Holidays in the Valley : Close, Yet Far Away : Getaways: During the holidays, try traveling to nearby destinations to entertain--or escape--company. Here’s an assortment of spots.

If you go crazy with company during the holidays, why not go somewhere else this year? Just fill up the gas tank, take a drive and end up walking through Old California. Or drive a golf ball through a medieval castle. Whale watch from a boat. People watch from a bike. Indulge in pastries in a Danish town. Sample bananas treats at an exotic plantation. Star gaze. Island hop.

Staying sane may simply be a matter of staying a little less close to home.

LA PURISIMA MISSION and SOLVANG

* For a glimpse of life during the early 19th Century, visit Mision la Purisima Concepcion de Maria Santisima in Lompoc--known today as La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, California’s most completely restored mission.

Founded in 1787, La Purisima served as church, school, city, farm, ranch and home for its inhabitants until 1834. The Civilian Conservation Corps began reconstruction in 1934, and La Purisima was dedicated a state historic park in 1941.

Begin your tour of the 900-acre complex at the visitors’ center, where you can view old photos, artifacts and displays. Cross El Camino Real (the Royal Highway), which linked California’s 21 missions, and wander through the mission grounds and buildings. Take a look at the livestock, many of which are descended from animals brought to the Southwest by early Spanish settlers. Visit the cemetery where hundreds of Indians and Spaniards are buried. Walk through workshops used for candle- and soap-making, leather-working and carpentry. Peer into the soldiers’ barracks, where primitive narrow beds are covered with colorful woven blankets.

Stroll through the serene garden, where plants used for food, fiber and medicine continue to thrive. You’ll see olive, fig and cherry trees, grapevines and Castillian roses.

From Purisima, drive east on California 246, a lovely pastoral road dotted with fruit stands, farms, clumps of grazing cattle and flower fields. After about 15 miles, you’ll reach the picturesque but touristy Danish village of Solvang.

Danish church officials founded Solvang (which is Danish for sunny field ) in the rolling hills of the Santa Ynez Valley in 1911. Today the town displays quaint touches such as windmills, gas street lights and specialty shops housing ceramic housewares, imported handicrafts and wooden toys, not to mention the bountiful Scandinavian restaurants and bakeries with fresh Danish pastries.

Getting there: Take U.S. 101 north past Santa Barbara to California 1; take California 1 to California 246. La Purisima Mission State Historic Park is three miles northeast of Lompoc on California 246. Parking is $5. Call (805) 733-3713.

To reach Solvang from La Purisima, head east on California 246. Solvang is near the junction of California 246 and U.S. 101.

BEACH BIKING

* The coastal bike path stretching more than 20 miles from Santa Monica to Torrance is scenic and flat, making the trip seem much shorter than it is. It’s a great workout--but exercise is just one reason to hop on your bike or lace up your roller blades and head for the beach.

Park your bike in Venice to explore the booths along Ocean Front Walk, where vendors hawk sunglasses, T-shirts (three for $10) and stylish hats for dogs. Harpists, dancers, singers, tattoo artists, comedians, palm readers, psychics, sand sculptors and other street entertainers vie for your admiration and spare change. Continue on the path past the marina, where the tinkle of halyards slapping against boat masts fills the air like a thousand wind chimes. Pass Fisherman’s Village, a waterfront Cape Cod cluster of restaurants and touristy shops on Fiji Way. The path then takes you along Ballona Creek and the channel where you can watch boats glide into the marina. Ride through Playa del Rey and El Segundo, where only the occasional thunder of a passing jet roaring from LAX disturbs the peace. The bike path next takes you to the Strand, a beachfront walkway that crosses Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beaches and ends up at the Hollywood Riviera in Torrance.

Getting there: Take the Santa Monica Freeway west to the beach at Santa Monica. The bike path parallels the ocean, beginning near the Santa Monica Pier. Small sections of the path in Venice and Marina del Rey merge with street traffic. Bikes and skates are rented by the day or hour at a number of locations. Beach parking is $7.

BANANAS ‘N’ STUFF

* With video games, rides, miniature golf, antique shops and hundreds of bananas and exotic fruits, the whole family will find something to do--or eat.

At Golf n’ Stuff in Ventura, you and the kids can challenge each other to miniature golf on colorful castle-filled courses, whiz around in race cars, bob along on Water Bugs (VW-like bumper boats), slam into each other in bumper cars or empty your wallets in a video game arcade.

Undiscovered talent can show off at the video sing-along. You sing the song; back-up instrumentals are provided by way of a karaoke . On one afternoon, a paunchy middle-aged man in jeans and plaid shirt hopped on stage, bopped around and belted out a decent rendition of “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Then a sweetly dressed woman swayed and trilled to a Carpenters tune. Even those who would never sing anywhere more public than the shower have a great time watching, clapping and humming along.

Want more? A bowling alley and a roller-skating rink are right next door.

But if you’ve had enough, head to Ventura’s Mission District. Both sides of Main Street are lined with second-hand shops crammed with antique furniture, toys from the ‘50s and ‘60s, out-of-print books, old magazines, comic books and indescribable junk.

When you’re through browsing, return to the freeway and head north along the ocean to the tiny town of La Conchita-- little shell . Stop at the Seaside Banana Garden. Totem poles and a grass hut mark the entrance to this 12-acre plantation where you can try 58 banana varieties, such as Jamaica Red, Lady Finger, Ice Cream and Manzano (which tastes like apple). Exotic fruits and potted trees and plants are also sold.

Getting there: Golf n’ Stuff is just off U.S. 101 at the Victoria Avenue exit. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, till midnight Friday and Saturday. Golf is $5; rides are $3.50. Call (805) 644-7131.

To reach Ventura’s Mission District, continue north on U.S. 101; exit on Ventura Avenue and head north; turn east (right) on Main Street.

The Seaside Banana Garden is just off U.S. 101 at the La Conchita exit. Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Call (805) 643-4061.

ANGELES CREST HIGHWAY and MT. WILSON

* The Angeles Crest Highway winds up the San Gabriel Mountains from La Canada, treating you to breathtaking clear-day vistas with every bend in the road. But don’t just stare out the car window.

Get acquainted with the Angeles National Forest at the Chilao Visitor Center. Books, photos, displays and exhibits introduce you to the area’s history, wildlife and recreational opportunities. If the sweet pine air tempts you to explore on foot, ask for a trail map. If, on the other hand, all that fresh air has built up your appetite, stop in at historic Newcomb’s Ranch Cafe, just past the visitor center.

Your next stop is Mt. Wilson, the 5,710-foot peak named for winemaker and former Los Angeles Mayor Benjamin Wilson. Turn right (west) from the visitor center, then left on the Mt. Wilson-Red Box Road turnoff. Visit the Mt. Wilson Observatory, renowned for the 100-inch, 100-ton reflecting telescope that was completed in 1917. A 60-inch telescope, still used for research, and three solar telescopes are also on the premises. Explore the grounds and stop in a small museum that houses photos and exhibits of historical and scientific interest. Nearby Skyline Park features a deli, so you can lunch while enjoying mountaintop views.

Getting there: Chilao Visitor Center is on the Angeles Crest Highway (California 2), about 26 miles northeast of the Foothill Freeway. Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, till 5 p.m. weekends. Free. Call (818) 796-5541.

Newcomb’s Ranch Cafe is about a quarter-mile past Chilao. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends. Call (818) 440-1101.

The Mount Wilson Observatory is 19 miles northeast of the Foothill Freeway, at the end of Mount Wilson-Red Box Road, five miles off the Angeles Crest Highway. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; closed Dec. 23-Jan. 2. Call ahead, as the road may be closed by snow. Call (818) 793-3100 or (818) 449-4163. Free.

CHANNEL ISLANDS

* Channel Islands is the only national park in Southern California. Originally inhabited by Chumash Indians, the desert islands were among the first parts of California to be explored by Europeans. Today they remain wild and primitive.

Anacapa Island, 14 miles from Ventura, is the most accessible of the islands. But despite its proximity to the mainland, it offers a remote “island” experience with a 1930s-era lighthouse, craggy cliffs and resonant foghorn.

On your boat ride to Anacapa, you’ll pass thousands of sea birds. Inky long-necked cormorants furiously flap overhead; ubiquitous western gulls bob along; brown pelicans fly by in military-straight formation. You’ll also see seals and sea lions, and if you’re lucky, you may find your boat in the midst of hundreds of playful dolphins. In winter months, you may even spot a 30-ton gray whale or two.

Visit the small museum on the island and sign the guest register, where previous island-hoppers have recorded their impressions. “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!” wrote one spirited visitor, while Valley girls complained that the island needed better bathrooms, a mini store and hot cocoa.

A self-guiding nature trail takes you through Anacapa’s features, from Chumash “kitchen middens” (ancient garbage piles) to spectacular vistas 150 feet above sea level.

Getting there: Island Packers provides boat transportation to the Channel Islands. Half-day, full-day and overnight camping trips are available all year. Half-day excursions start at $20; full-day at $37. Senior half-day excursions are discounted to $18; children under 12 half-day prices are $13, full-day $20. Whale watching offered Dec. 26-March 31. Call (805) 642-7688.

For information on Channel Islands activities, such as camping, diving, snorkeling and ranger programs, contact the National Park Service. Call (805) 644-8262.

Island Packers and the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center are on Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor. Take the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) north; exit at Seaward Avenue; turn left at Harbor Boulevard and right on Spinnaker Drive.