36th Annual ARSC Conference, Santa Barbara California
General Conference Information

Conference Highlights

Some of the highlights of this year's ARSC conference include the many presentations featuring the music of California and the west. For the first time at an ARSC conference, planned after-dinner listening sessions will be held featuring classical and popular recording presentations. In addition, ARSC is offering its 2nd Sound Archives workshop as an all-day pre-conference event for managers of sound recording collections, and two special tours-Lotusland Botanic Gardens, and a wine tasting tour of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Hotel Accommodations

The conference will be held at the Santa Barbara Radisson Hotel located across the street from East Beach in downtown Santa Barbara. A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at the conference rate of $129 per night single occupancy, $135 double occupancy. Ocean view rooms are $40 more per night. Additional rooms are available at the Radisson's sister property, the Parkside Inn, at $99 per night. The Parkside is about one block from the main hotel. Please call (800) 643-1994 to make reservations. Tell them you will be attending the ARSC Conference when you book to receive the conference rate.

Room rates:

Hotel reservation must be made by April 15th to receive the conference rate.

Radisson Hotel Santa Barbara
1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Phone: (805) 963-0744
Guest Fax: (805) 962-0985
Central Reservations (800) 643-1994

Getting to Santa Barbara

Flying-The Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is served by 35 daily nonstop flights from Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Jose and Salt Lake City. United Airlines flights connect through Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco and San Jose. All American Airlines flights connect through Los Angeles. America West offers connecting service from Phoenix and Delta Airlines now connects through Salt Lake City. For more information, please visit the Santa Barbara Airport website.

Super Ride (805) 683-9636 provides transportation from the Airport to the Radisson Hotel and back. The one-way fare is $19 and roundtrip is $36. When you arrive at the airport, dial 130 from the telephone in the baggage claim area to tell them you have arrived.

For multiple passengers arriving at the same time and going to the same destination, there is a reduced rate. Please call in advance to let them know when you will be arriving and they will let you know if there are others that you can share a ride with.

Guests of the Santa Barbara area often find it cheaper to fly to Los Angeles (LAX) and pick up the Santa Barbara Airbus (reservations required, $64 roundtrip) or drive a rental car from LA to Santa Barbara. Consult their website for information on the Santa Barbara Airbus or inquire by phone: US/Canada (800) 423-1618; (805) 964-7759 for those calling outside the US/Canada area, or fax: (805) 683-0307. The Airbus stop in Santa Barbara conveniently is in front of the Radisson Hotel.

Greyhound/Bus-Santa Barbara is also served by Greyhound bus service. For more information, visit their website: or call (800) 229-9424. The bus station is located at Carrillo and Chapala Streets in downtown Santa Barbara.

Amtrak/Train-From Los Angeles, five trains daily serve Santa Barbara and from the Bay Area, one daily train serves Santa Barbara. The Amtrak terminal is located in downtown Santa Barbara at State St. and Cabrillo Blvd, about 1 mile from the hotel. Visit Amtrak's website for train schedules or call (800) 872-7245.

Driving Directions-Coming From the South:

Take US Highway 101 North
Take the Cabrillo Blvd (exit is on the left; exit from the fast lane)
When you reach the stop sign, turn left onto Cabrillo Blvd
The Radisson Hotel is located on the right. For hotel registration parking, turn right at the first stoplight and onto Ninos Drive. Take the first left on to Orilla Del Mar.
Turn left into the hotel parking lot.

Driving Directions-Coming From the North:

Take US Highway 101 South
Take the Hot Springs/Coast Village/Cabrillo Blvd exit (exit is on the left; exit from the fast lane)
When you reach the stop sign, turn right onto Cabrillo Blvd.
The hotel is located on the right. For hotel registration parking, turn right at the first stoplight onto Ninos Drive. Take the first left onto Orilla Del Mar.
Turn left into the hotel parking lot.

Or get directions Yahoo driving directions.

Taxi Service-Taxis are expensive in Santa Barbara, but are easy to find downtown and at the airport. Taxi fare from the airport to the Radisson is approximately $30.

Rental Cars-The following agencies are located at the Santa Barbara Airport:

The following agencies are located downtown:

Things to See and Do in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, established as a Spanish Mission town in 1782, is a picturesque city 100 miles north of Los Angeles nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Blessed with moderate weather year round, it abounds with recreational, dining and cultural opportunities. Information on planning your free time in Santa Barbara can be found by consulting the web pages of the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission which has extensive listings online of local attractions or SantaBarbara.com.

A day of activities including a guided tour of Lotusland, the estate and botanic gardens of opera singer Ganna Walska, and a tour of Santa Barbara area wineries has been planned for Wednesday May 8th. Plan on extending your stay in Santa Barbara to include a vacation before or after the conference!

Some of the highlights of the Santa Barbara Area include:

Museums and Cultural Attractions-The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, Santa Barbara Zoo the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden the Karpeles Manuscript Library and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum are some of the attractions in Santa Barbara.

Beaches-Santa Barbara has a beach for every person's taste, from wide sandy beaches like East Beach across from the hotel to beaches like Hendry's (Arroyo Burro) Beach where the locals go for brunch or to watch the sun set.

Hiking and the Santa Ynez Mountains-The Santa Ynez mountains behind Santa Barbara are part of the Los Padres National Forest and trailheads are only minutes away from downtown Santa Barbara. A hike in Santa Barbara need not be a major event, but can be a short outing to fill a few hours of free time.

Food and Wine-With its moderate Mediterranean climate, Santa Barbara County is able to grow fresh produce year round, has some of the best wine growing climate in California and has fresh seafood from the local fishing fleet. There is no shortage of fine restaurants in Santa Barbara, serving everything from California cuisine and fresh fish to vegetarian food and inexpensive burritos. Santa Barbara County is home to 57 local wineries, many with tasting rooms. Local wines with be featured at the opening reception and a tasting tour is planned for Wednesday May 8th.

Shopping-State Street, Santa Barbara's main shopping district is 15 blocks of retail stores, restaurants, nightclubs, antique stores and souvenir shops. The outdoor Paseo Nuevo mall is on State Street and includes many of the major chain stores. From Saks Fifth Avenue to thrift stores, almost anything you would want to buy is available on State Street.

Whale Watching and the Channel Islands-The Channel Islands National Park encompasses the chain of islands just off the Santa Barbara coast. These uninhabited islands are full of rocky cliffs, sea caves and spectacular views. May is the season for the migration of Gray, Blue and Humpback whales through the Santa Barbara Channel. Several companies offer whale watching tours and trips to the Channel Islands leaving from Santa Barbara's harbor.

Nightlife-Santa Barbara is home to the Santa Barbara Symphony, the Camerata Pacifica and Ensemble Theater and other performing arts ensembles. There are also a wide variety of bars, dance clubs and venues to see live music. Check the website as the conference approaches for a list of events happening that weekend in Santa Barbara.

Getting Around Santa Barbara

Downtown Santa Barbara has good public transportation and is also friendly to pedestrians and has excellent bicycle paths. However, this is Southern California and if you plan to venture further than the downtown area of Santa Barbara, renting a car is advisable.

Santa Barbara MTD (Metropolitan Transportation District) provides bus service around town. Fares are $1 each way and transfers are available. The downtown-waterfront electric shuttle provides transportation up and down Cabrillo Boulevard and up and down State Street. The shuttle stops in front of the Radisson on its way to Stearns Warf. The fare is 25 cents and shuttles run from every 8-25 minutes.

Weather

Weather in Santa Barbara can be unpredictable. Although it is in Southern California, the proximity to the ocean has a cooling effect. Average high temperature in May is 71 and the low is 50.

During May, it is most likely to be warm and sunny. Mornings are often overcast, but the fog burns off by the afternoon. It could rain, but it is uncommon during May. Bring comfortable, casual clothing, but be sure also to bring at least one jacket, as the nights tend to cool off.