Must-see attractions in Central Coast

Across from Hearst Castle, this bayfront beach is a pleasantly sandy stretch punctuated by rock outcroppings, kelp forests, a wooden pier (fishing…

Breathe easy at this organic estate vineyard reached via a pretty winding drive up into the hills. Known for Rhône varietals, the signature blends also…

Ramble along coastal grasslands and pocket beaches at this small state park, accessed from unmarked roadside pulloffs north of Cayucos. Look among the…

On the grounds of the original Spanish fort, this specialized museum (of interest only to history buffs) looks at Monterey’s history from a military…

In Guadalupe, learn more about the 'Lost City of DeMille,' the ecology of North America's largest coastal dunes, and the mystical Dunites who lived here…

The collections at this pint-sized museum include stuffed-animal mounts, Native Californian cultural artifacts and a touch-friendly tide pool that shows…

Five miles west of Guadalupe at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, enormous Egyptian-esque film sets from Cecil B DeMille's 1923 Hollywood epic The Ten…

A Central Coast wine pioneer, J Lohr owns vineyards in Napa Valley, Monterey's Santa Lucia Highlands and Paso's pastoral countryside. Knowledgeable staff…

With a gray-whale sculpture out front, this small kid-oriented museum has old-fashioned exhibits about sea otters, coastal bird life, butterflies, the Big…

Husband-and-wife team produces ‘dam fine wine’ (the mascot is a beaver, get it?), including from custom-crushed and organic grapes. Outdoor vineyard…

Everyone's favorite irreverent winery, where Día de Los Muertos designs cover bottles of bold blends. Play billiards in the tasting room or a game of…

Downtown, the MMA Pacific Street is particularly strong in California contemporary art and modern landscape painters and photographers, including Ansel…

By the creek, this small gallery showcases the work of local painters, sculptors, printmakers and fine-art photographers, as well as traveling California…

Offers lofty vineyard views and tours of its wine caves every half-hour from 10:30am to 5pm. Sociable tastings run the gamut of white and red varietals…

Heading east from Gilroy on Hwy 152 toward I-5, Casa de Fruta is a commercialized farm stand with an old-fashioned carousel and choo-choo train rides for…

Featured in John Steinbeck’s novel Tortilla Flat, this small granite prison was built in 1856. Over a century of use, not one prisoner ever escaped.

All that rich Rhône varietal wine-tasting, from Roussanne to Syrah, going straight to your head? An epicurean market cafe here serves lunch until 5pm…

Educational displays include a talking artificial tide pool that kids can touch and videos of deep-sea diving and a WWII-era shipwreck just offshore.

Just inland from Waddell Beach, Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center has two kid-friendly nature trails, both open daily, through the marshlands.

Breathe deeply as you drive up the dirt road to this historic ranch that makes memorable Rhône blends – 'Controlled Chaos' is a perennial fave.