This charming park is located on land that used to be a roadside attraction, featuring an incomplete concrete dinosaur and a sea cave. The dinosaur is gone and the sea cave collapsed, but in its place is an imaginative playground, easy walking paths, and stellar views of the coastal cliffs and sea stacks.

Billed as "The Clam Capital of the World," the town of Pismo Beach is a popular beach town, known for its classic feel, pier, wide sandy beach, and of course, Pismo clams. There are plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you busy as well.

There's not much to see in this stand of trees for much of the year, but from late October to February, monarch butterflies use this tree grove as a wintering spot, sometimes coming in the thousands. The grove is just a few steps from Highway 1, and the path is quick and easy.

Oso Flaco Lake is another access point to the Guadalupe Nipomo Sand Dunes. From the parking lot, you'll walk past the 75-acre Oso Flaco Lake, which is a great for birding and wildlife viewing. It's a 2 mile round trip hike to the beach access, where you'll get another great view of the dunes. The hike is easy and mostly flat or on boardwalks.

This small museum is located in an old house within the town of Guadalupe. Learn about the lost movie set for Cecil B. DeMille's original The Ten Commandments, which was filmed on location in the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve. The museum houses artifacts and pieces found of the Ancient Egyptian set.

This park preserves one of the most epic and pristine portions of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Sand Dunes complex. Massive sand dunes hundreds of feet high sit near the ocean, creating a windy, dramatic, otherwordly landscape. If you're up for a 2 mile walk through the sand, you can hike to Mussel Rock for an even better vantage point.

La Purisima is one of the largest and best preserved of the old Spanish missions in California. It's protected as a state park, and features several buildings, gardens, and pasture land. The visitor center and museum provide context for what was once a busy and important center of mission government.

The small town of Los Olivos is well known as a center of activity in Santa Barbara Wine Country. Tasting rooms, restaurants, and boutiques line the main intersection.

Founded in 1804, Mission Santa Inés is a small but well-preserved mission on the outskirts of Solvang. Self-guided tours allow you to access the museum, as well as much of the mission's interior and the gardens. Outside, a small patch of grapes are believed to be the descendents of the very first wine grapes grown in California.

Founded in 1911 by Danish Americans, Solvang bills itself as the Danish Capital of America. The town's buildings--full of charming restaurants, bakeries, and shops--are constructed to resemble traditional Danish architecture. Look for windmills, pastries, and the Hans Christian Andersen museum. Solvang is also part of Santa Barbara Wine Country, so there are some wine tasting rooms mixed in with the Danish vibes.

Over 150 ostriches and emus call this ranch and zoo home. What began as a roadside stand selling ostrich eggs has expanded into a staple of the Santa Ynez Valley. Visitors can explore the 32-acre ranch, feed the birds, visit the gift shop, and still purchase ostrich eggs.

Gaviota Beach is uniquely framed by a railroad bridge behind it. And to the right is an old bird-covered pier. Enjoy the birdwatching and photography opportunities at the most unique of the three beach stops on our tour near Santa Barbara.

Two Scottish brothers purchased this land in the early 20th century and made it a camping resort, with imported palm trees giving it an extra tropical feel. The resort is gone, but the tropical trees, and the campgrounds, are still there. Enjoy the serenity of this beautiful beach and the swaying palms behind.

This quiet beach is backed by a cliff and framed by the Santa Ynez Mountains beyond. To the left, a trail leads to pleasant picnic sites right along the coast. To the right, walk the beach's sand along the ever higher coastal cliffs. A camp store is located up by the parking lot, and restrooms are located in the parking lot as well as next to the beach.

This walk through Ellwood Mesa's eucalyptus trees is pleasant any time of year. From late October to February, migrating monarch butterflies make it an even more magical experience. It's about a mile round trip to the butterfly grove. The trail is easy, and signs point the way to the grove.