H HIDDEN GEM
Text by Shannon Smith Photos by Tenley Fohl Photography & the Los Olivos Business Organization
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ucked away in the hills just north of Santa Barbara lies the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley and the quaint little town of Los Olivos. With a population of just over 1,100, don’t let the quietness and small size of this town fool you. Boasting more than 35 wineries and tasting rooms, unique shopping, incredible restaurants and bakeries, fun annual festivals and stunning views of Santa Barbara County, Los Olivos is only a four hour drive from Tulare County and well worth the weekend trip. Named after a nearby 5,000-acre olive ranch, Los Olivos dates back to the 1860s when stagecoaches passed through town. The town really got its start, though, in the late 1800s when it became a stop along the Pacific Coast Railroad. In 1887, Felix Mattei opened a hotel to accommodate passengers. The building is still standing today as a popular restaurant called Mattei’s Tavern. The oldest wooden structure in town was built in 1882 and many of the other
buildings in Los Olivos have also been around for over a hundred years. While the history of the town is ever-present in the Victorian architecture, what makes this place a popular tourist destination is the wide range of things to do in the area. With so many wineries and tasting rooms in Los Olivos, it’s hard to know where to begin. While most of the major wineries lay on the outskirts of town, you can find numerous tasting rooms just walking through the streets of Los Olivos. If you’re more adventurous and would like to wander out of the town, we recommend taking a guided wine tour either via limousine, bus or, our favorite, on horseback. There are also maps available that show locations of all local wineries and provide driving routes to get there if you have a designated driver. You’ll also find quite a few famous names amongst the wineries of Los Olivos such as Firestone, Fess Parker (who played Daniel Boone), Carhartt and many more. PICTURED: The Fess Parker Wine Country Inn & Spa located in the quaint town of Los Olivos serves as the perfect spot to enjoy a weekend away from home. INSET: A couple enjoys each other’s company and a glass of wine while spending the day in Los Olivos.
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