Lompoc may be one of the Central Coast’s most remote towns, but visitors and day trippers realize that this charming village is a wonderland of affordable hotels, history, farms, food, flowers, wine and breathtakingly beautiful beaches.
#MyGlobalLife drove our sleek 2017 Volvo S90 northward from Santa Barbara to the not-so-tiny town of Lompoc (pronounced LOM-poke). Set 50 or so miles north of Santa Barbara and 60 miles south of San Luis Obispo, Lompoc is the most westerly piece of land in the continental USA.
Lompoc is also a military town (Vandenburg Air Base surrounds the town to the west) and it doesn’t have the many luxury, boutique or B-n-B hotels that most other Central Coast California seaside towns have. This makes Lompoc an affordable getaway and a good temporary home for day trips to several other coastal California towns.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Lompoc and it was perfectly suited for California Central Coast road trip travel. The spacious suites were comfortable with a separated wardrobe area, high-quality beds and sheets, a dining table, a kitchenette (that featured Keurig coffees and teas), sofa bed, well-stocked vanity, and bathroom with a decent soaking tub.
So, what does one do in Lompoc?
Beach, Nature and Outdoor Things to Do in Lompoc
Lompoc is an outdoor-lover’s paradise. Ocean Beach or Surf Station is a scenic five-mile ride from downtown Lompoc. But it’s frequently closed to protect almost extinct birds.
For a beach that’s always open and for a grand adventure, pack up and head to Jalama Beach. After a curvy 14-mile-long road, Jalama Beach opens up to reveal the wide blue Pacific at its most stunning.
Other than beach activities, visitors to Lompoc can tour the delightful 30-acre La Purisma Mission and Park, golf at world-class La Purisma Golf Club, and roam through Lompoc’s famously colorful flower fields. You can also bike, sky jump and swim at the Lompoc Aquatic Center.
Art & The Famous Lompoc Murals
Lompoc is known for its arts, craft and vintage scenes. Old Town or downtown Lompoc shows off the city’s more than 40 famous murals, especially along Art Alley.
The Lompoc Heritage Walk features 18 historic sites dating back to the 1870s, including Lompoc Museum (a former 1925 Carnegie Library), the 1875 Victorian Fabin-McKay Spanne House, the 1876 Artesia School House, the circa ’40s Italian Stone Pines, and local artist favorite Cypress Gallery.
End your art tour at Sissy’s Uptown Café–which sits in the center of Lompoc’s Art Alley and has murals painted on every wall–to nosh on homemade-style sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts.
Farm Food in Lompoc
The farms surrounding Lompoc and the Santa Rita Hills grow some of California’s best produce, especially beets, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, Brussel sprouts, asparagus and berries. There’s a renaissance of farm-to-table bistros here and Scratch Kitchen is Lompoc’s most recent celebrated food- and wine-driven restaurants.
Another new Lompoc restaurant is Solvang Brewing Company & Hoptions Tap Room where we met Visit Lompoc’s Ken Ostini. We ate delicious locally-grown produce and drank local wines while he regaled us with tales about his family’s history in Lompoc and his current tourism advocacy for the town.
Lompoc locals also love Tom’s for its 26 kinds of burgers and Nikka’s Fish Market & Grill for its global fusion and classic seafood menu.
The Wine and Wineries of Lompoc
Let’s face it, wine is one of the best reasons to visit Lompoc. The Lompoc Valley’s wine-making tradition dates back to 1787 and the Lompoc Wine Trail is a loose-knit marketing arm for the region’s more than 30 wineries and vineyards.
But Lompoc’s wines aren’t all about driving out into the countryside. Lompoc Wine Ghetto is an “urban wine destination” just a mile from Old Town. Located in an industrial park circa 1970, the Wine Ghetto is a collection of a dozen artisanal wine makers who have set up shop here so visitors can sip and walk and sip and walk some more. Don’t miss sitting on the sofa for a spell at Flying Goat Cellars with a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris or sparkling cremant in hand.
Lompoc’s urban-yet-rustic Sanford Winery, which makes top-notch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay estate varietals, was one of the locales in the movie Sideways. And its renowned Fiddlehead Cellars was also a vintage enjoyed in a romantic Los Olivos restaurant scene.
Need another reason to visit Lompoc for its wines? From Aug. 18-20, the Santa Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance hosts Wine and Fire 2017. This three-day celebration includes a Friday Night Barn Party, Saturday morning seminar, and a Grand Tasting on Saturday evening at the inspirational La Purisima Mission. For more information and to register, visit www.staritahills.com.
Ready to #ExploreLompoc? Check out www.explorelompoc.com or follow @ExploreLompoc on Twitter and @explore_lompoc on Instagram.
