Miles of vineyards grace the landscape in Santa Barbara's wine country.

Harvest season is a great time to visit California's coastal winemaking regions, with generally pleasant weather, fewer tourists than in summer, and subtle shades of gold and orange creeping through the vineyards as vines go dormant for the winter. Use the mellow seaside city of Santa Barbara as a base and you can savor exquisite views and vintages in the nearby Santa Ynez and Santa Maria valleys.

When to Go

In Santa Barbara's Mediterranean-like climate, warm weather usually persists through the end of September, and fall color doesn't arrive in the vineyards until late October or November. Expect clear skies most days until the winter rainy season sets in toward the end of the year.

Accommodations

Choose from a selection of standard hotels and motels, as well as more distinctive digs ranging from quaint bed and breakfasts like the Cheshire Cat Inn, 805-569-1610, to the upscale Inn of the Spanish Garden, 866-564-4700, and the beachfront Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara, 805-969-2261. If you prefer stay closer to the vineyards, try the Ballard Inn, 800-638-2466, a romantic 15-room bed and breakfast about 40 minutes outside of town in the Santa Ynez Valley. Or try Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa, 800-446-2455, a full-service country resort in Los Olivos. Visit Santa Barbara Visitors Bureau for further listings and information.

Dining

Santa Barbara offers a number of fine dining restaurants in the California-Continental-New American category, including Downey's (1305 State St., 805-966-5006), Bouchon (9 W. Victoria, 805-730-1160), Kevin Costner's Epiphany (21 W. Victoria, 805-564-7100), Fresco! (3987 State St., 805-967-6037), Mimosa (2700 De La Vina St., 805-682-2272) and the Stonehouse Restaurant at the San Ysidro Ranch in neaby Montecito (805-565-1724).

What to Do

• Wine tasting: From Santa Barbara, follow Highway 154 north and west past Lake Cachuma and over the coastal mountains into the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills. Vineyards planted over rolling hillsides in these three appellations produce some of California's finest chardonnays, pinot noirs and syrahs, along with cabernet, sauvignon blanc and several Italian varietals. A directory of tasting rooms is available online at Santa Barbara County Vintners Association.

• Two-wheeling: The Santa Barbara Adventure Company, 888-773-3239, offers 14- to 21-mile mountain bike tours in the Santa Ynez Valley, stopping at several tasting rooms along the way.

• Four-wheeling: Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours, 805-965-6654, operates off-road excursions into the coastal mountains with stops at four Santa Ynez Valley wineries.

• Walking tours:The Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, 805-965-6307, organizes two-hour weekend walks through downtown Santa Barbara focusing on local history and architecture. Saturday tours meet at De la Guerra Plaza and visit examples of original Spanish adobe structures. Sunday tours meet at the entrance of the public library and focus on the period of restoration following the 1925 earthquake.

• Coronado Butterfly Preserve, 805-966-4520
  One of several winter habitats on California's central coast for migratory monarch butterflies. The butterflies typically start to arrive in October, with tens of thousands of the orange-winged insects congregating in a eucalyptus grove here in Goleta, west of Santa Barbara.

Insider Tip

When planning your visit, check to see what will be playing at the Lobero, 805-966-4946, California's oldest continuously operating theater, which hosts an ongoing program of jazz and classical concerts, dance performances and other live events. The intimate 680-seat hall in downtown Santa Barbara was built in 1924, replacing an original structure inaugurated in 1873.

Important Links

Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau, 800-549-5133
Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association, 800-742-2843
Santa Maria Valley Visitor & Convention Bureau, 800-331-3779

Click below for more autumn alternatives.

Foliage by Canoe: Shenandoah Valley
Visiting a Cider Mill
Discount Cruise Season
Early-Bird Skiing
Fly Fishing in Michigan
Festive Southwest Drive
Central Park in New York
Bird Watching in Texas
Apple Season in Washington
Cranberry Bogs in Wisconsin

Photo courtesy of The Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau and Film Commission