Plan Your TripBarbecue ItineraryWine Weekend ItinerarySolo Trip ItinerarySanta Maria Valley Heritage ItineraryOutdoor Adventure ItineraryFamily Time ItineraryLodging SpecialsAbout Santa Maria ValleyGetting HereWeather in Santa Maria Valley Book A Room Calling all recreators! Pro Tips Hit up Main Street Cycles for extra bike gear if you forget something. Bring your “shants” (pants that zip off to shorts) for flexible wardrobe options. Dave from CORE Winery started the Bike & Bottle project. Spend a weekend outside in Santa Maria Valley. Get a taste of recreation done Santa Maria Style by spending two days venturing around the valley. Our lodging is centrally located to provide easy access to all of your upcoming adventures. What’s better, the temperate climate along California’s central coast makes it possible to enjoy they valley all year round. So, grab your hiking shoes, helmet, flip flops and sense of adventure. Santa Maria Valley is the ideal home base where you’ll find 24 hiking trails, 13 beaches and near endless miles of cycling trails all within a half hour drive. Your Trip at a Glance Day 1 Get a bike ride in Hike at Los Flores Ranch Park Wine or beer in Orcutt Pizzeria Bello Forno for dinner Day 2 Moxie Café for breakfast Monarch Dunes Butterfly Grove Oceano Dunes ATV rides Jocko’s for dinner Download the itinerary Day One Start your day in Santa Maria Valley’s Old Town Orcutt. Park on E Clark Ave and hop on your bike to cruise a scenic 8-miles to Dominion Road to Los Flores Ranch Park, which offers more than 15 miles of hiking trails. Many of the trails offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Los Flores Ranch Park also has a native garden and a wildlife barn for you to explore. After you’ve finished exploring the park, head back into Old Orcutt. You may even want to pedal to the pinot and stop at a winery along Foxen Canyon road on your way back. Presqui’ile Winery just off East Clark on Presqu’ile Drive. (Psst! You can also check out our wine itinerary for more ideas for experiencing Santa Maria Valley wine.) After your ride or hike, treat yourself to wine at Vino et Amicis or beer at Naughty Oak Brewing Company. Vino et Amicis, which means “wine and friends,” serves wines from around the Santa Maria Valley, some from winemakers who don’t have their own tasting rooms. Naughty Oak Brewing Company is a hub of craft beer in Santa Maria Valley. They serve up cleverly named beer like Anthony Hopkins and Party Favors. Then, take a short walk over to Pizzeria Bello Forno, one of Orcutt’s most popular eateries. Bello Forno serves authentic wood-fired pizza, artisan salads, pastas and more. You can also order more wine from surrounding wineries and beer from Naughty Oak to accompany your meal. Day Two Moxie Café in Santa Maria is a health-minded eatery, which serves a café menu with carefully sourced ingredients. Moxie Café offers fresh breakfast, lunch, and dinner paired with craft coffee and freshly-made smoothies. If you’re visiting the Santa Maria Valley October through February, be sure to see the monarch butterflies at the Monarch Dunes Butterfly Grove. Make the 20-minute drive to view thousands of monarch butterflies, which spend the colder months among the eucalyptus trees in groves like this along the Central Coast. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn’t be missed. If you’re visiting the valley in the spring or summer, don’t worry because the grove is still a beautiful hike that offers a look at local plants and wildlife. Your next stop is a true hidden gem of the Santa Maria Valley. Drive 15 minutes to Oceano Dunes. Rent an ATV and hit the sand dunes to see the Central Coast from a different perspective. The dunes are one of the only places in California that you can ride dune buggies across the beach, right next to the ocean. There are several places to rent vehicles to enjoy this amazing experience. Be careful while you’re riding, because some of these towering dunes are larger than they appear. You can park your buggy and take a stroll along the beach and dip your toes in the ocean. Conclude your day of fun with a classic Santa Maria Style dinner at Jocko’s in Nipomo, which is a quick 20-minute drive back toward Santa Maria. Jocko’s has been a local barbecue favorite for more than 50 years, so be sure to call ahead of time to make a reservation. Their open red oak barbecue pit opens at 4:30 p.m. Weekends in Santa Maria Valley are here and gone in a blink. With so much to do from here, it’s always good to extend your stay if you can to fully experience all this valley has to offer.
Black Bear Diner The goal of every Black Bear Diner is to deliver scrumptious food in a friendly environment. We promise to make your visit a pleasant one, and we’ll try to keep the puns to a bear minimum (we said “try”).
Far Western Tavern A contemporary California ranch cuisine inspired by local traditions, Far Western Tavern is recognized as a landmark of Santa Maria-style barbecue, the renowned regional fare rooted in native tradition, first popularized by the 19th century rancheros. Meals here are prepared with fresh flavors from nearby farms, ranches and vineyards.
Costa De Oro Winery Named “the Most Unique Tasting Room on the Central Coast.” The New Times named the Costa De Oro tasting room the most unique on the Central Coast. Find out for yourself why as you discover some of the finest wines from the Central Coast, created using the artistry of old-world winemaking styles and new-world grape […]
Shaw’s Famous Steakhouse They call it famous for a reason. This is one of Santa Maria’s best steakhouses where the service is friendly and the food unforgettable.
March 01 Old Orcutt's First Friday Come out and enjoy an evening in Old Orcutt. Merchants stay open late on the first Friday of the month. Drink, food, and shopping specials.
March 05 PCPA: Into the Breeches! | InterPlay Reading Series The theatre has sat dark and empty since the Oberon Playhouse’s director and company of male actors left to fight in WWII. Determined that the show must go on, the director’s wife and an unexpected troupe of players assemble to bring an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henriad to life. Into the Breeches! is a hilarious and moving celebration of […]
March 06 PCPA: Into the Breeches! | InterPlay Reading Series The theatre has sat dark and empty since the Oberon Playhouse’s director and company of male actors left to fight in WWII. Determined that the show must go on, the director’s wife and an unexpected troupe of players assemble to bring an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henriad to life. Into the Breeches! is a hilarious and moving celebration of […]
April 01 Old Orcutt's First Friday Come out and enjoy an evening in Old Orcutt. Merchants stay open late on the first Friday of the month. Drink, food, and shopping specials.