The town also draws visitors wishing to pay their respects at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, which is located five miles north of town but not open to visitors. Los Olivos - This town has more than its share of wineries and tasting rooms, with around a dozen such businesses despite its tiny population of just over 1,000.The Danish Days festival lasts through the weekend during September and has been held almost every year since 1936. Visitors can enjoy Danish food, a replica of the Little Mermaid sculpture, windmills, and the horse-drawn Hønen for sightseeing. Nearly one million visitors travel to this small town each year to see its Danish architecture and experience its (mostly) authentic Danish culture. The valley was the setting for the 2004 film Sideways, and fans of the film are known to make pilgrimages to the inns and restaurants from the movie. Santa Ynez sits at the heart of the rural Santa Ynez valley, an area that attracts travelers to its many wineries. The area is also one of the state's largest wine-producing regions, and has been a filming location for films ranging from The Ten Commandments to Pirates of the Caribbean. Santa Maria is the largest city in the county, and is probably best known as the original home of barbecue tri-tip, now referred to as Santa Maria style barbecue. Its wide beaches, highly rated wineries, luxurious resorts, art galleries, and a large variety of excellent dining choices, enable the town of just 90,000 residents to enjoy the sort of cultural and social amenities which are usually found only in much larger cities. The "American Riviera" is a historic mission city that is an incredibly popular getaway destination. The area is also home to Vandenberg Air Force Base, America's west coast spaceport, where rocket launches can sometimes be seen. The city celebrates its association with flowers every June during the Lompoc Valley Flower festival. Nicknamed the "City of Arts and Flowers", more than half the world's flower seeds are grown in the fields around Lompoc. The Ten Commandments was filmed in the dunes and the sets were buried after production, but today blowing winds repeatedly reveal and then re-cover these reproductions of ancient Egypt. Travelers will enjoy visiting the neighboring Guadaulpe-Nipomo Dunes, an 18-mile stretch of beach that is one of the largest remaining natural dune areas in California. This small town is primarily focused on agriculture and oil production. It is also home to a grove of trees that is an overwintering area for monarch butterflies, with the insects gathering in huge numbers each year from mid-November until mid-February. Goleta is adjacent to Santa Barbara and offers similar beaches and resorts to its neighbor. During the first weekend in October Carpinteria plays host to nearly 100,000 visitors at its annual avocado festival, which features the world's largest vat of guacamole. This small oceanside town offers a salt marsh preserve, tide pools, and a seal and sea lion rookery that is active from December through May. Visitors will also find the ostrich & emu farm interesting, with the opportunity to get up close and personal with the giant birds. If you prefer a more intimate setting, arrange for private dining in the original Old Adobe, a California historical landmark built on the property in 1825.Buellton is home to several Santa Ynez Valley wineries. The Wine Cellar features a masonry barrel-vaulted ceiling with a stunning glass doorway leading to a patio canopied by lantern-lit loquat trees, next to a crackling fireplace. Housed in a storybook setting, the Carriage House features fireside dining with French doors opening to a private stone-paved courtyard, ideal for intimate gatherings and celebrations. For a more casual destination, the Plow & Angel offers more regional cuisine and a convivial ambiance as a local favorite. The Stonehouse, a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning restaurant, is located in a 19th-century citrus packing house and has a romantic full-bar lounge and separate dining room with an outdoor terrace and a crackling fireplace. The Ranch provides several premier dining settings featuring a palate of herbs and vegetables harvested from the onsite chef’s garden.
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