I also must confess, we have never taken all four kids to Central Cali. We only had 3 when we last went, but can we just believe that taking 3 toddlers=taking a couple elementary aged kids and a toddler. It's like the same thing. Actually, the toddlers were way worse.
Our last trip to Central California was in the Spring of 2014. It was actually our second trip, because the first time we went (in 2012) we felt like there was so much more to see and do. And honestly, there is more than I wish we could have seen, but again, 3 toddlers. Our outdoor activities were limited because of the cool weather and we weren't big campers back then, especially when we could stay in base TLF (Vandenberg AFB) for super cheap. We opted for comfort over exploration on these trips (we had 9 month old twins the first time and a 1 year old and two 2 year olds the second time we went).
Central California has beautiful coasts, quiet beautiful rolling hills, filled with cattle, great farmers markets, and wineries.
I know staying on a base isn't an option for everyone. Even if you are military, staying at TLF in the summer months is pretty much impossible, so it's definitely a restrictive option, but for us, we had a great time. It was one of our favorite TLFs, with a 1 bedroom little house, kitchenette, and a playground within a short walk. Vandenberg is surrounded by large pine trees and after living in a city (we lived in Los Angeles at the time), the beautiful big trees and quiet surroundings of the base were a much needed get away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
If base isn't an option, our second choice would have probably been an Air BnB. Santa Maria and Lompoc are cute towns. Lompoc has a lot of cute restaurants, a cute old town, and wineries. If you're more of a beach person, Jalama Beach has tent and RV sites.
The filters kill me.
But point being, Santa Barbara county beaches are gorgeous!
Google wineries for Central California, there are so many! Literally, every mile, we would see a sign for a different one. We did stop at one (I can't even remember the names anymore!) each time we went and both were fantastic, so I don't think you would be disappointed in any. I think next time we may have to leave the kids at home and attempt the Santa Maria Valley Wine Trail.
There is also no shortage of places to eat. Somewhere that we ate on both trips was AJ Spur's. This seems to be a pretty popular spot in the area. It was always packed. It is great for kids and SO MUCH FOOD. I really wish we had pictures of this fun spot, but most of our trips were spent with this as the view...
So cute, but not very active.
Our favorite little town in Central California had to be Solvang. I don't feel like this place gets enough attention. My mother's side of the family is Danish so this is like returning to my roots. This is the time to shop for Royal Copenhagen plates or trolls. My grandparents and a lot of my family have come here to visit with Danish tourist groups. I had honestly never heard of it until we were living in Los Angeles and my grandma mentioned that we needed to go to Solvang.
Solvang is also the place to get food if you like Scandinavian food. The architecture, food and shopping is all Scandinavian themed.
Our favorite stop was the book store and we couldn't turn down a picture with Hans Christian Andersen.
There is also some great hiking and Hans Christan Andersen park is a beautiful spot.
We have added this to our West Coast list to take all four kids, and hopefully we get the chance to some day, but there is so much to see in California, we will see if we can fit it in to our very long list of places to go.
If you are driving North from Los Angeles though and looking for a place to stop, you won't be disappointed with this section of California.
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