Buellton Is One of the Most Underrated Small Towns in California

As a California resident of 20 years, and an individual who by no means says no to a highway journey, I’ve crisscrossed the state many instances searching for locations that shock me. Buellton is a kind of spots that began as a fast pit cease and rapidly grew to become considered one of my household’s favourite locations. 

Snuggled within the Santa Ynez Valley, between the Pacific Ocean and the light hills of wine nation, Buellton has small-town appeal—quiet backroads the place you’ll be able to seize espresso earlier than wandering into a unusual quilt store, offbeat roadside sights, and folk who truly bear in mind your identify.

“I uncover new issues on a regular basis,” says Kristin Neperud Merz, a coordinator for Buellton’s group artwork initiatives. “When individuals drive by way of on the principle streets, they don’t know that so many hidden gems are only a flip away.”

Finest Accommodations & Resorts

Sideways Inn

As soon as referred to as the Windmill Inn—immortalized within the 2004 Academy Award-winning movie “Sideways,” when Miles and Jack crashed in room 234 between tastings—this revamped motel has been overhauled right into a boutique hideaway. Fashionable rooms, hearth pits, and a laid-back lounge with craft beers and a tasty wine checklist make it the very best keep on the town.

Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn 

Established in 1969 subsequent door to the famend Pea Soup Andersen’s restaurant (however owned and operated independently), this Buellton inn has grown from a roadside cease right into a 98-room resort. The decor is shiny and alluring, the heated pool is ideal for a lazy afternoon, and patios supply quiet spots to sip espresso or an area wine. Don’t miss out on the complimentary Danish, which arrives contemporary from a bakery in close by Solvang. 

Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground

It is a camping experience with a severe glow-up, that includes classic Airstreams, safari tents, and storybook cottages combined in with full-hookup RV websites. Friends can get pleasure from a large pool, a totally stocked camp retailer, and meals vans beneath fairy lights. “There are such a lot of family-friendly occasions on the campground; the calendar is at all times full,” says Kathy Vreeland, government director on the Buellton Chamber of Commerce. Visitor-favorite actions embrace bike mild parades, karaoke, and paint nights. 

Finest Issues To Do

Trip the longest, quickest zip line in California. 

At Highline Adventures, the longest and quickest zip strains in California ship riders hovering at greater than 50 mph. The panoramic view from the primary launch level is unbeatable, although eight acres of dazzling protea blooms unfurl beneath, almost stealing the present. (For individuals who’d somewhat preserve two ft on the bottom, guided strolls by way of the flower fields are equally enchanting.) Children and thrill-seeking adults also can climb, bounce, and crawl by way of the treetop ropes and tunnels on the adjoining Skynet Playground and journey park.

Get out on horseback.

Saddling up with Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides means getting up shut and private with the Santa Ynez River, with as much as 4 water crossings, because the horses step sure-footed by way of the shallows. Wildlife is plentiful, together with energetic beaver dams and eagles overhead. For households, youthful children with no using expertise can take part in light, one-hour pony encounters. (A “unicorn” is even obtainable by request.)

Go to ostriches, emus, llamas, pigs, and extra. 

When was the final time you locked eyes with a seven-foot chicken? At Ostrichland USA, greater than 150 ostriches and emus strut throughout the farm like they personal the place (as a result of they do), craning their lengthy necks over the fence to gobble up your bowl of meals. I like to recommend arriving early within the morning earlier than any tour buses roll in—you’ll have extra space and extra birds vying to your consideration. For much more hands-on enjoyable, jump over to the Zaca Creek Ranch, the place a 50-minute tour permits you to wander previous llamas and alpacas, peek right into a pigsty, cuddle goats, and get a really feel for all times on a working Central Coast ranch.

Return in time at Mendenhall’s Museum.

Mendenhall’s Museum of Gasoline Pumps & Petroliana is sort of a neon-lit time warp, with one of many West Coast’s largest collections of gasoline pumps, alongside racing memorabilia, license plates, and vintage highway indicators. Began greater than 50 years in the past by Jack Mendenhall, the museum is now curated by his son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Vickie. “It’s a hoot. At evening, it’s particularly wonderful when all of the lights come on,” Vreeland says. “Should you’re fortunate, you may even get invited to the second ground to see Vickie’s retro kitchen.” 

Stroll by way of a botanic backyard.

Again in 2006, this spot was a roadside waste dump. Right this moment, because of group volunteers, the Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden is a thriving sanctuary for native crops and wildlife, showcasing the area’s various landscapes whereas honoring the Indigenous individuals of the realm. Discover the Chumash village, wander beneath sun-dappled oaks, and lose your self in a willow maze.

Finest Procuring

The Creation Station Material & Quilt Store 

If paradise for quilters exists, that is it. Housed inside a former bowling alley, this colorful cavern of cottons and bolts has change into a vacation spot for crafters in all places. You’ll discover whimsical prints, craft kits, and imaginatively repurposed objects that’ll make you wish to drop the whole lot and begin making one thing fabulous. 

Motley Crew Market and Ranch 

Think about a store that seems like your favourite auntie’s kitchen. Full of pasture-raised meats, housemade sausages, contemporary eggs, native seafood, spices, and an array of selfmade goodies, each nook of Motley Crew Marketplace and Ranch displays Cassidy and Markos Alexandrou’s ardour for sustainable, considerate meals.

Finest Eating places

Industrial Eats 

What began as a catering firm is now a farm-to-table restaurant and craft butcher store in a transformed warehouse on Industrial Approach in Buellton. The Industrial Eats menu contains wood-fired pizzas, gourmand sandwiches, and creative mains. “The most recent factor I can’t get sufficient of is the salmon carpaccio,” Merz says. “That dish alone is price a cease.”

The Hitching Put up II

Like a well-balanced wine, The Hitching Post II marries Santa Maria-style barbecue with traditional sides and its personal handcrafted wines, all served in a heat, rustic setting. Followers of “Sideways” may bear in mind this because the spot the place Miles meets Maya, performed by Virginia Madsen. Should you’re planning to savor a glass of pinot noir in Buellton, that is the place to do it.

Giorgio’s at Parkway 

Blink and also you may miss Giorgio’s at Parkway, tucked incongruously inside a liquor retailer on the Avenue of Flags. “I name it ‘speakeasy Italian,’” Vreeland says. Behind the unassuming doorways, you’ll discover a cozy eatery serving the whole lot from wood-fired pizza to cioppino to spaghetti carbonara. Most passersby by no means discover it, which solely provides to the fun of discovering Buellton’s best-kept foodie secret.

Vega Winery & Farm 

Established on the historic Rancho de Vega, this family-run property provides a full farm-to-table, wine nation expertise. Whereas lots of Buellton’s wineries supply glorious tastings, solely Vega has Pop’s Place, an expansive, separate space with an off-the-cuff eatery, a family-friendly petting zoo, and tractor-pulled wagon rides. 

Finest Time to Go to

The candy spot for visiting Buellton is late spring or early fall, when days are heat and drenched in daylight, and evenings cool simply sufficient to twist up with a glass of native wine beneath the celebrities. That is additionally when the vineyards come alive, both with the primary inexperienced shoots of spring or the golden glow of harvest. However Buellton advantages from ocean breezes by way of the Transverse Ranges, giving the city a near-Mediterranean local weather. For house fans, Buellton provides prime views of launches from Vandenberg Area Power Base. Plan your go to round an evening launch to see rockets streak by way of the sky.

The best way to Get There

Reaching Buellton is easy. Set proper off Freeway 101 within the coronary heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, it’s a simple 2.5-hour drive north from Los Angeles or a scenic five-hour journey south from San Francisco. Vacationers from farther locales usually fly into Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), which is simply 40 minutes away, and rental vehicles make that final stretch a breeze. For individuals who choose public transit, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner stops in close by Goleta and Santa Barbara, with connecting shuttles or ride-shares to Buellton. 

The best way to Get Round

The optimum approach to see Buellton is by automotive, providing you with the flexibleness to slide between neighborhood breweries, tucked-away eating places, and the wineries that sprawl throughout the Santa Ynez Valley’s rolling hills. Nonetheless, the city’s compact grid invitations a slower tempo for these moments you don’t wish to get behind the wheel. Trip-share companies like Uber and Lyft, together with native taxis, are available, whereas Santa Barbara County wine tour shuttles and the Santa Ynez Valley Transit bus join Buellton to close by Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos.