All in all a pretty nice exhibit. Our waiter was nice but didnt talk much besides asking if we were local to see if we wanted to buy into the wine club. You cannot miss this accoutrement of talent! We very much enjoyed the time we spent there , Great place to walk around and enjoy the harbor. Built in Spanish-Moorish Revival style in 1929, the courthouse features hand-painted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers and tiles from Tunisia and Spain. Road trip from Monterey/Carmel to Santa Barbara 5 years ago Save Hi there, Need advice (this is part of a bigger road trip San Fran to Temecula ) We will be spending 2 nights in Monterey / Carmel (14/15 Dec), then 1 night in Santa Barbara (16 Dec) etc. The 17-mile drive is a road that weaves through Pebble Beach from Monterey to Carmel (or vice-versa). Superb experience, excellent wine, inside pleasant tasting room on a very windy day and they even provided bottled water for between tastings. Great selection but the lines are long for most of the hot foods. Military aviation museum featuring aircraft, objects & memorabilia, plus military vehicles. Tobin James crafts intense fruit driven wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrahs, Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Dessert Zinfandel, all of which visitors can sample in the inviting tasting room that features a grand, 150-year-old bar. We were served by Jack, but everyone we spoke with was super nice and helpful. Containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenRead more. The experience was so very relaxing and cozy. It is still a functioning courthouse and an iconic landmark of Santa Barbara due to its distinctive red tile roof, four-faced clock tower, verdant grounds and sunken gardens, and elegant arches. Seeing the jets and planes up close is really an experience that no picture can justify. This is probably the best ongoing thing the central coast has going. Stearns Wharf is indisputably the most beautiful wharf on the California coast. Solvang is a city in southern California's Santa Ynez Valley. Thank you! Good place for Camping , relax , nice nature , nice clean lake ( no swimming) but you can rent the boat, fishing, food store in the camp with lot of good stuff (food , souvenirs, bbq stuff some fishing stuff, toilets and showers (showers was dirty .. ) and toilet on the water, good restaurant, live music Even if you only take a quick walk along the pier, the views alone make a visit to Stearns Wharf one of the best free things to do in Santa Barbara especially if you come around sunset. Case in point? The mission dates back to 1786, but the Catholic Church, with its majestic double-bell facade, was built in 1820 and is still the most visited mission in California. It is now open again. Another jaw-droppingly photogenic stop is the volcanic mound at Morro Bay. Overall I highly recommend for a mixed aged audience, everyone loved it from youngest to oldest and it was worth the price of admission. There are a couple short bus rides where you need to wear a mask. A couple cabins with views available from the hill top. The food is amazing. The cave tour was very neat and informative (and free!) It provides incredible views and great eats. Bixby Bridge is one of the most photographed spots on Big Sur. Answer 1 of 6: We are planning to drive the Big Sur coast (from Monterey to Santa Barbara) with our two boys (9 and 12). 6200 Foxen Canyon Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441, USA, 5017 Zaca Station Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441, USA. We'd set off from Monterey early and make a full day of it - driving the scenic route, stopping off at some of the highlights for photos, lunch etc. Pictures I posted include ones I took while on their museum as well. Take a soul-satisfying jaunt around this 40-acre botanic garden, devoted to Californias native flora. Great Jalama Burgers! The wine was fantastic! He even came to say hi to us and talk about being from PA! Its also just an alley, so its also one of SLOs free things to do, as well as being among its most-discussed. We were served by a gentleman named Tim. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the United States! Santa Barbara County Courthouse was designed by William Mooser II and opened in 1926. Paso Robles is a California city, known for its wineries and olive groves. How long is the drive from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?. Very dog-friendly! Music would be nice!! Built in 1872 to handle incoming freight and passengers, Stearns Wharf is one of the West Coast's oldest wooden piers. I was amazed! I know like that seems like an exaggeration, but I'm not joking. Loved everything about this place. 13 minutes off the main route, 55% of way to Santa Barbara. Although the courthouse still functions as it was meant to, you can take a docent-led tour through the building and admire the beautiful architecture and mosaic tiles throughout. All in all, we had a great time and would love to go back. The 400-mile road trip from San Francisco to Santa Barbara will take around 8 hours to complete. Also be sure to bring cash to tip your super helpful tour guides. The truth is, to get to Carmel it's only 8.5 miles, however the road loops around making it 17-miles total. Paso Robles is the most popular city on the route it's 2 hours from Monterey and 2 hours from Santa Barbara. This National (and State) Historic Landmark was built in 1929 after a devastating earthquake in 1925. Arriving in SB early evening. On Mission Plaza, the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is a 1700s Spanish mission with a museum. We wentduring the week. Bathrooms on site plus showers. Highly recommended stop if you are in Paso. Beautiful place. After getting our fill of wine, we started the next day with a trip to Pismo Beach, which is famous for its Monarch Butterfly Grove that is filled with butterflies from late October through February. Safe and mostly difficulty free but weekdays after 1 p.m. seem to provide more solace via less visitors. Long palm-lined downtown boulevard joining the oceanfront with local shops, a theater & restaurants. drive for about 43 minutes. Nice day at the beach. Be it a family gathering, date night, curiosity or whatever the reason may be, definitely a good place to visit. The garden focuses on California native plants with a few distinct sections like a desert and a meadow. Many kids. From there, take HWY 101 N to Santa Barbara. it also features 12 acres of gorgeous gardens. I really wanted to love this place, in fact at first we wanted to stay for two days. I grew up in So Cal. They produce reasonably priced wines with an even more generous military and veterans discount. Our plan was to do a photo shoot on the second day, as there are so many unique buildings, antique fixtures, and just overall lovely scenery. Id even seen numerous wedding photoshoots here on the same day! Modern estate surrounded by acres of trim vineyards, offering tastings & picnics on the grounds. Pismo Beach is a city on California's Central Coast. Though its heyday as a freight port is largely a thing of the past, the area on State Street has recently been converted into a hip dining and shopping attraction that includes more than a dozen individual businesses. Stearns Wharf is an icon for Santa Barbara, California, a beautiful beach city on the borderline of Southern California and Central Coast California. We hadn't been to Firestone for about 20 years. Spanish mission founded by Junipero Serra in 1772, with a church, gardens, a museum & a gift shop. Beautiful views. An LA to Big Sur road trip is one of the most stunning and unforgettable trips you could embark on in your lifetime. Tastings of Burgundy & Rhone-style wines at a family-owned vineyard in manicured grounds. Meandering paths wind through the perfectly manicured landscaped gardens that feature sculptures and ironwork by well-known artists Dale Evers, John Jagger, and Robert Bentley. We always have a great experience wine tasting at Laetitia. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND this place for all group types from families to friends. The tranquil setting of visiting the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden makes it a favorite destination to experience some of the regions natural beauty. Why would anyone travel from the east coast to California and make SLO farmers market a priority stop? Ive been to this place a few times now, and am head over heels for its glam vintage vibe. It's known for Morro Rock, an ancient volcanic mound at the end of Morro Rock Beach. Franco is a great host! The grotto area depicts San Juan Diego kneeling before Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also, they honored my coupons for two free tastings even though they hadn't seen that type of coupon before. The mural room, which has a 360 degree mural, is jaw-dropping. It is a working church. Weather conditions: Check road conditions from Santa Barbara to Monterey, or you can get reverse directions from Monterey to Santa Barbara.If you're trying to avoid mountains or steep grade roads, check the elevation profile from Santa Barbara to Monterey.Or if you are hungry, look for places to eat between Santa Barbara and Monterey.If you want to plan a road trip with stops along the way . Enjoy the road stretch from Morro Bay on the south, along the Big Sur coastline, up to Monterey at the north. Host Kate has a love for the community that shows in her hospitality. Another jaw-droppingly photogenic stop is the volcanic mound at Morro Bay. Learn MoreView Website. Try starting your trip from Carmel By the Sea, Carmel Valley, Pacific Grove, Seaside (California), Carmel, Marina, or Sand City. Prices were available within the past 7 days and start at $185 for one-way flights and $225 for round trip, for the period specified. This Spanish-Colonial style courthouse finished construction in 1929. Miles of partly wheelchair-accessible trails meander past cacti, redwoods and wildflowers and by the old Beautiful if not magical place. The direct drive from San Francisco to Santa Barbara is 337 mi (543 km), and should have a drive time of 5 hrs 37 mins in normal traffic.. Morro Bay State Parks Museum of Natural History features exhibits on ecology and local Native American culture. WOW!!!! 1. Reserve your tickets today! Its a very nice and huge complex with animals and all. This visit was sometime in February, so it was a little chilly but being in the sun was warmer and very nice. Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA. Nearby, pieces of chewed gum cover the walls of Bubblegum Alley. The Old Mission Santa Barbarais not only rich with history, it is also an incredibly exquisite building. Via: Where should I stop along the way? Many campers. The gardens are beautiful Its only 90 minutes away from Los Angeles and is well known for its exquisite Spanish architecture, laid-back artistic vibes, and upscale taste. 10 Refugio Beach Rd, Goleta, CA 93117, USA. Great area to stop by, take a boat cruise, swim, play and eat! Good amount of parking so it should not be a problem at least when I went in the morning.