Contestants in the Individual and Professional categories will be whipping up their unique takes on the creamy stew, so be sure to vote for your favorite. Get your fill of Boston and Manhattan chowders along with entertainment on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

If you’re often captivated by these drops of color in the sand or want to see the creativity others use with their found sea glass, check out the Cayucos Sea Glass Festival. On March 10 and 11, sea glass enthusiasts and artists will have all their unique creations on display and for sale.

Oh, and did we mention, the Taste of Cayucos is going on at exactly the same time? Listen to music, grab a bite to eat, then head over to see myriad of sea glass creations.

Montecito: Sure, you’ve probably heard the star-studded zip code associated with the likes of Oprah, Rob Lowe or Jeff Bridges, but Montecito is so much more than just a celebrity haven. Stately trees and rambling stone walls are the brick and mortar of the tucked-away town. Our day began with a stop at Butterfly Bay for some stand-up paddleboarding. Sun? Check. Glassy ocean? Check. Dolphins? Check. Our morning exercise justified a visit to the Montecito Café at the Montecito Inn for some fantastic California coastal apps.

Goleta: Next stop was Goleta, home to the beautiful UCSB campus, a variety of well-known shoe and apparel brands, such as Uggs, Teva and Sanuk, the spa-like Santa Barbara Airport and the Sperling Preserve—seasonally home to thousands of Monarch butterflies. But our itinerary called for a visit of the more culinary kind. We swung into Fairview Gardens, one of the oldest organic farms in California, offering more than 12 acres of bountiful produce. Garden and cooking classes are available, but my road trip mate and I opted to peruse the farm-stand produce before heading onto the next destination, fresh berries, kale and tomatoes in- tow.

Summerland: Having hit the northern most point of our Sunday excursion, we turned around and headed south toward Summerland. This tiny town is about 10 minutes down the coast from Santa Barbara. Despite its small size, Summerland’s boutique shopping scene is anything but. For that special antique accent piece, head to Lillie Avenue where you’re sure to find it.

Carpinteria: Lovingly referred to as Carp by many a local, this compact beach community is one of those places you visit and don’t want to leave. Its short streets, cafés, expansive beaches and surf-town culture seem to have it all. It wouldn’t be a complete California road trip without a little wine tasting, so we stopped into the Corktree Cellars Wine Bar & Bistro.

The setting sun provided the perfect focal point for the five inviting communities that make up the South Coast. Whether it’s a day trip or a week-long getaway, these five beach towns comprise a coastal treasure trove of things to do and see during your time in the Santa Barbara Central Coast.

Here’s an article posted by Weekend Sherpa.com for a great Valentine’s Day-inspired bike ride in San Buenaventura State Beach along with a stop at The Jolly Oyster.

Reblogged from The Central Coast Traveler:

The Central Coast is full of curious and beautiful things, like this strange stone chimney formation jutting out of the Pacific. It seems more like something out of Dr. Seuss than real life, and no, it’s not Photoshopped. Can you guess where this odd rock formation is located? Check back in tomorrow, when the Central Coast Traveler tells all!

Where is this place?

To get your music fix, check out more information here, and don’t be afraid to hum along with your favorite local musicians.

The wines of the Santa Maria Valley continue to extend their hot streak, with two bottlings from Bien Nacido Vineyard being named to esteemed critic Steve Heimoff’s list of top-scoring wines of 2011 out of 4,800 wines tasted. Talk about beating the odds with remarkable fruit!

Heimoff, the West Coast editor of the Wine Enthusiast, gave the Qupe 2006 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard 25th Anniversary X-Block and Foxen 2010 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard Block UU the highest scores in their varietal categories in 2011.

Bien Nacido also took center stage in a recent roundup of recommended Central Coast Chardonnays by critic Stephen Tanzer. Of the seven wines recommended, four hailed from Bien Nacido and the Santa Maria Valley.

This is just the latest example of how the Santa Maria Valley has quietly emerged as one of California’s elite winegrowing regions. Indeed, last year, three Santa Maria Valley-grown wines were named to the top 10 slots of the Wine Enthusiast magazine’s  annual list of “The Enthusiast 100: The Most Coveted Wines of 2010.”

The year before that, Cambria’s 2006 Pinot Noir from Julia’s Vineyard ranked first in the Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 list. And two wines from the Santa Maria Valley were named to the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines of 2008 out of 19,000 wines tasted from around the world.

You get the drift…

Indeed, the Santa Maria Valley isn’t just producing great wines, it’s producing some of the finest wines in the world, giving you yet another excuse to come out and explore the vineyard-studded backroads of California’s Barbecue Capital. And, of course, the perfect conclusion to an afternoon of wine tasting can be enjoyed at a number of local restaurants specializing in Santa Maria Style Barbecue.

To help plan your Santa Maria Valley wine experience, visit SantaMariaWines.com and SantaMariaValleyWineCountry.com. We look forward to sharing our local flavors with you.

Follow the Santa Maria Valley VCB’s Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog for the latest tasty tidbits from California’s Barbecue Capital.

Ojai CVB

Like many travelers, food is one of the many joys that comes along with going to new places. The food tours in Ojai are a nice balance between sightseeing and eating scrumptious treats from area businesses.

If you’re looking for a nice stroll, some friendly company, and a look at Ojai’s dining scene, this tour is in good taste. Tour dates are limited (the first being February 11) so take a look at the tour offerings and get more information here.

You can view and download this guide and map from the CCTC’s website. They are also available at California Welcome Centers throughout the state and eight international California Tourism offices. And, if you take a road trip along the coast (one of the most beautiful in the world), you will come across the guide and map at area Visitor Centers, Chambers of Commerce and local attractions.

I refuse to brag about the fact that it was 68 degrees today in Paso Robles (it’s January!).  Maybe I am bragging just a bit but honestly, can you blame me?  What is one to do when faced with spectacular weather in the dead of winter?  I know what I do: wine tasting, of course!  I took a jaunt down the road to Templeton because I’ve been wanting to try out a few wineries that are new to me.

I had the pleasure of visiting Venteux Vineyards and while I was there, I picked up a bottle of their fabulous 2007 Estate Syrah.  Their beautiful, modern-rustic tasting room is located on Las Tablas Road in Templeton and you will probably find me there quite often after today’s visit.  Bobbi Stelzle, co-owner of Venteux Vineyards was kind enough to share a favorite family recipe with me.  “We have a very simple, but great recipe that works well with so many things.  We use it for wine & cheese in the afternoons and we’ve also used it for Hospice du Rhone weekend with lamb hash and rustic toast for brunch”, explains Bobbi.  She had me at “wine and cheese”.  After a quick stop at Trader Joes, I was excited to get home and put it to the test.

Venteux Vineyards Spicy Chipotle Syrah Jam

Over medium heat simmer the following:
½ bottle Venteux Vineyards 2007 Estate Syrah (you get to drink the rest: score!)
(1) jar Trader Joe’s Blackberry Preserves
(1) jar Trader Joe’s Raspberry Preserves
Use pureed chipotle chilis (from a can) to taste.  I used about a 1/4 cup (be careful as a little goes a long way!)

Simmer until you have the consistency that you prefer.  Pour it into a jar and it will keep in the refrigerator for weeks.

Tasting Notes for Venteux Vineyards 2007 Estate Syrah
From the estate dry-farmed and head-trained vineyard, the Syrah is hand harvested from 3 different climatic zones on a mere 3 acres of rolling hillside. This terroir-driven wine exhibits red raspberry, soft white pepper and cinnamon bark on the palate. It is medium bodied with an elegant finish.

Tina Swithin is the PR Coordinator and Blog Manager for TravelPaso.com where she writes Pairings in Paso and other blog-a-licious Paso Robles articles.  Follow the Paso Robles Insider to get the inside scoop on all the haps in Paso Robles Wine Country.