Page 57 - 2023-2024 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 2023
AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM Jan. 30-Feb. 5, Pebble Beach attpbgolf.com
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Feb. 8-18, Santa Barbara sbiff.org
GARAGISTE WINE FESTIVAL Feb. 10-11, Solvang garagistefestival.com
JAZZ BASH BY THE BAY March 3-5, Monterey jazzbashmonterey.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Apr. 23-30, San Luis Obispo slofilmfest.org
GOOD OLD DAYS STREET FESTIVAL May 6-7, Pacific Grove pacificgrove.org
TASTE OF SANTA BARBARA May 15-21, Santa Barbara santabarbaraca.com/events/
taste-of-santa-barbara-2023
PASO WINE FEST May 18-21, Paso Robles pasowine.com/winefest
CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL May 20-21, Oxnard castrawberryufestival.org
I MADONNARI ITALIAN STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL May 27-29, Santa Barbara
ccp.sbceo.org/i-madonnari
LOS OLIVOS JAZZ AND OLIVE FESTIVAL June 10, Los Olivos jazzandolivefestival.org
SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION June 23-24, Santa Barbara solsticeparade.com
SAN BENITO COUNTY SADDLE HORSE SHOW & RODEO June 23-25, Hollister
sanbenitocountyrodeo.com
CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL July 14-15, Santa Barbara californiawinefestival.com
CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL July 15-29, Carmel bachfestival.org
OLD SPANISH DAYS FIESTA Aug. 2-6, Santa Barbara sbfiesta.org
PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE Aug. 20, Pebble Beach pebblebeachconcours.net
MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL Sept. 22-24, Monterey montereyjazzfestival.org
GOLETA LEMON FESTIVAL Sept. 23-24, Goleta lemonfestival.com
BUTTERFLY PARADE & BAZAAR Sept. 30, 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; The Nine Sisters, San Luis Obispo, 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
2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 55