Where wine culture meets road bike culture, layered with soft touches, historic sites, and all manner of stunning looks and experiences along California’s Central Coast.
From Santa Barbara in all its coastal luxury, we dissolve into the California of old: gracious, Spanish architecture, ranchland and oak groves, all crossed by wonderfully scenic cyclo-touring routes.
As you breathe in the sea air all along your ride on the coast, the next sense might be the heady board wax from a leisurely stroll past an iconic surf shop… or the scrumptious bouquet wafting from a world-class wine-tasting room.
Talk about transporting… From following the very same stage as the 2018 Amgen Tour of California (the second), we indulge in another very Californian experience: an afternoon at the spa for a relaxing massage if you so choose.* Welcome to Ojai and Santa Barbara.
*Spa treatments not included in tour price
Day 1-2: Meet-up in Santa Barbara. Shuttle to Ojai, a welcoming if nicely adorned small-town, all golden era California grace and humble lines. Getting the legs warmed up, we drop onto the Casitas Lake Loop. This ride is a favorite of Santa Barbara’s cycling community. A classic Central Coast ride, the loop checks all the ecological zone/topographical feature boxes unique to the region: high chaparral to Oak woodlands to vibrant fruit and vegetable orchards environs. Off the bike, we visit an artisanal olive oil press and celebrated producer, gaining knowledge and understanding of the process. Breaking out our hiking shoes, we range into the best wilderness within the nearby Los Padres National Forest: 342-sq mile wilderness called Sespe Creek. A 61-mile long stream, the Sespe symbolizes a glorious holdout: one of the last wild rivers in Southern California untouched by dams or concrete channels. Day Two, we saddle up in Ojai; our stage follows one beautiful bike path, a tasty combination of exposed and unexposed canopies (paved-off road trail). Sweeping into Ventura (pop. 109,592), a seaside city ringed by farmlands and the Los Padres NF, our route connects to another comfortably wide bike path. Surging north, along the coast, the path wends our peloton into Carpenteria, a small Oceanside city below broad hills, polo fields and horse ranches. Inhaling big miles and deep draws of scintillating sea air, we wrap in Santa Barbara.
Day 3-4: After some enjoyable downtime in tony Santa Barbara (pop. 91,196) we saddle up at the Hope Ranch Loop. This ride is more social climber than the literal type. Rolling in and out of hillsides, this 16-mile route sweeps past Santa Barbara’s 1%ers. Climbing 901-ft., only to descend an equal span, we pedal past the city’s rich and famous, if not some impressive equestrian settings amidst California live oaks. Slipping into walking shoes and sneakers, we next descend on Santa Barbara’s meticulously preserved Old Mission, marveling at surrounding gardens and gorgeous grounds. Veering into Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, a hipster quarter between the Pacific and downtown, we follow an urban wine trail to pop-up parties at art galleries. From surf shops to local distilleries and breweries, we linger long at some of the Central Coast’s finest wine-tasting rooms. The next day goes up country. From Santa Barbara, our group cycles into the Santa Ynez Valley. A rural enclave of horse culture, tourism, vineyards and high viticulture, some might recognize this stage as the backdrop for the critically well-received comedy, Sideways. Sweeping past ranchlands, through rolling countryside, we close out at Los Olivos (pop. 1132). Built in the 1880s, this refreshingly accessible town of shade trees and colorful gardens trends for its world class wine if not equally superb farm-to-table cuisine.
Day 5-6: Basing from the vineyards and ranches that ring Los Olivos, our time is divided between pool/spa and saddle. Refreshed and exfoliated, Day Five’s stage unfolds atop the Four Canyons loop. A visual/landscape mash-up of rural Sicily, Portugal and Hawaii’s backside, Four Canyons covers miles of quiet backroads. Through Drum, Foxen and Ballard Canyons, respectively, the route spills into Purisima Hills: gorgeous horse, cattle, goat and alpaca range.
The next day we throttle back a skosh, owing to time management and schedule. Our final stage egresses from Los Olivos vineyards, looping toward the Danish village of Solvang, (46-miles northwest of Santa Barbara); then back. Picture wide spread vineyards, lavender farms, fig trees and ancient oak groves. With a shuttle back to Santa Barbara we wrap with fond farewells.
Escape Adventures
Since 1992, we at Escape Adventures have been blessed to shape and lead adventure travel vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world. Each successive season, our passion for adventure grows through memorable moments with our guests. Fresh air, faith, fitness and friends are the building blocks for our ventures, the treasured experiences that keep us moving forward. For those of you who have trekked and traveled with us over the past quarter century, Heather and I express our sincerest gratitude. The memories are priceless.
For those who have yet to tour with us, we appreciate the opportunity to introduce you to our family-run company and guiding principles of sustainability and adventure. Our portfolio specializes in Western North America and is rapidly growing internationally. Building on over 100 destinations, we cater to the full spectrum of active traveler, respective to fitness level and activity type. From road cyclist to mountain biker to electric biker, hiker, and multi-sport enthusiast, and from first-timer to friends and family groups of all ability levels, on behalf of our Escape Adventures family, we look forward to many new and exciting adventures with you.
With much gratitude, and happy trails,
Jared and Heather Fisher
Founders and Owner-Operators
Escape Adventures
Look Ma, no hands! Stay connected and safe with this “game-changer” mobile accessory. The Wraptor gives you full screen visibility and holds your phone safe and securely, even over rough terrain. It’s designed to quickly attach and detach from the bar, and the base rotates between landscape and portrait mode with ease. It’s a must-have if you want to spend less time fiddling with your device and more time pedaling your bike.
It’s lit! When it comes to bike safety, illumination is key. Even when you are on the road in the daytime, you need to be seen from all directions. So we’ve teamed up with NiteRider to offer the best daytime lighting for your ride. Each road bike is equipped with a headlight and a taillight with the proper lumen output and run time to keep you safe from every angle.
