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Travel & Experiences

Road trips from Southern California: Santa Barbara

Distance: 93 miles one-way. Creamy sand, a dozen courts for serious volleyball, arts and crafts shows on weekends, a perpetual parade of watchable people, the distant dreamy houses on the slopes above -- East Beach delivers all these things, along with a well-situated restaurant, the East Beach Grill (breakfast and lunch, starting at 7 a.m.), and adjacent sports facilities at the Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse (the handsome 1927 building at 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd.). For the sporty and the slothful, this is atop the Santa Barbara list. 1400 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara; www.santabarbara.ca.gov/parks. -- Chris Reynolds

Creamy sand, a dozen courts for serious volleyball, arts and crafts shows on weekends, a perpetual parade of watchable people -- East Beach delivers all these things, along with the East Beach Grill, and adjacent sports facilities at the Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse.  (Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times)

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From the rock layer beneath the Los Padres National Forest, several hot springs bubble to the surface. But the Sespe Hot Springs, in the heart of the Sespe Wilderness, have a reputation among hikers as the hottest in Southern California.

From the rock layer beneath the Los Padres National Forest, several hot springs bubble to the surface. But the Sespe Hot Springs, in the heart of the Sespe Wilderness, have a reputation among hikers as the hottest in Southern California.  (Hugo Martin / Los Angeles Times)

The 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos, Calif., was originally a stop for the stagecoach. It has 14 rooms and a saloon.

The 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos, Calif., was originally a stop for the stagecoach. It has 14 rooms and a saloon.  (Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)

Born as a stagecoach stop in the 1880s, the Cold Spring sits in the mountains 10 miles outside Santa Barbara on California 154. Owned by the Ovington family since 1941, the property includes an upscale restaurant and a rustic bar with a massive stone fireplace at one end.

Born as a stagecoach stop in the 1880s, the Cold Spring sits in the mountains 10 miles outside Santa Barbara on California 154. Owned by the Ovington family since 1941, the property includes an upscale restaurant and a rustic bar with a massive stone fireplace at one end.  (Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times )

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No multimillion-dollar mansions or rickety piers mar the coastline for miles in either direction. Just the ocean lapping at the raw land, as it has for millions of years.

No multimillion-dollar mansions or rickety piers mar the coastline for miles in either direction. Just the ocean lapping at the raw land, as it has for millions of years.  (Willie Martinez / For The Times)

The best place to start is a picnic table at the end of Linden Avenue, amid the dunes of Carpinteria State Beach. Bring a picnic basket, fire up a grill or buy take-out cheeseburgers and shakes from the Spot, a longtime favorite.

The best place to start is a picnic table at the end of Linden Avenue, amid the dunes of Carpinteria State Beach. Bring a picnic basket, fire up a grill or buy take-out cheeseburgers and shakes from the Spot, a longtime favorite.  (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)

It's only 16 miles from the coast, but Ojai feels farther than that. Before or after a hike in the surrounding Topa Topas or a 15-mile bike ride on the paved Ventura-Ojai path, come here for a bite or a retail stroll.

It’s only 16 miles from the coast, but Ojai feels farther than that. Before or after a hike in the surrounding Topa Topas or a 15-mile bike ride on the paved Ventura-Ojai path, come here for a bite or a retail stroll.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

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