides bus services across the city. There are also numerous amounts of biking trails. Santa Barbara boasts being a car free area with its project Santa Barbara Car Free. It does not mean there are no cars, it just means anybody can get around Santa Barbara without the use of a car!

Santa Barbara is known for its many tourist attractions and big hospitality industry which has had a major impact on its regional economy. The motel chain, Motel 6, was actually started in Santa Barbara in the 60's. Firms like Alliant Techsystems and Raytheon have major operations in the city. Science and technology form the basis of the city's private employment.


According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report the top employers in South Santa Barbara County are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	University of California, Santa Barbara	6,200
2	County of Santa Barbara	4,000
3	Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital	2,500
4	Santa Barbara City College	2,000
5	Santa Barbara School Districts	1,800
6	Raytheon	1,500
7	Sansum Clinic	1,500
8	City of Santa Barbara	1,000
9	United States Postal Service	1,000
10	Santa Barbara Bank & Trust	950

Tourist attractions not only include Santa Barbara's beautiful beaches, but the Santa Barbara Mission, the Presidio, the Santa Barbara Courthouse, and Stearns Wharf. On top of these attractions, SB is home to many performing arts venues like the Arlington Theatre, the Lobero Theatre, and the Santa Barbara Bowl. SB also has festivals including the annual Fiesta, the French Festival, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the Summer Solstice Parade. Santa Barbara also has an abundance of seafood restaurants and wineries. Santa Barbara also is home to many schools and universities including a research university, liberal arts colleges, a community college, trade schools, a conservatory, and many high, middle, and elementary schools.



[Sources]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara,_California#Geography

http://www.santabarbaracarfree.org/

http://www.lkjh.org/bike/california/santa_barbara

Chapter 3 - Foundations of Human Activity

The earliest settlers of Santa Barbara were the Chumash Indians. It is approximated that about 8,000 to 10,000 Chumash inhabited the area in 1500's. During that time, explorer Sebastian Vizcaino gave the area it's name. The first permanent immigrants were Spanish missionaries and soldiers. In the 1700's they built the Presidio of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Mission.

 

 The Spanish missionaries built the Santa Barbara mission, along with others, in attempts to convert the Chumash to Christianity. However, the settlers brought over diseases such as smallpox and many of the Chumash died as a result. 

The population in 2010 was recorded at 423,895 with the largest demographic being Whites and the second largest being Hispanics. The population density per square mile is 2106.6 people.

 

 According to the Department of Conservation, urbanization of Santa Barbara increased from 1998-2000. A significant amount of vineyards and crops were created. 1,491 acres of land were urbanized which included an expanded water treatment plant. Currently, there are 1,039,816 acres of land in the Santa Barbara area; 13% are farmlands, 56% are grazing lands, 6% are urban lands, and the last 24% consist of wetlands, low density ranchettes, and brush or timberlands which are considered unsuitable for grazing. The rest is water. 

About 54% of the population in Santa Barbara affiliate themselves with a religion. 42.06% are Catholic; 1.42% are LDS; 2.78% are another Christian faith; 1.54% in Santa Barbara, CA are Jewish; 0.06% are an eastern faith; 0.17% affilitates with Islam.

[Sources]

http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/el-presidio-de-santa-barbara-state-historic-park-santa-barbara-ca639.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/154373672_d4e8843c8f.jpg

http://www.sbchamber.org/relocation/demographics.html

http://consrv.ca.gov/index/news/2002%20News%20Releases/Pages/NR2002-27%20Santa%20Barbara%20FMMP.aspx

http://www.bestplaces.net/religion/city/california/santa_barbara

Chapter 2 - Geographic Patters of the Physical Environment

Santa Barbara is commonly known as the "American Riviera" because of its likeness to the French Riviera's climate and geography. Santa Barbara is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. These mountains are an east to west trending range with peaks as high as 4,864 feet. These mountains are covered with chaparral (a shrub plant) and sandstone. Snow falls on these mountains occasionally but never stays.

The climate of Santa Barbara is categorized as a Mediterranean climate which includes warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cold, wet winters. Much of the California coastline experiences this kind of climate. The onshore breezes from the ocean are often very inviting for Santa Barbara's inhabitants and visitors alike.

Santa Barbara has a wonderful, moderate climate.

Santa Barbara is located in Pacific Mountains and Valleys physiographic region as determined by Figure 2.1 in the textbook (page 19).

Another physiographic regional map.

A very unique feature of the Santa Barbara coastline is that it actually faces south and not west and because of this, the sun sets in the North.

Because of Santa Barbara's Mediterranean climate and its past attempts at farming have led to the degradation of its vegetation accompanied with gully and surface erosion.

Beach erosion.

The soils of Santa Barbara are vertisol, which is rich with clay, salinity, and sodium contents. The vegetation is categorized as ecotonal, which means it transitions between two ecological communities. The vegetation includes grasslands, shrubbery, and many other plants and flowers that can be seen at Santa Barbara's Botanical Gardens.

Santa Barbara has large deposits of sandstone, limestone, and petroleum. The world's largest natural oil seepage, called Coal Oil Point, is located in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Tar "patties".

[Sources]

http://www.usclimatedata.com/

http://www.geo.wvu.edu/~mfinkenbinder/Geol%20321/handouts.htm

http://guides.library.ucsb.edu/erosion

http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/quarry_photo/ca-santa_barbara_photos.html

http://www.countyofsb.org/energy/information/naturalseepinventoryfinalreport.htm

Chaper 1 - Regions and Themes

The beautiful Santa Barbara is located along the Pacific coastline in central California. This area of coastline along the Santa Barbara County is often referred to as the "American Riviera" and is situated next to the Santa Ynez Mountains. Santa Barbara is located in the Central Coast Region of California

Santa Barbara is located in the Central Coast Region as specified by the orange area.

The Central Coast region is then divided into four distinct regions which are the Channel Islands Region, the Santa Barbara Region, the San Luis Obispo Region, and the Monterey Bay Region. These areas have miles of rocky shorelines, amazing beaches, and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. These regions also extend inland and include big mountains and rolling hills and some desert areas.

Specifically, Santa Barbara is a city with approximately 423,895 people. It's demographic is mostly white but hundreds of years ago was inhabited by the Chumash Indians, Spaniards, and Mexicans. The architecture of Santa Barbara is largely influenced by its Spanish period. Santa Barbara is 42 square miles; 19.5 being land and 22.5 being water. The large square mileage of water is due to the fact that the city limit stretches out into the ocean.

Santa Barbara has an abundance of resources including seafood, farming, and wine. Because of this, Santa Barbara is a big tourist spot not only because it's wonderfully mild weather and beautiful landscapes but because of these resources. Tourism alone gives Santa Barbara more than one billion dollars per year. It also has a large economic base built around high-tech, education, agriculture, medicine, and government on top of tourism. It is largely a residential area but there is some manufacturing.




[Sources]
http://cpr.ca.gov/images/ca_department/res11img.jpg

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06083.html