Central Coast Day Trips

Heading north, about an hour away sits another little treasure of California’s Central Coast. Cambria is the quintessential tourist beach town, with a variety of interesting attractions that are off the beaten path.
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Edna Valley Vineyard is perhaps the largest and best known vineyard in Edna Valley. Unlike many of the area wineries, Edna Valley Vineyards is not family owned and operated. However, it is uniquely committed to its own grapes and you will still find distinctive and limited edition state wines there along with several red and white wine varieties.
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Hearst Castle is located approximately 90 minutes from Avila Beach. Despite being far away from any major city, the castle which was once the home of William Randolph Hearst, hosts about one million visitors each year.
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Oceano Beach Dunes (formerly known as Pismo Beach Dunes) is a haven for off highway enthusiasts not only because it offers the largest dune system in the state of California but also for its other amenities.
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If you’re up for a longer day trip, Santa Barbara is about two hours south of Avila Beach sans traffic. This “American Riviera” offers beaches, shopping, fine dining, wineries, and more. The options are almost limitless, so if you’re not sure what to do consider catching some of the highlights. Host to a slew of historical sites, Santa Barbara makes a great little day trip for the history buff or museum lover.
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Solvang is California’s own little Denmark. Founded by a group of Danish educators in 1911, Solvang is considered the Danish capital of the world. True to its name which means “sunny fields” in Danish, this beautiful area of the Santa Ynez Valley offers a variety of quaint restaurants and museums and shops.
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Paso Robles, about an hour from Avila Beach, has over one hundred wineries. The region is known particularly for Rhone valley wines and Zinfandel although with so many wineries, there is something to be found for just about everyone. There are several wine trails to follow-and clearly with so many wineries-you simply must choose one for a day trip.
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Nestled half way in between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo is about 15 minutes from Avila Beach. San Luis Obispo, or SLO as it’s known, is a college town but tourists won’t find the town overrun with students. What they will find is a variety of shops that tend to carry both the trendy. However, even the major chains are housed historic buildings so walking the streets of SLO is interesting.
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