It was my husband Matt B.'s birthday last week, and instead of getting him another thing (I'd used…read moreup my year's worth of thing ideas for Christmas), I decided to book a unique experience--namely a hot air balloon ride with Sky's the Limit. I was going to surprise him with it, but chickened out at the last minute, as it was a lot of money for something he might not be into. Now that we've been up and come down safely, it occurs to me that a surprise hot air balloon ride would be an easy way to get rid of an unwanted spouse, as long as one didn't mind getting caught. My (beloved, un-murder-worthy) husband loves going up high, in planes and ferris wheels and skyscrapers, but he was a little nervous about the idea of a hot air balloon ride. I didn't think about it much until we were up in the air, but yeah, you really are just in a whimsical basket with a rainbow balloon over half a mile above the ground. Thankfully, we were in good hands. We met up at 5:00 for a sunset balloon ride at the parking lot of Los Olivos Grocery, a short drive from downtown Los Olivos, where we were spending the weekend. We joined our balloon captain James, his diligent team, and nine other guests. From there, we took a ride to some open grassland, where the crew went to work getting the balloon up and running. I'd never thought about how hot air balloons get inflated, but it was a long, arduous process. Fifteen to twenty minutes involving large fans, blasting fire, and a ton of brute force. Once we climbed in the basket, though, we were up in the air in what felt like no time at all. James passed each group a bottle of cheap champagne, and we drank straight from the bottle while he talked us through our journey away from the solid green earth. Any misgivings I might have had gave way to the relaxing ride and the stunning views all around us. We'd never seen anything like it, so beautiful and expansive and undiminished by safety glass. We hovered there, in awe, and watched the sun set. I have one small complaint about the experience, which is that I'd called before booking, to ask how much time to budget, and whoever answered the phone was pretty off base. He said we'd be done by 7:30 and have no problem making our 7:45 dinner reservation, and I wonder if I was told this so I would go ahead and book the ride. We were half an hour late to dinner, and I can't imagine we could have wrapped up any faster, given the production involved in deflating the balloon. Otherwise, though, I was tremendously happy with Sky's the Limit. James and his team were great, and the balloon ride was unforgettable.

I took my partner hot air ballooning for Valentine's Day!…read more I've been hot air ballooning before and this experience was different. My previous experience in Napa, the balloon went up high into the sky. Not sure if there are any regulations prohibiting the balloon to go higher than we did. We for sure did not go higher than 300 feet off the ground. We pretty much glided along the ground, just above the tree level the whole time. Beautiful views, but I was expecting it to go higher than what we did for the duration of the flight. Cheap champagne for the flight, along with the disappointment of not going higher than, made the whole experience cheaper. The pilot was also rude to his employees. Spoke rudely to them over the walkie talkies and in person. Doing that in front of the patrons was def unprofessional and lowered dampened the experience. These are the reasons why I only gave 3 starts. So much potential for 5 starts!

I had my first tandem jump here on March 22. I chose 18,000 feet (because, why not??) my instructor…read morewas Kevin and it was an absolute blast! He made sure I was aware of every step and explained everything to me in a manner that made sense! There were extensive gear checks and he vocalized each time what he was checking. The jump itself was exhilarating! I didn't experience any roller coaster drop feelings. One thing that I did experience that I wasn't aware would happen, but it makes sense now. If your ears are sensitive to pressure changes- the pressure in your ears might be a tad bit uncomfortable. This may be specific to the 18,000 ft, but better to be prepared! I decided to get the video add on and I'm so glad I did! The facility was comfortable and all the staff was so kind!! I've spent a good deal of time on the phone talking to Betsy who has been so wonderful answering all my questions! Fast forward to today. My experience at Skydive Santa Barbara was unexpectedly impactful on my life. It's all I've talked about since that day. I'll be going back to start the process of getting my license. If you've ever thought to try skydiving, I couldn't recommend this place enough!! Take the jump, you won't regret it!!

Sooooooo fun!!!!! I had a great experience here. I went for my birthday, something I had on my…read morebucket list! So glad I had the chance to do it here. We went on a pretty clear day, you could see the ocean and the islands because it was so clear. From the moment we went in to the end of our experience it was great. The people who work here seem very professional and kind. My skydiving instructor who jumped with me was very calm and easy going. He had been doing it a very long time, and I felt very safe with him. The whole experience was so much fun. The initial jump was a crazy blast of air, I kind of lost the chance to breathe for a minute! But then when he pulls the parachute and gliding down, that part was so beautiful and peaceful. I would love to do it again! Highly recommend doing this. Even if you're scared, push yourself! You'll be glad you did.

Well I can see the reason as why these negative reviews were posted…read more Madison is simple she doesn't send you a contract, she takes a small deposit $100 and that's it, you don't hear from her till you reach out to her I did have to email and call her few times to lock in the date which I was worried it may not come through Her animals are adorable clean friendly she brings a lot more variety of animals compare to other mobile petting zoos and her prices are far below market rate We had some hiccups but it was resolved and The kids had a blast playing and feeding the animals we had a good party at the end of the day and that's all it mattered.

Madison & her farm Friendz are the best! We always get them for my daughters birthday parties. They…read moremake every celebration!! Definitely recommend them

Scott J Williams Memorial Park is located in Lompoc CA within Vandenberg Space Air Force Baseball…read moreHousing The park is small and is used for AF memorial Quaint, small but eel maintained and a nice site

It's hard to give an open park space anything less than a 5-star review because, well, it's a park…read moreand its job is to exist and provide space for enjoyment. Crossroads Open Space in Santa Maria definitely gets 5 stars from me! My husband went there to play soccer, and he had a fantastic time. The space is perfect for playing and watching games. I had a great time sitting and cheering from the sidelines, enjoying the fresh air and the atmosphere. It's a lovely place to spend a few hours outdoors. I'll be posting a ton of soccer videos and pictures because the place was just ideal for what we needed. If you're looking for a great spot to play or watch sports, Crossroads Open Space is a winner. Here's to hoping I never find a park that deserves less than 5 stars!

Crossroads Open Space is a basin provided by the City of Santa Maria as a fee use area that…read morerequires a city permit. It's home to a number of soccer fields and is basically a grassy area for abundant rainfall. This is the space where many soccer teams practice and some tournaments are held. Until the day when our city is able to fund new fields, this Open Space at the Crossroads is home to grit and glory for those who put in the work. Located next to the roundabout on College and Southside Pkwy, across from Fletcher Park.

This is definitely a rural camp experience. We were there for a men's retreat. Sleep accommodations…read moreare cabins which sleep in eight, in bunk beds. There is a dining hall, great room, which serves three meals per day. Food fare is camp style, but descent. Plenty of hot coffee. Lots of beautiful hiking trails and outdoor activities. Staff is very friendly and accessible. Showers and bathrooms are clean and very well maintained. Kids who are up here for summer camp will have a lot of fun. Enjoy.

This is our second year attending an event at San Marcos. We loved our stay and hope to come next…read moreyear! They have a great pool, lots of fun extra activities: paintball, BB gun shooting, archery, hiking, a ropes course. They have a cafeteria with pretty good food. The stage and amphitheater is awesome! Definitely would suggest bringing a group of high school or middles school kids or even an adult retreat up here!

This is a solid park with 2 play structures - one tailored to younger toddlers and one for kids…read more There is always someone here on weekends and afternoons due to soccer practices and basketball courts on site. They also have a gazebo picnic area available for reservations. Due to the homelessness issue in this community, the park has become an attraction for people to stay there full time. As a result, there is constantly trash left by the gazebo and around the grassy areas. Fairly certain that today I spotted a vial from a controlled substance immediately next to the younger kid playground. If you aren't carefully watching your kids, they will pick up trash & worse!

Our church really enjoyed renting the reserved area here! Lots of tables under the shade, huge…read moresanta maria-style bbq pit, and close to restrooms. It's one of the best parks in the city and that's confirmed by this being the spot when the city puts on concerts in the park here every summer. Plenty of grassy areas, a favorite of soccer, basketball, football, and baseball teams. Robin Ventura tee-ball field is a nice option too. The two playgrounds are a nice touch: one for the big kids, one for the little tikes. There is a gazebo that has electrical outlets, two restrooms, a very nice basketball court, a tee ball field (Robin Ventura Park), and lots of space to walk and relax. It's also the place for the annual Kite Festival. I'm so glad this is the nearest and nicest park around to me!

This class is my daughter favorite part of her week. I enjoy it to having other moms and grandmas…read moreand nanas there to visit with and learn from.