Starbucks, H Street, Lompoc, California
I'm sitting in a crowded Starbucks in Lompoc, California trying to recover from a couple of days of traveling through central California. I made the drive to Bakersfield on Wednesday after surviving a sandstorm and 60-mile an hour winds in the Mojave Desert east of Barstow.
The winds calmed a bit after I left Barstow. I drove past Edwards Air Force Base on Hwy. 58 and made it to Mojave in mid-afternoon. Once I made it past
Mojave I moved into central California. I stopped for a while in a small community called Tehachapi for a chocolate shake and some fries and then arrived in Bakersfield around 5 p.m.(Photo left: wind turbines near Tehachapi.)
(Photo right: just east of Bakersfield, along Hwy. 58.)
I spent the night in Bakersfield (sounds like the title of a mystery novel). I was not that impressed by Bakersfield and don't see any need to go back there. It's a nice place to drive through when you're on your way somewhere else more interesting.
On Thursday morning I drove south on Hwy. 99 to Mettler, then took the scenic route on Hwy. 166 toward Maricopa. Hwy. 166 between Mettler and Maricopa is one of those scenic routes you must see to believe. The route takes you past beautiful vineyards and farms as you make your way through a valley between the Sierra Madre Mountains to the south and the Caliente Mountain range to the north.
Some photos I took on Hwy. 166, between Maricopa and Santa Maria below:
My destination was Santa Maria, located near the Pacific Coast. Once in Santa Maria I found a Starbucks and had time to reflect on the beautiful drive I had witnessed, including a wonderful scene near the Twichell Reservoir just east of Santa Maria. As an artist or photographer could spend days on Hwy. 166 in this area, with majestic landscapes too numerous to mention as you drive the 50 miles or so west from Maricopa. I found myself stopping many times to take pictures.
From Santa Maria I drove south on Hwy. 101 to Solvang. I stayed at the Kronborg Inn in downtown Solvang. After checking in at the motel I walked around the Dutch community that has become a major tourist destination. I'm told that 2 million visitors a year come to Solvang for the wine-tasting, Dutch architecture, and beauty of the surrounding vineyards. Lake Cachuma is 11 miles away and is a major attraction offering RV sites and camping for year-round recreation. The Pacific Ocean is about a 30-minute drive from Solvang, and Santa Barbara is 30 miles south. Therefore, Solvang is at the heart of the central California coastline.
Other communities around Solvang include Los Olivos, Buellton, and Santa Ynez. Over 30 world-class vineyards surround these communities and the views of the beautiful mountains and green rolling hillsides in the area are among the most breathtaking scenes in California.
Yesterday, Friday, I drove south to visit Lake Cachuma. I continued south on Hwy. 101 through the Los Padres National Forest until reaching the northern edge of Santa Barbara. At that point, I turned north on Hwy. 1, the famous freeway that follows the Pacific Ocean coastline. I first glimpsed the Pacific Ocean a few minutes later as I made my way northward toward Goleta and the Santa Ynez Mountains. I visited El Capitan Beach and Refugio Beach, both state-run public beaches accessible from Hwy. 1. These public beaches offer camping and swimming for very little cost. The guards allowed me to drive through without paying. If I parked and stayed a while it would have cost me $8 for a day pass. Camping is $25 a night, assuming you can find a spot available.
I decided to continue my tour of the coast northward, hoping to find a cheap motel in Lompoc. I arrived in Lompoc around 3 p.m. yesterday, found a motel, and checked in for the night. My tour of the day was really just a loop, beginning in Solvang. I went southwest to Santa Barbara, the turned north toward Lompoc. Lompoc is only 30 miles or so from Solvang. One can take a day trip and view an enormous portion of the central California coastline without ever being more than 30 miles from Solvang.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. I may drive to Santa Barbara for the night, or I might continue north toward San Luis Obispo.
More photos from my tour of Solvang and Hwy. 1 on the Pacific Ocean coastline below:
Downtown Solvang
Vineyards Near Solvang
Pacific Ocean, North of Santa Barbara
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