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 RoomCalling 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 GlanceDay 1 Get a bike ride in Hike at Los Flores Ranch Park Wine or beer in Orcutt Pizzeria Bello Forno for dinnerDay 2 Moxie Café for breakfast Monarch Dunes Butterfly Grove Oceano Dunes ATV rides Jocko’s for dinnerDownload the itineraryDay OneStart 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 TwoMoxie 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.
Cool Hand Lukes Welcome to Cool Hand Luke’s! “The Coolest Joint in Town!” We can’t wait to show you all the great things Cool Hand Luke’s has to offer. Relax and escape into an atmosphere reminiscent of a first-rate establishment in the rustic West. Once you’re settled in, share an appetizer of Sizzling Steak Bites or a hand-battered […]
Municipal Winemakers After spending their formative years traveling and studying terroir and techniques, Municipal Winemakers is now working hard to make honest, interesting, and delicious wines. They do this with love—carefully and slowly. Their varietals include: Bright White – A bone-dry Riesling Sweetness – A sweet little Riesling Pale Pink – A rose made from Grenache and Cinsault […]
Sand Highway Trail Sand Highway is a moderate, 10-mile out and back trail located near Nipomo, California that offers scenic views. The trail is primarily used for off-road driving and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Foxen Canyon Wine Trail Foxen Canyon Wine Trail is home to some of the most accomplished winemakers in California. You’ll find a diverse selection of world class wines within our group of 14 wineries along the 30 mile stretch of Foxen Canyon Road that runs between Los Olivos and Santa Maria. Stunning sceneries, vineyards and rolling hills add to […]
October 20The Great American Melodrama: Frakenstein's Bride This horror story spoof hilariously reconstructs the classic tale by injecting it with musical parodies, pop culture references, and witty one-liners. 15 years after the death of Frankenstein’s creation, a mad scientist attempts to reanimate the Creature. What could possibly go wrong? Outrageous characters and devilishly clever performances create a monstrously good time that will […]
October 21Elks Recreation: Haunted Hills The frightful drive-thru event, Haunted Hills, returns in 2021. You will embark on an over 2 mile journey through nightmarish visions from the safety and comfort of your own vehicle. Just keep an eye open, you never know who… or what… may jump at you! October 1st- October 30th Cowboys of Rodeos past and restless […]
October 22West Coast Kustoms 40th Annual Cruisin' Nationals Don’t Miss The West Coast Kustoms 40th Annual Cruisin’ Nationals October 22, 23, & 24th, 2021! We will start the event on Friday Oct 22, 2021 with the world famous Friday night City Cruise in front of the host hotel the Historic Santa Maria Inn on Broadway between Stowell and Cook St. from 7 pm […]
October 22Santa Maria Downtown Fridays 2021 Downtown Fridays are Back! This family-friendly event for Santa Maria’s downtown will occur every Friday beginning on May 28th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Town Center West parking lot near Broadway (Highway 135) and Cook Street, all the way to October 29th, weather permitting. Admission and parking are free. There will be live […]