Masala Spice

We were happy to learn that the old Mesa Verde vegetarian restaurant in Santa Barbara's Mesa neighborhood  has reopened as Masala Spice, serving authentic Indian cuisine. It's a great fit for that interesting space.

S.B. Museum of Natural History

Among the other highlights of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History were this beautiful and impressively crafted Chumash basket (above) and the suspended California Condor in flight (below). The California Condor is North America's largest bird.

blue whale skeleton

 

In case anyone forgot, the famous blue whale skeleton at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is real. Above is a photo I took in 2020; below are the ones I took recently in 2026.

peculiar forms

Banana yogurt is so rare these days, I'll take it in whatever peculiar form it comes.

local dinosaurs

Within days, a Tyrannosaurus rex was seen in Ojai and Santa Barbara.

the escape route

I do not recall seeing this sign before. Good to know the escape route.

Brakey Road revisited

Maybe this is what living in a free society is really all about??