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Ventura and Oxnard Play Up Laid-Back Lifestyle
Just as Orange County has become "The O.C." thanks to a hit TV series, Santa Barbara is getting extra publicity as a result of the 2004 hit movie "Sideways." And they're happy to get the attention.
"A lot of Californians already knew about wine country, but 'Sideways' has brought more high-end visitors to the area," said Donna Mulgrew director of sales with the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau.
The CVB has plans to launch a culinary tour to go along with its wine tours.
"Everyone is doing wine country tours and dinners now," she said.
That holds true for meeting planners as well as weekend visitors.
Visit bookshops and gift shops along State Street today and it's hard to miss half a dozen or so books featuring "Sideways Country," as it's now called.
To be sure, the Santa Ynez Valley wine country is a draw for weekenders, locals and visitors alike, as is the Santa Maria Valley to the north. But few know that the wine culture can be traced back about 200 years to vines brought from Mexico.
Today, wine trails focus on several areas of the county: Santa Ynez and Los Olivos; Foxen Canyon and Alisos Canyon; Solvang; Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria. Wine tours also can be arranged from town.
Visitors who fly in perhaps already were surprised to learn .that the Santa Barbara airport has 10 nonstop destinations, including Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City and San Francisco, and has more than 100 daily flights.
Whether you're starting out in a rental car or driving down from the Hearst Castle to the north, you're likely to be using Highway 101 and seeing sweeping vistas of the Channel Islands off the coast before coming into the seaside city of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara has long been a favorite filming location-long before "Sideways"-and a hide-away for the stars. But today, instead of Charlie Chaplin, you might bump into Brad Pitt, Kevin Costner, Jennifer Aniston, or Oprah, all of whom own homes in the city.
For Californians, Santa Barbara provides the ideal weekend getaway. Only a couple of hours from most of Los Angeles and about four hours from Orange County, it's got something...