|
Spot: Rincon Point, CA
Places to stay
The coolest and most convenient place to stay is just down the coast, at the Cliff House Inn at Mussel Shoals. This 24-room hotel is built on La Conchita Point overlooking Little Rincon. For $120 - $135 a night you can get a room with a view of the ocean and maybe even perfect four to six foot waves breaking outside your window. According to the Cliff House Inn website, the hotel was: "Voted in the top three preferred hotels/inns to stay in California, by readers poll of the Los Angeles Times Travel." And they’re right. This place is nice, with a swimming pool for rinsing off after surfing, and a great restaurant.
But if Cliff House Inn is filled up with readers of the Toyota Spot Check Surf Guide, there are lots of other options west and east from Rincon.
The bad news for wanderers is that Rincon is in the middle of a stretch of coast that is sparsely built and populated, which makes it hard to find a hotel close by.
The good news is, there is a lot of camping along here, and some of it is directly in front of surf spots.
The Hobson County Campground is one of the campgrounds directly in front of a surf spot. Stanley’s isn’t around anymore, but Hobsons can turn into a pretty good wave when there is some swell in the Santa Barbara Channel, and the tides are right. They have sites for tent and RV camping, but make reservations in advance: 805-654-3951.
There is no tent camping at Emma Wood State Beach Campground which is closer to Ventura and the Ventura Overhead. This point is one of those California spots that looks good from far but is far from good, as it is even more tucked away from winter surf than Rincon and cut off from most summer surf. But you can camp there.
The Faria County Campground has 42 sites for tens and RVs at the top of Faria Point, which is another pointbreak that is popular from one foot to eight feet – although it is one foot a lot more often than it is eight. For reservations call: 805-654-3951.
Carpinteria is the closest town to Rincon and it’s nice there. They have managed to keep out the urban gack that infests most California coastal towns, and it’s possible to get a taste of an older California here. There is camping at Carpinteria State Beach and you might even get some surf along here.
Food
After surfing all day at the Rincon, treat yourself to an outside, sunset diner at Shoals Restaurant at Cliff House Inn. With the sun setting and the lights going on out on the oil island and the surf washing through. Well, it’s a treat. They serve lunch and dinner and specialize in seafood. Trust us, it’s nice.
If you are starving for a snack and want to be cool, drive a little west of Rincon, take the Bailard Road exit, go over the bridge and get a hot dog from the Surf Dog guy. He has been there forever, and will talk politics or about his daughter who is doing well in school.
Parking, access and directions
Take the Bates Road exit off Highway 101 and park in one of two public lots. Don’t try to pretend your car is disabled and park along the highway. That doesn’t work anymore.
Surf Shops
To many modern surfers, a trip to the Channel Islands Surfboards store in Santa Barbara is like a visit to Mecca for Muslims. The HQ is on Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, if you want to buy directly from the source.
There is more to life than Channel Islands (heresy!) and there are many more surf shops along here:
Wilderness Surf Boards is the home of George Greenough designs, which is also close to a religious pilgrimage for some.
The Beach House has been going strong since 1962, and is home to Yater Surfboards.
For more information on Santa Barbara surfing, which includes surf schools, ding repair and surf shops, click here.
CARPINTERIA
Rincon Designs seems like a good place to go for some local flavor if you are surfing Rincon. The shop is owned by Matt Moore who has been surfing this area going back to the 1960s, and knows every bump and warble. There are at 657 Linden Avenue in Carpinteria. Call 805-684-2413.
A-Frame Surf Shop is at 3785 Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria, at 805-684-8803.
Blue Pacific Surf Shop is at 905 Linden Avenue in Carpinteria, at 805-566-4990.
VENTURA
The www.surfcrazy.com website has a pretty good list of local Ventura county surfboard shapers and Ventura County surf shops.
Attractions
The whole area is pretty attractive. Santa Barbara is beautiful and a good place to go shopping, see a movie, spend lots of money, go for a bike ride. Driving around through Montecito is nice, to see how Oprah and certain surf industry titans and the 1% live. If it’s really flat and you have some time, go over the hills and far away to the wine country of the Santa Ynez Valley. This is where they filmed that movie Sideways, and on the right day it’s as pretty as Montana.
But don’t take our word for it. According to the website for the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce: “Santa Barbara is a captivating blend of colorful history, distinctive architecture and legendary Southern California lifestyle. Known all over the world for its exceptional beauty and magnificent weather, Santa Barbara County boasts crystal-clear air, stunning scenery, glistening, palm-lined beaches and an average of 300 days of sunshine per year.
Basking in a lush, year-round Mediterranean climate with 100 miles of prime Pacific coastline, a thriving arts community, historic architecture and scenic wine country, Santa Barbara instills all the components of a world-class destination - without the masses.
The Mission Santa Barbara, also known as the Queen of Missions, showcases historical architecture for which Santa Barbara is known.
Back along the Pacific Coast lie the sun-drenched cities of Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito and Goleta. Remaining relatively undiscovered, the small town of Carpinteria, 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, boasts Carpinteria State Beach Park with 4,000 feet of beautiful ocean, overnight camping and the best surf fishing and tidepooling in the region. Also in this the picturesque Santa Barbara Polo Club.
Sheltered at the base of Santa Ynez mountains in the northern tip of Santa Barbara, Goleta is a sportsman's paradise with a host of family recreational activities, including biking, bird watching on the famous Goleta Slough, fishing from the pier or volleyball at Goleta Beach. Goleta is also home to the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and a well-heeled crop of local surfers.
Touring the vineyards of Santa Barbara Wine Country is always a tasty sojourn. Some 42 wineries dot the inland region with 12,000 acres of planted vines. Tasting rooms and tours are available throughout the area, as well as first-class restaurants and gourmet delicatessens to pack up a picnic. Mark your calendar for the annual Vintners' Festival, April 20 and 21.
Los Olivos, in Santa Barbara's vine-swept wine country, is a charming small town reminiscent of its days as a stagecoach stop. Many fine art galleries line the street, offering a selection of both classic and contemporary works.
Founded in 1911 by a group of Danish Americans, Solvang has retained a cultural identity that is undeniably Dane with its gas-lit street lamps, traditional windmills, old-world architecture, Scandinavian restaurants and fabulous bakeries.
A visit to one of Santa Barbara's nine beaches is a must. Choose from the beautiful Butterfly Beach, set smack along the bikepath in front of the Four Seasons Biltmore, to the surf-ripe Leadbetter Beach. West Beach offers calm swimming waters and lifeguards on duty.
Bordering the beach is Chase Palm Park on Cabrillo Blvd., a 10-acre playland that is a perfect steam valve for kids with its beautifully-restored Antique Carousel, Shipwreck Playground, complete with a turn-of-the-century schooner, and meandering faux riverbeds for splashing up a storm. A three-mile paved bikepath spans the waterfront. Bicycles, roller skates, and family surreys (bicycles for four to six) can be rented on lower State Street.
The ocean is an expansive playground, offering every physical type of water sports from scuba diving to sailing, parasailing, seasonal whale watching, sunset cruises and kayaking. Boasting one of the largest sailing rental fleets worldwide, Santa Barbara answers every wannabe-sailor's dream, with vessels ranging from small craft to large yachts.
Santa Barbara Harbor offers direct service to The Channel Islands. Of the five islands, Santa Cruz Island, California's largest, makes for a great day trip and the Nature Conservancy offers tours of this ecological preserve called Channel Islands National Park. The islands offer camping, hiking, kayaking, tidepooling and exploring the many rare plant and animal species, ancient pygmy sites and gentle coastal waters.
With the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains just minutes away, hikers and bikers share a number of well-marked trails that begin a few miles from downtown.
Golf is big in Santa Barbara, especially with the 1998 addition of two new courses. Rancho San Marcos, a Robert Trent Jones II course perched atop scenic Highway 154, offers 72-par championship play, a clubhouse and luxury surroundings. Glen Annie Golf Club in Goleta adds 130 acres of prime green with commanding views of the Pacific. Other area courses include the top-rated La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc and Sandpiper, which is consistently rated among the top 25 public courses in the country (Golf Digest).
”
There you go.
|
