Page 91 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

there are plenty of treats for visitors to
enjoy. Whether your preference is digging
for clams, surfing the perfect wave,
strolling small village streets, sampling
fresh regional cuisine and world-famous
wines, or lazing on the beach and
watching the changing tide, it’s all right
here on the Central Coast—and there’s
enough for everyone.
City & Town
Downtown Santa Cruz lies between the
city’s vibrant beach attractions and the
redwood-rich mountains, where the Uni-
versity of California at Santa Cruz is
perched among groves of the huge trees.
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is steps
from the city’s historic buildings that date
from the 18th and 19th centuries—before
SPECIAL
»
EVENTS 2020
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Jan. 15-25, Santa Barbara sbiff.org
AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM Feb. 3-9, Pebble Beach attpbgolf.com
SANTA BARBARA RESTAURANT WEEK Feb. 21-March 6, Santa Barbara sbrestaurantweeks.com
JAZZ BASH BY THE BAY March 6-8, Monterey jazzbashmonterey.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL March 17-22, San Luis Obispo slofilmfest.org
TASTE OF SOLVANG March 20-22, Solvang solvangusa.com
PEBBLE BEACH FOOD & WINE April 16-19, Pebble Beach pbfw.com
PASO ROBLES WINE FESTIVAL May 14-17, Paso Robles pasowine.com/events/winefest
CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL May 16-17, Oxnard strawberry-fest.org
I MADONNARI May 23-25, Santa Barbara imadonnarifestival.com
LOS OLIVOS JAZZ & OLIVE FESTIVAL June 6, Los Olivos jazzandolivefestival.org
SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION June 19-21, Santa Barbara solsticeparade.com
SAN BENITO COUNTY SADDLE HORSE SHOW & RODEO June 26-28, Hollister
sanbenitocountyrodeo.com
STEINBECK FESTIVAL July, see website for details, Salinas steinbeck.org
CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL July 17-18, Santa Barbara californiawinefestival.com
CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL July 18-Aug. 1, Carmel bachfestival.org
FEAST OF LANTERNS July 24-25, Pacific Grove feast-of-lanterns.org
OLD SPANISH DAYS FIESTA Aug. 5-9, Santa Barbara oldspanishdays-fiesta.org
PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE Aug. 16, Pebble Beach pebblebeachconcours.net
GOLETA LEMON FESTIVAL Sept. 19-20, Goleta lemonfestival.com
MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL Sept. 25-27, Monterey montereyjazzfestival.org
BUTTERFLY PARADE & BAZAAR Oct. 3, Carmel pacificgrove.org
FIRST NIGHT MONTEREY Dec. 31, Monterey firstnightmonterey.org
THE KELP FOREST TANK at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a popular attraction,
right; Big Sur, opposite.
»
MUST
SEE,
DO
» California Origins Visit Mission Santa
Barbara, established in 1786 and known as “Queen
of the Missions.” It was the 10th of 21 California
Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.
› santabarbaramission.org
» Wild Coast Cruise Highway 1 along the majestic
Big Sur coast, where the sky touches the sea.
› bigsurcalifornia.org
» American Riviera Step off Stearns Wharf in
Santa Barbara and stroll along the miles of
beaches studded with palm trees.
› santabarbaraca.com
» Monterey’s Historic District Find Old
Monterey’s adobes and gardens from the Spanish
and Mexican eras, including the site of California’s
first Constitutional Convention, scattered near
Fisherman’s Wharf.
› seemonterey.com
» Nine Sisters Stretching between Morro Bay
and San Luis Obispo, the craggy peaks of the Nine
Sisters provide beautiful vistas in the Central
Coast. Get up close to one of them, Morro Rock, in
Morro Bay.
› morrobay.org
2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 89