Santa Barbara driving roads?

Toro is too narrow in most parts. Highway 192 is pretty fun with some nice straights, and it merges into the 150, which is also fun. Just watch out for cyclists and CHP!

 

You can take SR 154 out of Santa Barbara and follow it to Santa Ynez or Los Olivos; a few miles past Lake Cachuma, you could go west on SR 246 to Solvang instead of going on to Los Olivos. You can also take the 246 or 154 all the way back to US 101 if you are continuing your journey north.

Enroute, you could stop at the Cold Spring Tavern for breakfast or lunch (off 154 to the west on Stagecoach Road about 9 miles inland from Santa Barbara). The Paradise Store is also a choice for BBQ about two miles further along toward Los Olivos (off 154 on Paradise Road, turn right & go about a quarter mile). Of course, if you're missing Danish food or pastries, Solvang is your place

On the 154 over the pass, there are some pull-outs to rest, and a few passing lanes along the route with great scenery IMHO.

Bob H

 

You can boogie on SR 150.

 

Down the road you can stop at the Indian casino.

 

Forgot about the Chumash Casino on 246. It is good for food (as are almost all casinos) and a great way to get extra cash for your next car at the tables...if you're planning to stay in the area, we enjoy one of the B&B's in Los Olivos. Authentic feel to the small town, pretty good food options, and Fess Parker's Inn is nearby if you want to go upscale rustic, etc. There are also several wineries nearby (including Firestone) if you wanted to get a head start on wine tasting while headed north.

Bob H

 

The road you wanted was El Camino Cielo. The easiest way to take it is from the top of San Marco Pass. It follows the ridge of the mts. back down into Santa Barbara. Not sure what the pavement condition is in. Another scenic route is just take Paradise canyon road about 10 miles until it dead ends. The burgers at the Paradise store (less then a mile from hwy 154 ) is great for burgers on the back patio. If you go to Solvang then take Alisal road south pass Alisal ranch and it will end up at Hwy 101. If you just take 101 up from SB thru the Gaviota tunnel then take hwy 1 north exit to Lompoc. About 15 miles up there is a left turn to Jalama Beach. This road is 16 miles with 300 turns and ends up at a SB County campground on the beach. Located in the campground is the Jalama Beach cafe (rated by Sunset magazine as one of the top ten burgers in CA). The ranger will give you a 1hr pass to go eat if you ask. When you drive back to hwy 1 turn left towards Lompoc and turn right on Santa Rosa road. This is a great 17 mile country road to Buelton and hwy 101.

 

Sam, that Jalama Rd run to the beach is one of the best I have been on. We did it early, no one out there, and had a blast. Burger was an added bonus, even in the morning!

Can't recommend it highly enough, and can't wait to do it again.
W

 

probably the best road is a bit of a drive. Up 154 to Foxen Canyon and take Foxen all the way to Santa Maria, come back on the 1 via Lompoc. Quite a nice loop.

If you don't want to drive all the way to Santa Maria, about half way there, take a left on Alisos Canyon Rd. which will take you back to 101.

OR if you still don't want to go all the way, when you get to Sisquoc, make a left and take Palmer road back to 101, its a well maintained road, quite nice. From Palmer you can take Cat Canyon Rd. but parts of are not well maintained and will beat your suspension, the rest is quite nice all the way to 101, its a long detour.

Those 3 are my favs, but I like going up to Santa Maria up Foxen to Pappy's for tri-tip, its a dive looking diner and most of the food is typical diner food, but mmmm good tri-tip.

On the way to Chumash up 154, for a short detour on the way to SY, you can take Armour Ranch Road, its only a 4-5 mile loop off of 154 and back to 154 but some great curves, some high speed, some low speed and well maintained road.

Happy Canyon Rd. is a wonderful road but ends up being dirt in Los Padres forest, so its a great road for about 15 miles and then you stop, have a sandwich and turn around. Or on the motorcycle continue on the dirt until you get to pavement again.

Best short loop around Santa Barbara, is up 101 to Alisal Rd. (26 miles up 101, there is no sign for the Alisal exit, you have to know where it is, or take the Old Coast Hi. exit and come back about a mile to Alisal Rd. ) and take Alisal Rd. to Solvang, if you are in the mood, you can stop at Nojoqui Falls Park for a sandwhich and/or take a hike to the falls. Alisal is a good road, there is a section of about 1 mile that is full of potholes but my 360 goes often anyway, I don't know why that section is so bad when the rest of the road is well maintained. And then from Solvang back to the 154 to SB. 154 is a "bad" road in my mind because of the police presence.

In SB itself, 192 is a nice road but too much traffic to go at any speed beyond the posted speed limit.

I like taking 192 to 150 to Ojai, again lots of traffic but its nice. Then take the 33 back to the 101 and stop at Toni's for some pizza. If you have time, you can instead take the 33 the other direction all the way to Maricopa, at first when you get out of Ojai the 33 is full of motorcycles (and of course police) but after about 10-15 miles its just a wonderfully curved well maintained 2 lane road. Once you get to Maricopa you can continue to Bakerfield for some Basque food or make a left on 166 to Santa Maria, warning its a 5 hour loop.

Staying close to SB, how about 154, to 246 and crossing the 101 staying on 246 to La Purisima Mission and then coming back on the 1, you wont get any high speed runs on that loop but I like it. And you can take the detour to Jalama Beach

 

Next time you come up please let us know and try to join us for Cars & Coffee. It's every Sunday from 8 to 10. Always lots of uber rare and unusual cars.

 

The other suggestions I would make to this if you decide to go up Foxen Canyon road all the way. You can turn just past Riverbench winery and go East on Tepesquet canyon road over mt. Tepesquet and down to hwy 166. You can either go West on 166 (16 miles to 101) and have lunch at the Nipomo Bar-b-que and deli http://ranchonipomobbq.com/. Their ribs and tri-tip are the best on the Central Coast (just go under 101 and you will see them on your right). If you go East on 166 you can go 55 miles to hwy 33 and take it south to Ojai. Instead of turning on 33 just go a few more miles and turn right on Cerro Noroeste road (my favorite road in all of California). This is a 13 mile winding road that goes up to Pine Mt. From there you can continue East to Frazier Park & hwy 5.