Packing Checklist — Santa Barbara Coast Drive | The American Riviera | The Stable

Santa Barbara earns its American Riviera nickname with a combination of Mediterranean architecture, year-round sunshine, and a wine country that stretches from the coast to the Santa Ynez Valley. The city itself is one of the most walkable in California — State Street runs from the mountains to the sea, lined with boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants in beautifully preserved Spanish Colonial buildings. The drive north through the Santa Ynez Valley passes through the Sideways wine country, while the coastal route south through Carpinteria and Ventura offers a gentler, less-travelled alternative to the main PCH corridor.