The Surfliner runs between the beach and the Santa Ynez river mouth.
Faith Ortega, a 12-year-old Chumash tribal artist, painted this cutout in Santa Ynez.
Santa Ynez
Within a few minutes of passing through rolling hills dotted with cattle, sweeping valley oaks, and lots of One of the town’s signature hand-painted horses greets grapevines, the town of Santa Ynez and the Chumash visitors at the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum. Casino comes into view. The casino is good opportunity to get some thrills while giving a little something back directly to the local Santa Ynez band of Chumash that still live here on a tiny portion of their long since dispossessed ancestral lands. Near the casino, they are currently building a new Chumash Museum and Cultural Center, slated to be opened later this year. The goal is to share and engage with their language, land stewardship principles, and cultural identity. The town of Santa Ynez itself was established 140 years ago this June. Throughout the town there are reminders of the old days and horse culture. Downtown, you will find many painted wooden horses decorated by local artists, and horseshoes embedded at crosswalks on Edison Street. There are quite a few boutique shops to peruse, and the El Rancho Marketplace is a nice spot for sushi and homemade pies. california101guide.com
Spring 2022
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