California is known for road trips, and offers some of North America’s most popular routes such as Pacific Coast Highway and California Highway 49. However, there are many scenic routes off the beaten track that make for a memorable ride and a once in a lifetime trip. Discover some of the most beautiful hidden gems of the Golden State by car in the Central Coast and Central Valley.
Solvang
After landing at LAX, drive 2.5 hours up the coast to reach the famous Danish village, Solvang, where fresh-cut flowers and warm-from-the-oven pastries scent the air. Solvang is located in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country and it could not be better positioned to be a showplace of exceptional wines.
Grab a map of the more than a dozen and a half tasting rooms in its downtown for a self-guided walking tour, or hop on the Solvang Trolley, a horse-drawn streetcar, for a narrated 25-minute excursion through the downtown area.
Stay at Alisal Guest Ranch, a luxury ranch minutes outside of town to fully immerse yourself in a Western experience with 50 miles of trails and 100 horses, or for a more urban stay, boutique hotels The Landsby and Hotel Ynez both combine magazine spread–worthy style with amenities like private patios and fire pits.
Santa Maria Valley
A 40-minute drive away, a perfect next stop to discover is the Santa Maria Valley which blends its historic ranching and farming traditions with an ever-growing reputation as one of California’s top wine regions.
Taste succulent Santa Maria–style barbecue and premium wines along the or hop on the Santa Maria Wine Trolley which runs in a loop to a handful of the area’s most popular wineries every weekend throughout the summer and into the autumn. Stop off at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park outside of nearby Lompoc – the most fully restored of the state’s missions – with historic buildings, rustic beamed ceilings and sacred art that dates to the early 19th century and explore the park’s nearly 2,000 acres on one of the scenic hiking trails.
For convenient accommodation stay at the brand new Hampton Inn Santa Maria, which is near many activities from hiking and biking to playing golf. Alternatively, stay at the luxurious and intimate Wine Stone Inn, located in nostalgic Old Town Orcutt.
Bakersfield
The rapidly growing city of Bakersfield in California’s southern Central Valley, once known only for oil and agriculture, has now become a hub for arts and culture while still retaining the richness of the region’s past. The country’s largest concentration of Basque restaurants, including the 125-year-old Noriega Hotel, upholds the area’s Basque heritage with boarding-house-style meals of oxtail soup and myriad side dishes.
Explore the gallery-filled Arts District, home to the 1930 Fox Theater, where performances range from pop music to film noir and stop at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, a restaurant, museum and music venue, spotlighting the history of the Bakersfield Sound, a gritty style of country music.
Stay at Padre Hotel, Bakersfield’s only 4-Diamond hotel, which having first opened its doors in 1928, has recently been renovated to become a sophisticated boutique property.
Pasadena
Less than a two-hour drive from Bakersfield, and just a 45-minute drive from LAX, Pasadena is the perfect final destination for an off-the-beaten-track road trip, home to architectural gems and world-class museums, stylish shopping and red-hot restaurants and hotels.
Visit Old Pasadena, a 22-block national historic district filled with restored buildings housing hip boutiques, buzz-worthy restaurants and cinemas, as well as the official state theatre of California. A few miles northeast of Pasadena is the famous Mount Wilson Observatory, an astronomical observatory which offers a variety of tours, events and a place to recharge at the Cosmic Café.
Stay at the newly renovated Green Tree Inn, set in the heart of historic Old Town Pasadena for easy access to the many unique shops, bars, restaurants and attractions of this energetic district.
For more information www.visitcalifornia.com
