Page 103 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

PASOLIVO TOMATOES, Paso Robles, left;
arena riding in Santa Barbara, opposite top;
Ventura harbor, opposite bottom.
though Santa Barbara is the big city in the
area, it has a relaxing vibe that would suffo-
cate in a second in downtown Los Angeles.
The California missions and other well-pre-
served buildings still exist from before 1850,
when California became a state. The Central
Coast’s inland region has a wealth of land
for agriculture—from wine to olives—but
farmers here are just as comfortable taking
a quick trip to the wide, sandy beaches
during breaks from the harvest. Even
Family Fun
The Central Coast is rich with natural
adventure for families, including plenty of
beaches and outdoor space, historic sites
and water activities. View underwater life
on a semi-submersible tour in Morro Bay.
Discover how the ocean has shaped the his-
tory of the Central Coast at the Santa
Barbara Maritime Museum. Go camping in
the Channel Islands or Los Padres National
Forest. Even picking your own berries at a
local farm is far more fun when you can
smell the ocean air and not hear the sounds
of traffic.
DRIVE
»
TOUR
DINA MANDE/HELLOJUICE.COM. OPPOSITE: VISIT SANTA BARBARA; KAMILO BUSTAMANTE
Get more than a glimpse of
the Central Coast by driving
south of Big Sur on
Highway 1 past the small
beach towns of CAMBRIA,
MORRO BAY and PISMO
BEACH. Be sure to stop
regularly to sample local
delicacies, whether caught
from oceanside piers or
made by hand in beach-
town bakeries. The highway
cuts inland for a short jog
after San Luis Obispo, but
pops back to the beach
before approaching the
Santa Ynez Mountains and
posh SANTA BARBARA.