In celebration of Cole Sternberg's along the high embankments, a site-specific installation on the property of Presquâile Winery in Santa Maria, LAND Director Laura Hyatt shares her favorite places in, and around, the Central Coast.
Located three hours north of LA, the Central Coast is a place that Laura has long dreamed of working in. Her family goes back five generations in Santa Maria. She finds endless inspiration in the unparalleled beauty of the rolling hills, ancient oak trees, and sweeping pacific vistas.
Keep reading to learn more about her personal recommendations for creating a meaningful visit to the region this summer. Visit along the high embankments Saturdays and Sundays through September 20, 2026 by reserving your free tickets here.
Guadalupe Dunes
The largest intact coastal dune ecosystem on Earth, stretching 22,000 acres across 18 miles of Central Coast shoreline â with dunes rising as high as 500 feet. History note: The location is dramatic enough that Cecil B. DeMille chose it as his Egypt for the original Ten Commandments in 1923, and the buried remnants of that massive movie set still lie beneath the sand. Stop into the Dunes Center in the town of Guadalupe to see artifacts from the lost Hollywood city before heading out to walk the wild, wide beach. Plan for wind.
Presquâile Winery, Santa Maria
Perched high atop a hill with sweeping ocean and vineyard views, Presqu'ile (pronounced press-KEEL) sits in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley and is consistently voted one of the most beautiful wineries in California. The sustainably certified, 73-acre estate is dedicated to cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, with wines praised for their elegance and balance. The name â Creole for "almost an island" â honors a family property on the Gulf Coast lost to Hurricane Katrina. Reservations recommended, make them here. Donât miss Chef Julieâs incredible food and edible garden!
Far Western Tavern, Orcutt
The Far Western Tavern traces its roots to a building constructed in 1912 as the Palace Hotel in nearby Guadalupe, where my great-uncle Clarence Minetti launched his legendary restaurant in 1958. So many of my earliest memories are from those big red booths. Now settled into its newer home in Old Town Orcutt, the kitchen remains devoted to Santa Maria-style barbecue, the regional tradition of oak-fired beef that long predates the tri-tip craze. Come for the Bull's Eye steak and an atmosphere that feels genuinely of the region.
Solvang / Los Olivos / Los Alamos
Three small towns, three completely different personalities, all within easy driving distance of each other. Solvang is the "Danish Capital of America" â walkable, windmill-dotted, and surprisingly good for wine tasting alongside the aebleskivers. Los Olivos is filled with tasting rooms, delicious restaurants, and the recently renovated Matteiâs Tavern (now an Auberge hotel property). Los Alamos, founded in 1876, leans into its Western heritage while quietly becoming one of the most interesting food and wine towns on the Central Coast (do not miss Bellâs or Bobâs Well Bread). Do all three in a day or linger in one.
Najoqui Falls and Jalama Beach
Two hidden gems that reward the detour. Jalama Beach is only accessible via a 14.5-mile winding road that dead-ends at the coast â no cell service, no crowds, just wide sandy shoreline, dramatic waves, and some of the best sunsets on the California coast. The legendary Jalama Burger at the on-site grill is a genuine cult item. Pair your beach day with a stop at Nojoqui Falls (pronounced: na-HOO-ee) â a short, shaded trail through oaks and laurels that leads to an 80-foot waterfall cascading over fern-lined sandstone. Easy enough for any age, and completely worth it.
Donât miss: Local Museums
Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara
Art, Design & Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara
The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center opened in May 2025 and represents 8,000 years (or 350 generations) of Chumash life and culture. The museum showcases a portion of the tribe's collection of more than 24,000 historically significant cultural items, including baskets, musical instruments, hunting tools, ceremonial items, and regalia. Visitors move through galleries covering medicine, language, song, music, and community, with a classroom for kids and a gathering house amphitheater set amid lush gardens planted with native species.
This summer, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara has Arte del Pueblo, the result of an open call which features hundreds of local artists. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art has a number of exhibitions on view with past LAND artists and friends, including Mungo Thomson, Elliott Hundley, Max Hooper Schneider, and Patricia Peco (I canât wait for Patoâs upcoming solo exhibition). Iâm excited to see Alicia Adamerovichâs exhibition at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. I fell in love with Aliciaâs work at an exhibition a few years ago at Del Vaz Projects. Finally, I am really looking forward to seeing Jackie Amezquitaâs exhibition, Gemidos de la Tierra, an ongoing project that LAND first presented in collaboration with LACE in 2023.
Photo credits:
Presquâile tasting room photo courtesy of Presquâile Winery
Far Western Tavern image by Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
Solvang image by Allie_Caulfield
Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center