One problem with beautiful places is that they’re popular! UCSB Geography staff’s “last supper” for two of its retiring members almost became a liquid lunch because staff had to wait 45 minutes for a table at the Boathouse, and they all hit the outside bar early.
The occasion was the last day of work for Beilei Zhang, Geography’s Contract and Grants Manager, and Bernadette Weinberg, our Academic Personnel and Space Management Analyst, both of whom are now officially retired. It was also an opportunity for all staff to get better acquainted with Alycia Lewis (Beilei’s replacement) Lauren Brous (Bernadette’s replacement), and Alex Feldman (Computer Network Tech 3, a new addition to our IT staff).
Bernadette chose the Boathouse because of its spectacular setting, not to mention its great Margaritas (Bernadette had at least two of them). The Boathouse opened in August 2008, replacing The Brown Pelican as a popular beachside restaurant at Arroyo Burro Beach. The beach is widely known as Hendry’s Beach by local residents because the nearby farm land (now replaced by homes) was once the home of Scottish immigrants William Nicol and Anne Stronach Hendry and their children who lived there from the 1890s until 1918.
Located off of Cliff Drive, Hendry’s is the terminus of Arroyo Burro Creek and stands at the foot of the Santa Barbara coastal bluffs of the Wilcox Property (the Douglas Family Preserve), which is adjacent to the east. Hendry’ s is only 5 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara, but parking is limited and reservations for a table at the Boathouse are strongly recommended.
Editor’s note: Lots more photos of the staff outing can be found on our Event Photos page. For more about Beilei and Bernadette’s retirement celebrations, see the June 5, 2015, article, “A Bittersweet Farewell to Two of Our Finest Staff Members.”
