Santa Barbara Travel Forum

Anyway, next month (march) I am spending two days (well, two full days, plus the first day's evening, I'll be leaving the morning of the day after)
Anyway, for my first full day, we will have a car available and will be driving around the Santa Ynez Valley. Here are some things we are thinking about doing:

Chamush painted caves shp (does this cost?)
clairmont farms
zaca mesa winery
quicksilver ranch
solvang - visiting danish bakeries (any suggestions?), santa ines?
ostrichland
nojoqui falls



And then our full Santa Barbara day we WONT have a car, so:
Alice keck park
courthouse
el presidio
sb contemporary arts forum
farmers market
stearns wharf
chase palm park

Any other suggestions or what to do or see? We prefer cheap/free things if possible.

Also, what are some places we can get some good picnic food (but not too pricy) if we decide to picnic in the santa ynez valley while we're there?

I can comment on Santa Ynez valley, but not so much on Santa Barbara. If I were you, I would plan on spending a tiny bit of time in Los Olivos, which is right were many wineries surround. It's a quaint little town. I'm not sure Zaca mesa is the best wine around. There is some delicious wine in the area, particularly if you are a fan of Pinot Noir. Babcock, Melville, Blackjack...for a nice drive, Foxen and good view (average wine) Firestone. Anyway, if you know where Zaca is, you'll find the others. Personally I'd put a little time into wine tasting. And one other note. If I were you, I'd go from SB to Santa Ynez valley via Lake Cachuma - I believe it's the 154. It's a great drive and only a few minutes longer. Have fun...it's my favorite short trip from LA!

I've driven through Solvang twice on trips in California, and I can highly recommend the bakeries there. We once polished off about 8 Danish pastries before we got 100 miles away. Well, there were 4 of us! :-) It's a beautiful area. The mission in Santa Barbara is also a nice, inexpensive thing to see.

Mortensen's Danish Bakery in Solvang is the best! Easy to find. I would load up on their pastries. Sounds like you have a full itinerary for your trip, you should have a lot of fun. There is a pretty cool motorcycle museum in Solvang you might want to check out.

El Rancho market is a good place for picnic supplies. Full service upscale deli, cheese& wine shop etc. As you leave Solvang and head east towards Santa Inez, you will see it on the right, before the gambling casino.

The last time I was at Nojoqui Falls, there wasn't much water falling and there were so many bees that we were attacked before we left the car. Solvang and Santa Barbara Mission and the pier in Santa Barbara are your best bets. Anderson's Pea Soup Restaurant at the junction before Solvang turnoff is the best -

Sorry..I must disagree....there is so much great food in the Santa Ynez valley, that I think it would be a BIG disservice to give the impression that Andersens' Pea Soup is the best. Los Olivos Cafe is Great. Mattei's Tavern is great. Panino in Los Olivos is great for sandwiches. Andersens' is very more like diner food, and in my opinion nothing special from other family style dining places like a Denny's or Marie Callenders. Just my opinion...