Planning a Trip

Getting There

To reach the Santa Ynez Valley from the north, take Highway 101 to Highway 154 at Los Olivos. Tiny Ballard lies 3 miles south off Baseline Road. The turnoff for Solvang is just beyond, west on Highway 246, while a straight jaunt on Highway 154 will take you through the spectacular San Marcos Pass and onto Highway 101 toward Santa Barbara.

From the south, take Highway 154 off Highway 101 at Goleta (just north of Santa Barbara), up through the San Marcos Pass. A left turn heading west on Highway 246 takes you into Solvang; continuing straight along Highway 154 takes you through Los Olivos and onto Highway 101 toward San Luis Obispo.

Visitor Information

Contact the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association, P.O. Box 1918, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 (tel. 800/742-2843; www.syvva.com), for general visitors' information. The local and comprehensive website, www.solvangca.com, also carries information about the entire valley, as well as Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and Santa Maria. Always a definitive authority for activity in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys is the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association, 3669 Sagunto St., Unit 101 (P.O. Box 1558), Santa Ynez, CA 93460 (tel. 800/218-0881 or 805/688-0881; www.sbcountywines.com), which also publishes a Winery Touring Map. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. The Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau, 1511 Mission Dr., at Fifth Street (P.O. Box 70), Solvang, CA 93464 (tel. 800/468-6765 or 805/688-6144; www.solvangusa.com), has additional information on the Santa Ynez Valley, including maps and brochures. It's open daily from 10am to 4pm (a satellite visitor information office is at 1639 Copenhagen Dr.).

Orientation

U.S. 101, Highway 246, and Highway 154 form a triangle around the six towns of the Santa Ynez Valley, all residing within a 10-mile radius. Highway 246 becomes Mission Drive within Solvang city limits and then continues east past the mission toward Santa Ynez. Alamo Pintado Road connects Solvang with Los Olivos, whose commercial stretch is along 3 blocks of Grand Avenue. This geographic arrangement may sound confusing, but in reality it all blurs together gracefully, and the friendly residents are always handy with directions.