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« Previous Edition | This California Travel Edition Posted on 01/24/12 | Next Edition »

Visiting Central California Coast

The central California coast, from Monterey Bay in the north, anchored by Santa Cruz and Monterey, south to Ventura is ready for spring. Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles is home to UCSB. The University of California, Santa Barbara campus is located on more than 1,000 acres on the central California coast. A hub of education, activity and culture for Santa Barbara, USSB is an integral part of the community. The roar at the Thunderdome, UCSB’s Events Center, can be heard through March as Gaucho basketball runs and guns through the season. UC Santa Barbara’s baseball team is busy with its 2012 schedule including 27 home games. Join Gaucho’s baseball at Ceasar Uyeseka Stadium through May.

A highlight of the season is the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, drawing award-winning films from across the globe. The 2012 SBIFF honors include; Viola Davis as the Outstanding Performer of the Year, Christopher Plummer with the Modern Master Award and Martin Scorsese with the American Riviera Award.

In conjunction with the 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, popular Santa Barbara restaurants join the festivities with Film Feast. Bars and restaurants are offering special three-course menus for pre and post screening tastings. This is the season for a visit to Santa Barbara and The American Riviera.

Just ten minutes from the Monterey Peninsula Airport, Carmel, or Carmel-by-the Sea, is a storybook community just south of Monterey Bay. A temperate year-round climate, casual California atmosphere and dog-friendly attitude make Carmel a delightful place to visit. The nearby Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of America’s best public golf courses, is one of the host courses for the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

April 2012 brings the Fifth Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival to Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula. From April 12 through the 15, Pebble Beach is the place to be for exquisite food and wine. With wine tastings, celebrity chef dinners and demonstrations and after hours partying, this is the weekend for foodies to visit Carmel.

The Big Sur International Marathon, April 29, 2012, finishes the CA Highway course in Carmel. An amazing course for runners, the Big Sur International runs from Big Sur to Carmel, with smaller runs beginning at various points along the course. Events include the rocky Point 10.6 Miler, the Pt Lobos 9-miler and kids 3k and 1.5K runs. Spectacular scenery along California’s central coast and mild temperatures make a great combination for runners this spring.

A drive down California’s Highway 1 is known for its majestic views and beautiful scenery. Spring is an ideal time to get behind the wheel for a drive down the Cabrillo Highway through Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Los Padres National Forest. Must stop destinations like San Simeon’s Hearst Castle are worth the delay. By the time you reach Morro Bay, it may be time for a rest. Enjoy your favorite water recreation activities in Morro Bay, spend the night at one of Morro Bay’s three Best Western hotels and be ready to head south for the end of a central California coast adventure.