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Central Coast
California’s Central Coast is a beautiful region, extending from the dramatic coastline visible from Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, to the inland valleys with their vineyards and wineries. A variety of recreation options are available: surfing at Santa Cruz or Santa Barbara, diving in Monterey Bay, horseback riding or driving at Pismo Beach or walking on Pacific Grove’s oceanfront recreation area. Boating is available on Lake Casitas in Ventura County, Lake Nacimiento near Paso Robles, Lake Cachuma in the Santa Ynez Valley, and the San Justo Reservoir in Hollister. Other major attractions include Hearst Castle, built by the tycoon William Randolph Hearst, the model for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane; the Monterey Bay Aquarium; Goleta Beach, with its year-round Mediterranean climate; Montecito, the luxury residential area east of Santa Barbara; the Danish-influenced town of Solvang; the Carpinteria State Beach Park, with 1200m (4000ft) of ocean frontage; and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. North of Santa Barbara, the flower fields of Lompoc Valley and the ancient Chumash cave and pictographs afford added interest. Nipomo Dunes Preserve, the second-largest expanse of dunes in California, stretches from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County to Pismo Beach. California’s historic missions dating from the Spanish Colonial era can also be toured.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Feb Annual Masters of Food and Wine, Carmel; Steinbeck Cannery Row Birthday Celebration, Monterey and Salinas. Mar Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Apr 42nd Annual Wildflower Show, Pacific Grove; Vintners Festival, Santa Barbara counties. May Castroville Artichoke Festival, Castroville. Aug Old Days Spanish Festival, Santa Barbara; Annual Mariachi Festival, Santa Barbara; 10th Annual Monterey County Winemakers Celebration; 53rd Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (classic car show). Sep International Jazz Festival & World Music Beach Party, East Beach; Monterey Jazz Festival. Oct Butterfly Parade, Pacific Grove. Nov Great Wine Escape Weekend, Monterey.
CLIMATE: Mild and sunny 12 months a year – there is no ‘off season’. Most people wear comfortable sports clothing all year round.
The Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula has been called the ‘jewel of the Central Coast’. For more than 300 years, it has impressed all who have landed on its shores, from the early Spanish explorers and missionaries to present-day visitors.
The beauty and charm of the Peninsula captured the hearts and imagination of artists and writers such as John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Robinson Jeffers, Robert Louis Stevenson and Ansel Adams. Each in his own way sought to preserve the magic on canvas, paper or film.
The Monterey Peninsula’s dramatic coastline and sunny valleys are the backdrop for the rich cultural and maritime heritage, which is preserved today in the Mexican adobes, the Maritime Museum, Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf in historic Monterey.
Much of the area’s charm stems from the many cultural influences – Native American, Mexican, Spanish, Italian and Asian – which shaped the region’s early development.
Attractions include the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium, which in 1996 revealed its spectacular new Outer Bay Wing. The Aquarium is the perfect spot from which to survey the depths of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
The quaint village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, a village in a forest, offers over 90 art galleries and the annual Bach Festival – testaments to its 100-year reputation as a centre for the visual and performing arts.
Pacific Grove is home to the colourful annual migration of Monarch butterflies, which can be seen in autumn. It also features Victorian architecture, much of which houses bed and breakfast inns and restaurants.
Carmel Valley, a mere 3.2km (2 miles) inland from the coast, is a sunny upland area, which boasts golf courses, horseback riding, a tennis resort and the Ventana Wilderness Area, which visitors can explore on foot.
Pebble Beach, the home of the AT&T National Pro-Am Golf Tournament, is a world-class resort with two full service resort hotels, four golf courses and, of course, the famed 17-Mile Drive on which sits the oft-photographed Lone Cypress Tree.
Big Sur offers dramatic coastal scenery, with its Bixby Bridge and Julia Pfeiffer State Park. Two world-class resorts in the area contribute to the range of lodging options.
TRAVEL: To reach the Monterey Peninsula from Los Angeles or San Francisco, drivers may take State Highway 101 or Scenic Highway 1. San Francisco and Los Angeles airports offer flights to Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY). The Monterey/Salinas Airbus offers scheduled services between San José and San Francisco Airports and the Monterey/Salinas area.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, on the American Riviera, lies 534km (332 miles) south of San Francisco and 150km (92 miles) north of Los Angeles. Highway 101 runs directly through it. The Santa Barbara scenic tour is an excellent way to see the area. Attractions to look out for along the Scenic Loop include the much-admired Santa Barbara County Courthouse. The elegant interior includes hand-painted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, giant murals, carved doors and imported tiles. The 24m-high (80ft) clock tower affords panoramic views of the city. The Mission Santa Barbara, the ‘Queen of the Missions’, was established in December 1786 and boasts unique twin bell towers and a lovely façade.
Many of the city’s historic adobe houses from the Spanish and Mexican eras are featured in the central area. In the Hill-Carrillo Adobe, for example, can be found the city’s first wooden floor. The Santiago de la Guerra Adobe, now remodelled, is one of the city’s oldest structures. The Fernald Mansion and Trussell-Winchester Adobe is a well-furnished 14-room Victorian mansion with a handsome staircase and carved decorations. It is one of the finest remaining examples of Victorian architecture in the area. Other attractions include the Museum of Natural History, a nationally renowned museum specialising in Californian and North American West Coast history. At the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, highlights include an Indian Hall with a diorama of historic Chumash life and the giant skeleton of a blue whale. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum houses one of the finest collections of regional history in California. Fine art, western saddles, exquisite costumes and picturesque antique toys are highlights of the collection. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is one of the nation’s outstanding regional museums and offers work by O’Keefe, Eakins, Sargent and Hopper. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is devoted to the study of California’s native flora, cacti, redwoods and wildflowers, while the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge features a peaceful lagoon, gardens and a variety of freshwater birds. At the El Presidio de Santa Barbara, founded in 1782, visitors can view buildings belonging to the last Spanish military outpost in California. The Presidio Chapel contains restored 18th-century decorations, while the padre’s and commandant’s quarters feature authentically reproduced furniture and architecture. The Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens offers a botanical area and more than 700 species of animals from around the world, including big cats, elephants and giraffes. Stearns Wharf, once part-owned by the film star James Cagney and his brothers, is the oldest active working pier in California. It offers gifts and souvenirs, wine-tasting and a seafood market. Views of the mountains and the ocean are spectacular from here. Moreton Bay Fig Tree, the largest of its kind in the nation, is an Australian import planted in Santa Barbara in 1874. It has a span of 48m (160ft) and provides 6400 sq m (21,000 sq ft) of shade. The Yacht Harbour and Breakwater is the departure point for shoreline tours and fishing excursions. Its paved walkway offers a half-mile walking tour with harbour, city and mountain views.
The Carriage Museum houses a unique collection of horse-drawn carts and carriages used by the pioneer families of Santa Barbara. The collection includes stagecoaches, buggies, army wagons and a black hearse.
The climate makes this area conducive for all types of sports and recreational activities. Santa Barbara County is also noted for its parkland, ranging from small gardens with quiet groves to vast meadows, hills and mountains, each with a unique setting.
The Wine Country in the Santa Barbara region, with over 43 wineries and nearly 10,000 acres of vineyards, is the fastest growing region of its kind in the world. Easily accessible from Highways 101, 154 or 246, the area extends from the vineyards of Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys to the wineries and tasting rooms in downtown Santa Barbara. A variety of micro-climates makes it possible to grow and produce excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and many other wine grapes.
THEATRES & CONCERTS: Santa Barbara also offers a wide array of cultural and artistic activities. Some of the performing companies and venues include: The Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra; the Civic Light Opera; the Ensemble Theatre, Center Stage Theatre; Lobero Theatre; Granada Theatre; Santa Barbara County Bowl and the Arlington Theatre built by Fox West Coast Theatres with a distinctive Moorish spire and a curved trompe d’oeil ceiling. It now acts as Santa Barbara’s performing arts centre. The University of California at Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College also offer dramatic performances. The Contemporary Arts Forum, founded in 1976, is the focal point for contemporary art in Santa Barbara. The facility also includes three exhibition spaces.
SHOPPING: Santa Barbara offers abundant shopping opportunities: Big Dog, Territory Ahead, Firenze, Isabel Bloom and the Santa Barbara Ceramic Design are based here. Further shopping opportunities are available on State Street and at El Paseo; La Arcada Court; Paseo Nuevo; Victoria Court; La Cumbre Plaza; Coast Village Road and Montecito Village. Brinkerhoff Avenue is a charming one-block street of Victorian houses selling antiques, fascinating memorabilia and other specialities, while El Paseo is a unique Old Spanish-style shopping arcade, recently renovated as the site of speciality shops and art galleries. The Farmers’ Market is a colourful outdoor area where local growers sell fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and other produce at reasonable prices.
TRAVEL: Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) (website: www.flysba.com) is located 12km (8 miles) north of central Santa Barbara. Major airlines servicing Santa Barbara include: United Airlines & United Express; American Eagle; SkyWest and America West Express. Amtrak offers daily stops north and southbound. Bus services are provided by Greyhound. Santa Barbara Airbus offers a shuttle service to Los Angeles (LAX) airport.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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