In summer, the song sings itself.
- William Carlos Williams (1883 - 1963)

Now that Cinco de Mayo is officially over, it’s time to set our Good Land sights on wide sands and the blue Pacific horizon for the unofficial start of summer.
That’s correct. Memorial Day weekend is only three weeks away, and the staff and loyal sponsors of the Valley Voice have been busy not only assembling barbecues, but putting together this week’s Summer Activity Guide.
With grilling and chilling coming to an umbrella near you, we’re certain you’ve made at least some plans to capture your favorite wish-you-were-here moments.
If not, please be one of the first on the block to wing it from your own backyard. Spontaneous trips may be just the ticket to rediscovering the Goleta Valley’s special brand of paradise.
City council member Jack Hawxhurst had it right when he recommended stringing together the nearby sights for a memorable vacation.
Equally reliable sources at the newspaper tell us this will be another sizzling season for one and all making sojourns to Goleta Beach County Park.
For free entertainment, this is one special place. The beach park spans and commands incredible vistas over its 29 acres. From nesting birds calling the wetlands home for the summer, to savory marinade juices dripping on flaming barbecue pits, there are sights and aromas galore.
Who needs the parking nightmares, or soon-to-be-rising daily fees at East Beach? Our Goleta treasure-by-the-sea also has volleyball courts within easy strolling range of a vast and grassy picnic area.
And no one will draw a line in the sand - and not let you join in a game - if you’re not sporting the hardest of summer bodies just yet. After all, this is one friendly beach for folks of all shapes and ages.
With so many families frolicking in the sun, there will be plenty of lifeguards on hand to ensure tide-line water safety each and every day.
One of my wife’s favorite spots, and a place I will take her again soon, is the wooden plank pier at the park that seems to stretch halfway to Santa Cruz Island.
All 1,480 feet of the pier typically teems with fishermen, live catches from the depths of the ocean and even surfers, under the right conditions, down below.
The wind is often blowing strong, and seafaring dolphins and whales may cruise through the channel as part of your Goleta Beach entertainment package.
Another special feature, available at the park on the weekends and this coming Memorial Day, are the boat launches on the pier. Boating is a great way to introduce youngsters to the wonders of the water.
If my salty memory is correct, boaters back up their vessels to the foot of the pier and they are then towed out on the knotted wharf. A worthy blue hoist picks up the boats and gently puts them down on the water’s surface. A motorized ramp then lowers passengers from the pier to the water so they may board their boat.
For those with appetites for a more serene, but equally inspiring, setting, you need go no farther than one of two park entrances to Lake Los Carneros.
Lounging mallards enjoy having their pictures painted in the changing landscape of wild flowers below the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Similar to Goleta Beach wetlands, the lake at this city park is also host to seasonal flocks of birds. The dense tules are the nesting habitat of song sparrows, red-winged blackbirds and herons in search of scurrying lizards or burrowing gophers.
On one outing, I recall coming around a bend and chancing upon a couple of wild rabbits among the thickets of the 135-acre refuge. And for fans of freshwater catches, the lake is said to be rich in bluegill, carp, bass, bullheads and even catfish.
If you’re angling for more structured adventures for your kids - without you at the helm - there’re plenty to choose from all over the Goleta Valley.
A favorite haunt of mine growing up was the Boys and Girls Club in Old Town. Further up the street, Bob Yost is promising an interesting outing with a fitness camp at the Page Youth Center this summer. Kids from 9 to 16 can get physically fit while also learning what’s best to order at one of Herb and Dave Petersen’s McDonalds stores.
Also, near San Marcos High, Goleta resident and Hidden Oaks golf pro Dave de Heras is once again teeing up a series of junior golf camps at the award-winning course.
So pull up a patio chair, break out “Gone With The Wind” and a mint julep or iced tea, and see just what’s outside your door in this week’s Summer Activity Guide.
We promise to keep a light on for you if you promise to send us a postcard.