This post is inspired by another song by the band America. The song “Ventura Highway” was from their second album homecoming. Dewey Bunnell who wrote the song stated “I remember vividly having this mental picture of the stretch of the coastline traveling with my family when I was younger. Ventura Highway itself, there is no such beast, what I was really trying to depict was the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1, which goes up to the town of Ventura.”
Many people confuse the highway in the song which is fictious with the Ventura Freeway which is real. The Freeway runs from the Santa Barbara/Ventura county line to Pasadena in Los Angeles County. It is the principal east-west route (designated north-south) through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County.
We do like a roadtip on Travellogs and give a stretch of road a special sounding name we will be there. Check out our other recent road trip posts: North 500 and Route 66.
Santa Barbara is sometimes referred to as the American Riviera. It has beautiful beaches against a backdrop of magnificient mountains and hotels and restaurants to match. Santa Barbara is a 2-hour drive north from Los Angeles or it can be reached by connecting flights from Las Vegas, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas and Chicago amongst others.
Santa Barbara’s harbour is where you will find the historic “Stearns Wharf”. It is California’s oldest working wharf dating back to 1872. It is the most visited attraction in the city. The wharf was built to save boats having to transfer their cargoes into smaller vessels to bring them ashore. It has a colourful history being hit by a number of disasters over the years.
For the oenophiles amongst you, Santa Barbara wine country is minutes away. The Santa Ynez Valley is home to over 120 wineries, from tiny tasting rooms with low-scale production wineries to mass-producing operations and a regular shuttle bus will allow you make the most of your day without the worry of driving.
Wine making dates back to 1782. By the late 1800’s, there were 45 vineyards in the area. Today Santa Barbara’s Wine Country contains over 77,000 acres of grapes with 60 plus varieties grown.
Pasedena is closer to Los Angeles and is literally 10 miles away. Known as the “Crown of the Valley” is has a rich history.
The City Hall exhibits Italian Renaissance and Spanish influences with its red tile roof, ornate fountain, and lush garden courtyard. It is included in the National Register of Historical Places. A very costly rennovation has made the building as earthquake proof as is possible. The building has appreared in a number of films and TV programmes including Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” and more recently in “Parks and Recreation”.
Pasadena is also home to the Rose Bowl, which is at the time of writing the 16th largest stadium in the world. Opened in 1922 it is synonymous with US College Football, being the venue for the annual Rose Bowl game which is traditionally held on New Year’s Day. On a week by week basis it is home to the UCLA Bruins but hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final.
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