Between 1769 and 1823, twenty-one missions were built throughout California. Eleven are located in the Central Coast—the largest concentration of California missions—and many are still active churches. Why not take a road trip and see them all? Here is a list of California’s Central Coast missions by region: Continue reading
Hearst Castle in San Simeon – San Luis Obispo Region
Courtesy Hearst Castle®
Experience Hearst Castle as it might have been on Christmas in the 1920s or 1930s during Christmas at the Castle. The estate is decorated for the holidays making for an impressive sight. Two 18-foot Christmas trees fill the Assembly Room, while Living History Docents are dressed in 1930s period clothing for the Evening Tour.
Weekend Evening Tours are difficult to reserve, but there are also many Evening Tours during the week in December.
by Joel Peterson
In my role as President of the Paderewski Festival, I’m often asked about who Paderewski was and why we celebrate him. It’s a good question, as we don’t often get a glimpse of a person who lived 100 years ago. He’s also a bit hard to define since he did so many things over the course of his life. In a few paragraphs I’ll attempt to give you a brief glimpse into Paderewski’s life and why we celebrate him.
As strange as it may seem in a world dominated today by pop culture, Paderewski was the most popular entertainer of his time – the Elvis or John Lennon of his era. Universally acclaimed as a “Modern Immortal” by his contemporaries, Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a virtuoso pianist, composer, politician, humanitarian and orator. His charismatic personality and popular appeal made him one of the most cherished figures of the 20th century.
Watch video highlights along California Central Coast’s “original road trip”.
There’s a moment at the start of “the original road trip” along the Central Coast when you leave Los Angeles behind and arrive at a separate place. U.S. Highway 101 twists down the Conejo Grade to the farms on the valley floor. The view opens to inland mountains while the Channel Islands appear to float in the offshore mists. Continue reading
Checkout one family blogger’s experience on the Central Coast:
Just arrived in Buellton, Santa Barbara county after an excellent drive down the” PCH” from Carmel, taking in the amazing Coastal scenery of the Big Sur - dramatic cliffs, huge pacific surf and hair-pin bendy roads (another RV navigational challenge)! Had a great lunch-time stop at a restaurant called Nepenthe in the heart of the Big Sur.
Monterey and Carmel were superb – the whale watching was the undoubted highlight with us being extremely lucky in seeing a couple of killer whales and also spending a great few hours in the impressive Aquarium in Monterey.
Tomorrow we are taking in some winery visits in the Santa Ynez wine area and then an afternoon on the beach near Santa Barbara.
Probably time to return the RV as I have started to assess the various merits of the different RV ‘s around the campgrounds – may need some serious help from friends and family to talk me out of entering the dark world of caravanning when we return to the UK. Thanks in advance!
Read more of the Resfamily blog here…
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Hyatt recently announced the official name change of Hotel Mar Monte to Hyatt Santa Barbara. This much-loved 80-year-old landmark oceanfront hotel has been undergoing extensive renovations since February 2011. The first phase of renovations included 91 guest rooms as well as landscaping and décor in the lobby, pool and deck area. This October, the renovation will resume with the remaining 80 guest rooms and all function space receiving a makeover, with all areas expected for completion in 2012.
Check out this recent travel story at the London Free Press.
“Whoever built California’s coastal Highway 1 must have done so on a bet.
There’s really no other justifiable reason that the 144-kilometre stretch of coast between Carmel and San Simeon should have any kind of connection between it. Unless, of course, you count the fact it is one of the most stunning landscapes on the planet.
The road certainly doesn’t exist to service the area’s population. There have to be fewer than 100 people who live on that stretch of coast – a truly remarkable thing, considering the density of much of the rest of California, and a testament to the unmanageably rugged nature of the state’s Central Coast. Continue reading
It’s always suprising what you can find… on California’s Central Coast. The region is home to a pleathora of points of historical interest from Spanish settlements dotted across the region, to more than half of the California Missions established in the 18th Century, to locations which hold important places in the history of the United States of America.
Check out this incredible HD quality virtual tour created by Hearst Castle’s restoration project.
Calling all locavores, foodies and cultural enthusiasts!
Join the epicurean adventure this October and take a bite out of epicure.sb: a month to savorSanta Barbara. The 31-day, community-wide culinary extravaganza provides an opportunity to sip and savor the bounty of The American Riviera!
Urban Wine Trail expands. In 2006, a group of four Santa Barbara tasting rooms developed the Urban Wine Trail, now 5 years later the trail has expanded to 12 wineries showcasing the variety of wines available in the county and offering unique event space. www.urbanwinetrailsb.com Continue reading
