santa ynez valley

Santa Inez Valley is a beautiful area, 35 miles above Santa Barbara of the 101, there are many things to see and do in Santa Inez:1) On the way up there is a beautiful lake called Catchuma lake recreation area Set in beatiful wilderness flanked by the picturesque Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains, you can do the followings:tent sites, hookups, cabins, yurts and group area, they have strict rules for boating due to keeping the water clean and environmental friendly, please check their web site. Reservation a must .2) You can visit Late President Ronald Reagan Ranch called Rancho Del Cielo located atop of santa Inez mountain.3) There are a lot of wineries to visit and sample their wine, there is a small charge for the samples but many hotels have discount coupon on the visitor stands two for one to most winery, also the wineries has outdoor picnic area seating to enjoy their wine, they don't mind if you bring a picnic basket as long you don't bring you own wine unless it is a sample or a purchase from their winery.3) Don't forget to visit the historical beautiful Dutch town called Solvang it is a small town you will enjoy their bakeries, restaurants and shopping try the IZOD always have the best sale.4) And if you have the urge to gamble , there is a casino on your way in to solving called the Chumash Casino.5) Visit los Olivos has a lot of coffee shops and high end restaurants.6) there is a great hiking and jogging trails 7) Also the town of Buellton has the famous place called Pea Soup Andersen's, and if you feel you want to do some exercise you could try the New ALL Sport Fitness gym near Andersen's.I don't thing I left anything out, so go ahead spend a day or two or three or a week and enjoy Santa Inez mountain and all has to offer.

Ushered OUT of Chumash Casino (Buffet) because waiters and waitresses lied and said I yelled at them...

The Santa Ynez valley is one of our favorite places to visit. We like to call it our "Happy Place." It's not too crowded, the views are beautiful, and it has an abundance of good food and wine! What's not to like? We will keep coming back for more.

This is Wine Country at its best!!! Beautiful vistas in an old California feel of rolling hills covered with California Live Oaks and ranches everywhere. Rural and rustic charm.There is so much to see in the Santa Ynez Valley. You can visit the very touristy Solvang and eat good pastries. Or you can spend an eternity going from winery to winery and/or wine tasting room to wine tasting room. Our favorite Wineries (mostly because they have gorgeous grounds as well as good wine) are:RusackSunstoneBridlewoodLincourtBut this is only the beginning for us - as this was only our 2nd visit to the area and we have many many more wineries to explore - which we plan to do.The little towns of Santa Ynez and Los Olivos are very quaint and charming and there is plenty of great restaurant choices - our favorite is the Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe. Of course you can stay in Solvang or Buellton for easy access to everything there is to see, but it is an easy day trip from Santa Barbara as well.

The trip through the Valley was amazing. The vistas, the mountains, put me in mind of the USA National Anthem, where it says 'purple majesty'. It was totally that and more.

I have been coming to the Santa Ynez Valley for the better part of forty years, and like a fine wine, it is getting better with age. It is best seen during the week, as it is crowded on weekends.

There are over a hundred tasting rooms in the area, and pretty much all have a few good wines. But if you really want a good deal, and a great way to sample some of the smaller, boutique wineries, you should invest in one of the tasting passes offered from the Santa Ynez Wine Association. You get 14-15 tastings over a 3 month period, for just $40! Many of the wineries charge $12-$15 a tasting, so this is a true bargain. The passes are offered in the summer and winter, and the wines are reasonably priced. Loved the Brander Vineyard, Buttonwood Winery, Cimarone Wines, and Daniel Gehrs. Didn't get to taste them all, but we'll be back! Also, had great meals at Succulent Cafe in Solvang, Grappalo in Santa Ynez and Petros in Los Olivos.

This entire area hardens back to the golden age of California where grand ranches were own by the original owners, the Mexicans. Great wine, great small towns sprinkled all over. don't miss it.

Want to see some beautiful country full of horse ranches, wineries, cute little villages, awesome homes, all surrounded by mountains? The visit the Santa Ynez Valley, just north of Santa Barbara.There are quaint inns and hotels, top quality restaurants and NO shopping malls and few gaudy chain restaurants. I sure enjoy my visits.

I love all of the valley. The rolling hills and small quaint town. I visited here often and finally moved here this year and love everything about it.

Even though there are now more than 200 wineries in the area, there is still lots of open space, interesting shopping nice places to stay and good restaurants. Each of the little towns has maintained it's individual vibe. We hate that Los Olivos has turned into "wine Disneyland" and has lost most of it's lovely little art galleries but we hear there may be a resurgence and we hope that's true.

Before I went to Santa Barbara I did a little research and knew I wanted to foray into one of the wine regions if I had the time. As I considered my options, I got a little confused... So much wine, so little time. I decided to home in on the Santa Ynez Valley, and it was a great choice.Find Highway 154 out of Santa Barbara. As soon as you pass the last little strip mall, 154 immediately climbs into the mountains. What a beautiful drive. The arid mountains rise on your right; the Pacific Ocean shimmers below on your left.Soon you are up on top, into dry rolling land. The narrow road with high berms feels like it could be in Italy. California is suffering a draught -- I understand that -- but as I drove through this area, it was so arid that I thought, "How could anything grow here? is this really the wine area?" It was starkly beautiful.For an area that thrives on Wine Tourism, it was surprising to find little way-finding or sign-posting of the various wineries. You need to know where you're going, by map or GPS. Either be content to wander and discover, or do some research ahead of time and know which places you want to visit. I made it to four wineries that I will list in order of preference:SunstoneBeckmanBridlewood GaineyRealizing that I can buy all the wine I want at the local grocery store, if I go to a winery I am looking for character, authenticity, and someone who likes to talk about wine. Bridlewood and Gainey were GORGEOUS facilities with good wines. Sunstone and Beckman were smaller and more engaging, to me. A dusty lane leads through sloped vineyards @ Sunstone. I wish i would have sat in the courtyard and nursed a whole glass of dry red. Next time I'm in the area, I am going to seek out even smaller places.If you are reading this, you are probably already aware that all these wineries charge a ten or fifteen dollar tasting fee. It's well worth it.I drove on through Santa Ynez town and Solvang before jumping back on 101 to Santa Barbara. if you're a shopper, get ready to stop in Solvang. Ocean views along 101 were predictably drop-dead beautiful. This sight-seeing wine-touring loop has it all. Go do it.

Estate bottled wines that are just delicious! Set in a valley with horse farms, olive groves and an abundance of wineries. Still operated by the Fess Parker family. The wines sampled were just the ones my palate enjoyed.

Santa Ynez Valley is country luxury style with friendly welcoming residents. From stunning oak covered fields, to the beautiful mountains surrounding the valley to the near perfect climate, Santa Ynez Valley is a charming relaxing place to visit. Ultra charming towns of Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and Solvang, with countless amazing places to dine. Accommodations range from Motel 6 in Buellton to luxury hotels to dude ranches. The area is home to beautiful wineries and multimillion dollar estates and ranches. A dream location and yet only minutes to the beautiful beach at Gaviota with the city of Santa Barbara only 30 minutes away with yet another world of attractions there.You can go the beach, head to the spa, ride horses, walk the trails, to wine tasting, shop the charming streets and end up at the Chumash Casino for a world class concert in the evening and do all of this in a single day.Then north of Santa Ynez is the San Luis Obisbo area (about an hour) ... a great downtown scene there, don't miss the Madonna Inn and also the Hearst Castle in about another 30 minutes from there. (HC is about two hours from Santa Ynez.)

We took a friend up the coast, thru Los Olivos to the wine county. Stopping at Foxen winery, which was great. Wine tasting at the finest in SY..valley. Then we took the back road by the lake and down the mountains to SB..great day, and the weather was SO NICE>..