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5/27/2015

Sea World Rescue helping out with Santa Barbara Oil Spill

Those of you not in Southern California may have missed the news, but we are facing a pretty big environmental disaster just north of Santa Barbara in the way of an oil spill.

Written by Gregg Condon

Along with the ecological impact to the ocean and beaches (and inevitable tourist impact) there is of course the impact to marine life. And of course, as always our friends at Sea World are stepping up.

What seems to be different this time around are the people who are usually very quick to bash Sea World are now thanking them for stepping up to help these defenseless animals who didn't ask for oil to be drilled in their back yard.

Those of us following Sea World for years know that this is nothing new for them, there are literally tens of thousands of animals they've saved over the years.

This seems to be a classic case of "out of sight, out of mind" and now that it's in our area people are beginning to notice a bit.

Of course, it's sad that it takes a major thing like this oil spill to get people to realize the good that Sea World does. Hopefully this most recent disaster will open up some eyes to what Sea World can really do.

Photo via Mike Eliason-Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. PIO

A little closer to home, for me at least, was this beautiful Sea Lion at nearby Channel Islands Harbor (where we've spent many a weekend afternoon). Apparently he had gotten struck with some kind of home made spear by some jerk and the Coast Guard had been trying to capture him for days to help him.

Of course, before I had even clicked on the video above I knew we'd see some Sea World Rescue jackets and even on our local newspapers Facebook page there were again lots of thank you's to Sea World.

For us, marine life around our beaches and harbor are as much a part of life as going to the beach or any theme park. 99.9999% of people around here respect the sea life and do whatever we can to make sure they have a safe and clean environment.

If you ever find yourself in Ventura County take the time to rent a Kayak on the harbor or just walk around the Channel Islands visitor center. It really is a treat and you can get a sense of the community for both the animals and the non-marine life locals (that's us).
But back to Sea World ... we want to personally take a moment to thank them for what they are doing out here.

Not sure if this oil spill has gotten much coverage outside of Southern California (and sadly it's not getting as much coverage here as it should as some celebrity is surely up to something that's more important).

If you are local and would like to help with the cleanup you can find that info here

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5/25/2015

Legoland California opens Lego Friends Heartlake City

Celebrities Walk the Purple Carpet for LEGOLAND® California Resort’s
Newest Addition LEGO® Friends Heartlake City
LEGO Horse Stables, Carousel, Dance Party and More!

CARLSBAD, Calif. (May 20, 2015) – Streamers burst through the air, music blasted and celebrities applauded as LEGOLAND® California Resort officially opened its latest addition, LEGO® Friends Heartlake City. The family theme park’s new land opened in style as celebrities, Make-a-Wish families and a San Diego Padre walked the “purple” carpet before enjoying the festivities with their families.

Based on the popular LEGO® Group’s toy line and TV show “LEGO Friends,” Heartlake City was brought to life when a little girl helped the city’s mayor turn the key to power up the Friends Forever Stage, spin the carousel at Mia’s Riding Camp and turn on the Heartlake Fountain. As Heartlake City came to life, the LEGO Friends live girls appeared on stage to perform a song for the guests and get the party started. Guests joined in the fun by singing and dancing, exploring and constructing LEGO horses in the stables and riding the carousel.

Celebrity guests including professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, actress Gena Lee Nolin, actor Barry Sloane from “Revenge”, Briana Rene’e Manson from “Little Women: LA” and San Diego Padres pitcher Ian Kennedy walked down the purple carpet and joined in some family fun by stopping by the LEGOLAND photo booth before starting their adventure in Heartlake City.

LEGO Friends Heartlake City is packed with fun and excitement around every corner. Guests can enjoy living like a LEGO Friend for a day while exploring Mia’s Riding Camp, a 62 horse and jeep carousel ready to take guests on an adventure, the Heartlake Fountain where children and their friends can splash about, and the Heartlake Stables ready for LEGO building activities. Guests can even sing along with the LEGO Friends on the Friends Forever Stage all before enjoying sweet crêpes at the City Park Crêperie. LEGO Friends Heartlake City is included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. For ticket prices, operating schedule and additional information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-LEGO (5346).

LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® Aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park and LEGOLAND® Hotel. All are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display, Pirate Reef and Dino Island. SEA LIFE Aquarium is home to more than 5,000 living creatures and incorporates LEGO® models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean featuring play zones, fun facts and quiz trails. LEGOLAND Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River. New this year, LEGO Legends of Chima Water Park presented by Cartoon Network where guests splash about in a Lion Temple Wave Pool, slide out of a crocodile’s mouth and race LEGO boats. The nation’s first LEGOLAND Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, or kingdom plus more than 3,500 LEGO models throughout the three-story hotel. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

About Merlin Entertainments:
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe’s number one and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 109 attractions, 11 hotels/3 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and approximately 26,000 employees (peak season).
Merlin has twenty four attractions and one hotel in North America - including two stunning LEGOLAND Resorts – LEGOLAND Florida with its theme park, Water Park, (new Hotel opening May 15, 2015); and LEGOLAND California with its theme park, Water Park, SEA LIFE Aquarium and themed Hotel; Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions in New York City, Washington D.C., Las Vegas; Hollywood; and San Francisco with Orlando opening in May 2014; LEGOLAND Discovery Centers in Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Kansas City, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Westchester, New York; Toronto, Canada; a Dungeon in San Francisco; and SEA LIFE Aquariums in Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Michigan; Dallas/Fort Worth; the Mall of America in Minneapolis and Charlotte – Concord with Orlando opening in May 2015 - underlining the company’s position as the world’s biggest global aquarium operator. The Orlando Eye, the tallest observational wheel on the east coast, opens in May. Visitwww.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

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Sea World Rescue helping out with Santa Barbara Oil Spill

Legoland California opens Lego Friends Heartlake City

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