My first stint in “the Santa Barbara–Goleta area,” as my 5-year-old calls it for unknown reasons, was as a UCSB student. The ...

It was also named one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara by Celebrity Cruises. Although Butterfly Beach is technically in nearby Montecito, it's only about a 10-minute drive or 20-minute bike ...

Stormwater drains onto Butterfly Beach in Montecito Thursday afternoon. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo In Santa Barbara, the rain is expected to last into Friday with a risk of thunderstorms.

Butterfly populations across the United States are declining, a trend reflected in the Western monarch butterfly population ...