Santa Ynez and Los Olivos offer great biking and cuisine.
About 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara are Santa Ynez and Los Olivas, low-key but charming towns where the rolling countryside is dotted with horses and endless vineyards. It’s a paradise for cyclists.
Come and go from Los Olivo’s Fess Parker Wine Country Inn & Spa (rooms from $295; 2860 Grand Ave.: 800-446-2455: fessparkerinn.com), where at least five epic rides, including Figueroa Mountain Road, are within pedaling distance. (Foxen Canyon, Ballard Canyon and Happy Canyon roads are best explored on two wheels.)
To refuel, try Santa Ynez’s Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn (3539 Sagunto St.; 805-688-4142; brotheresredbarn.com) or its sister restaurant, Sides Hardware and Shoes (2375 Alamo Pintado Ave.; 805-688-4820; sidesrestaurant.com), in Los Olivos. As an alternative to the Fess Parker, rent a house from Paradise Retreats (paradiseretreats.com).
– Cari Gray
