サンタイネズ山脈のおすすめツーリングルート

Elings Park has over nine miles of multi-use trails with great ocean views. The trails are best suited for beginner-level mountain biking or more advanced gravel riding. Electric or motorized bikes are not allowed on the trails.

As you ascend the Figueroa Mountain Road Climb West, prepare for a visual feast that makes every pedal stroke worthwhile. You'll be treated to increasingly expansive views unfolding across the rolling Santa Ynez Valley, with its patchwork of vineyards and ranchlands. Look out for the distinct San Rafael Mountains rising dramatically around you as you climb higher into the Los Padres National Forest. Highlights include the breathtaking vistas from the upper sections, where the sheer scale of the wilderness becomes apparent, and on clear days, you might even glimpse distant ridges and the unique chaparral-covered landscape that defines this beautiful and rugged part of California.

Great views!

Early morning or near sunset are great times to run. It can get windy during the day so prepare for a nasty headwind if traveling west.

I was impressed

We stop in Solvang and immediately feel like we are in Denmark, as the picturesque town is full of Danish culture, delicious cuisine and scenic scenery. Solvang, California (population 5,286) is nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley wine region on California's central coast. The town's name means "sunny fields" in Danish. Solvang was founded in 1911 when a group of Danish Americans bought 9,000 acres of the former Jonata Ranch. To preserve and promote Danish culture, the founders built Atterdag College in 1914 and Bethania Lutheran Church in 1928.

One of the most beautiful government buildings in the United States, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a working courthouse. We are encouraged to explore what the grounds have in store for us. Here we find the sunken gardens where many weddings are held, an elevator to the 85-foot tall “El Mirador” bell tower with panoramic views of downtown Santa Barbara, many hand-painted rooms full of detail, and many wrought iron handrails and window coverings that make the courthouse what it is - spectacular. We open one of the many doors, behind which a court hearing is currently underway. We sit on the back bench and listen for a few minutes. Two felony handcuffed and shackled prisoners are paraded right past us.

Always worth a detour