Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [319]
Day Three is set aside for wine country. Pick a wine trail, then enjoy a do-it-yourself tasting day via car, bike or motorcycle. Guided tours are an option for those who prefer not to navigate. Pack a picnic lunch or eat in charming Los Olivos. End with a hearty steak dinner at the Hitching Post II.
Start your last day in Solvang. Grab abelskiver, pancakes or pastries for your breakfast then ogle the gorgeous scenery with a scenic drive to the trails off Paradise Rd in Los Padres National Forest or bike along one of the scenic wine trails – Foxen Canyon Rd and the Santa Rita Hills loop are exceptionally beautiful. Cap it off with fine, but not stuffy, Italian cuisine at Grappolo.
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Santa Barbara Sailing Center (Map; 805-962-2826, 800-350-9090; www.sbsail.com; 133 Harbor Way), next to Sea Landing in the harbor, will take you sailing on the Double Dolphin, a 50ft sailing catamaran, for $35. One child, age 12 and under, is free with each paid adult. If you want to pilot your own craft, the center also rents paddleboats, motorboats, fishing boats and sailboats. In season they offer whale-watching too.
Sunset Kidd’s Sailing Cruises (Map; 805-962-8222; www.sunsetkidd.com; 125 Harbor Way) will take you on a two-hour whale-watching trip in an 18-passenger sailboat for $35 per person. It also operates pleasure trips – try the sunset cocktail cruise – for the same price.
Truth Aquatics (Map; 805-962-1127; www.truthaquatics.com; 301 W Cabrillo Blvd) runs scuba-diving trips, kayaking excursions and an occasional hikers shuttle to the Channel Islands.
Kayaking
Paddle the coves of Gaviota, the coast of Carpinteria and the calm waters of the harbor, or hitch a ride to the Channel Islands for caves, bluffs and solitude.
Santa Barbara Adventure Co ( 805-898-0671, 888-773-3239; www.sbadventureco.com) leads guided kayaking trips that focus on marine ecology; ask about stargazing floats.
Paddle Sports (Map; 805-899-4925, 888-254-2094; www.kayaksb.com; 117b Harbor Way) leads kayaking trips and offers instruction. Kayak rentals cost $20 for two hours or $30 for four hours.
Surfing
Santa Barbara’s south-facing coast and proximity to the wind-breaking Channel Islands make it a good spot for plying the waves on a surfboard. Rincon Point has long, glassy, point-break waves; Leadbetter Point and Goleta Beach are best for beginners. Unless you’re a novice, conditions are too mellow in summer – head to Orange County’s beaches Click here, then come back in winter when swells kick back up.
Learn to surf with Santa Barbara Adventure Co ( 805-452-0671, 888-773-3239; www.sbadventureco.com) – four-hour classes cost $110 per person, including necessary accoutrements and lunch. Surf Happens ( 805-966-3613; www.surfhappens.com) offers lessons incorporating the zen of surfing; begin your spiritual journey for $60 per hour (two-hour minimum). Across the street from Stearns Wharf you can rent soft (foam) boards from the Surf-n-Wear’s Beach House (Map; 805-963-1281; 10 State St; per hr/half-/full-day $7/21/35). It also rents boogie boards ($4/10/16 per hour/half-/full-day).
Hiking
Gorgeous day hikes await in the Santa Ynez foothills (part of Los Padres National Forest, Click here), which are part of the mountain chain that towers over the city. By car, it’s about 2 miles from downtown Santa Barbara to Foothill Rd, also known as Rt 192, which travels east–west along the foot of the Santa Ynez, and another 2 to 3 miles to various trailheads from Foothill Rd. The hills are full of hiking trails, most of which cut through rugged chaparral and steep canyons. Savor the jaw-dropping coastal views. Rattlesnake Canyon is a popular, 3-mile round-trip hike offering shade and waterfalls as you ascend into the canyon. Take Mission Canyon Rd north from Foothill Rd, turn right on Las Canoas Rd and follow it to the trailhead. You can extend this hike using the Rattlesnake Canyon connector trail to the Tunnel