24-27 July
2006
Western
Apicultural Society Conference in Buellton, California
Pea Soup Andersen’s Conference Center
Plans for the 2006 W.A.S. conference in Buellton, California during the last week of July (24th-27th) proceed pretty much on schedule, with exciting events and speakers already lined up.
Is it conceivable that any W.A.S. member would not want to come to the Santa Barbara area for our conference? Whereas Santa Barbara itself might be too expensive, we have managed to put together a relatively inexpensive conference package at a nearby location that will permit attendees to enjoy “the Last Jewel of Southern California” — as I envision our environs — without taking out a loan.
You can order a 44-page 2006 free visitors guide for the Santa Ynez Valley (one that will be sent to you by mail) by accessing: www.syvva.com/html/contactus.php
That region now has more than five-dozen wineries, some of which have become quite renowned (if you are interested in wines). For more information, check out:
Although Buellton is not in Santa Barbara,
it is remarkably close to that city in this day and age (45 minutes away on an
un-congested portion of the US 101 freeway).
By staying in Buellton, one can afford the Santa Barbara experience
without paying high prices for lodging there.
For information about what to do in Santa Barbara itself (very often
with experiences that have no charge), open:
www.santabarbara.com/community/visitors_center/things_to_do/
The information in that web site is, as
might be expected, somewhat overwhelming but doesn’t include the fact that the
first 75 minutes of parking is free — both on the street and in the parking
lots.
W.A.S. members might especially
appreciate the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, which focuses exclusively on
native California plants — as well as the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History. Both exist without government
funding and are well worth a visit.
The real gem for me is the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History. A colleague
of mine (former head of the Natural History Museum in Amsterdam) considered it
the best natural history museum west of the Mississippi River. Located just behind the “Queen of the
Missions” in Santa Barbara, it has one of the largest mollusk collections in
the world and an active educational program for people of all ages. As you park in the museum lot, you will see
the mounted skeleton of a blue whale.
Recently the museum opened the Ty Warner
Sea Center on the Santa Barbara wharf, a fabulous interactive facility for
education about the Santa Barbara Channel and marine biology in general. Everyone I have met who has visited the
museum has registered astonishment about what is available there. Just contact: http://www.sbnature.org/ for more
information.
Accommodations in Buellton
Adjacent to Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant we have made arrangements for stays at a Best Western motel (still with the name of Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn, though no longer affiliated with the restaurant). Rooms will be only $69 per night if you specify that you are a part of the W.A.S. conference and make reservations before June 20th. Phone 1-800-732-7687 or 805-688-3216 to reserve a room.
Speakers
We already have all speakers confirmed; See schedule of events below
Conference
Barbecue
The barbecue and auction this year will occur at the end of the last full day of talks. The cost of that BBQ is included in the registration fee. It will be held at one of the University of California’s three-dozen Natural Reserves. The pristine 6000-acre Sedgwick Ranch Reserve sits at the base of Figueroa Mountain and provides a window into early California ranching practices. You can gain an appreciation of that setting by opening: http://www.nrs.ucop.edu/Sedgwick.htm
The manager and staff of the reserve will prepare the barbecue for us; their efforts will spare us running about for supplies, etc. I can also guarantee that we will have no rain. Before the event, I will help control the yellow jacket wasp problem and provide instructions on how that can be done in your bee yards and home areas. Given time, I will set up a demonstration of how to train bees to visit feeding stations. Also, you will have an opportunity to see an experimental 20-acre organic farm being developed on the reserve.
Optional Santa Ynez Valley Tour
A Santa Ynez Valley tour by Stagecoach Co. Wine Tours during the free Wednesday afternoon will be available for the first 20 who sign up for the event. The price includes a visit to the Buellton ostrich farm and at the Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch. It also includes stops at two wineries for some wine tasting and a souvenir wine glass. You can instead schedule a more expensive tour with that company on your own, a tour that will leave at 11 a.m. and include lunch at one of the wineries (see: solvangusa.com/html/wine.html).
(Unfortunately, apparently none of the several dozen wineries in the area produces mead.)
Some conference participants might take the free afternoon to explore nearby Solvang and Santa Ynez, where Lance Armstrong practices with his crew, also the location of the movie, Sideways. For more information, check out: http://www.solvangusa.com/
Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant
That restaurant is the site of our conference and has excellent meals at affordable prices. You can learn about its history at: peasoupandersens.net/history.shtml
Optional post
conference tour
The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the very best places on Earth for whale watching tours. In July blue whales frequent that channel (the largest animal ever to live on Earth) — perhaps with the largest concentration of such whales anywhere. As a group, we can get a 20% discount if we have more than 20 people sign up for that event. For detailed information about the whale watching experience, see: www.condorcruises.com/#