Buz Bezore - Explorers Guide Big Sur, Monterey Bay & Gold Coast Wine Country: A Great Destination ()

A COMPLETE GUIDE

THE BIG SUR,
MONTEREY BAY &
GOLD COAST WINE COUNTRY
BOOK

A COMPLETE GUIDE

3 RD EDITION

Buz Bezore
&
Christina Waters, PhD

.

Website URLs listed in this book were current at the time of publication. If you find information that has changed, let us know at and we will use that in preparing future editions.

Copyright 2005 Buz Bezore & Christina Waters, PhD

Third Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

ISBN 1-58157-074-0
ISSN data has been applied for.

Maps by Mapping Specialists Ltd., The Countryman Press
Book design by Bodenweber Design
Text composition by Kristin Sperber
Cover photograph by Ron Niebrugge
Interior photographs by the authors unless otherwise indicated

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, Vermont 05091

Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Printed in the United States of America

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GREAT DESTINATIONS TRAVEL GUIDEBOOK SERIES

Recommended by National Geographic Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines.

[A] crisp and critical approach, for travelers who want to live like locals. USA Today

Great Destinations guidebooks are known for their comprehensive, critical coverage of regions of extraordinary cultural interest and natural beauty. The authors in this series are professional travel writers who have lived for many years in the regions they describe. Each title in this series is continuously updated with each printing to ensure accurate and timely information. All the books contain over 100 photographs and maps.

Current titles available:

THE ADIRONDACK BOOK

THE BERKSHIRE BOOK

THE BIG SUR, MONTEREY BAY & GOLD COAST WINE COUNTRY BOOK

THE CHARLESTON, SAVANNAH & COASTAL ISLANDS BOOK

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BOOK

THE COAST OF MAINE BOOK

THE FINGER LAKES BOOK

THE HAMPTONS BOOK

THE HUDSON VALLEY BOOK

THE NANTUCKET BOOK

THE NAPA & SONOMA BOOK

PALM BEACH, MIAMI & THE FLORIDA KEYS

THE SEATTLE & VANCOUVER BOOK: INCLUDES THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, VICTORIA & MORE

THE SANTA FE & TAOS BOOK

THE SARASOTA, SANIBEL ISLAND & NAPLES BOOK

THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY BOOK

THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY BOOK

TOURING EAST COAST WINE COUNTRY

If you are traveling to, moving to, residing in, or just interested in any (or all!) of these enchanting regions, a Great Destinations guidebook is a superior companion. Honest and painstakingly critical, full of information only a local can provide, Great Destinations guidebooks give you all the practical knowledge you need to enjoy the best of each region.

To our mothers,
Norma Starnes Cilia and Marie Waters,
who taught us to care and to see and
to love the California landscape.

We were lucky enough to be able to draw on a wealth of expert regional informants whose suggestions, insights and generous contributions allowed us to present readers with a comprehensive taste of the splendid and varied Central Coast.

As they have always done in past projects weve shared, award-winning photographers George Sakkestad, Randy Tunnell, Robert Scheer and Shmuel Thaler infuse these pages with the atmospheric images of the Central Coast landscape and sense of place.

Everywhere we traveled throughout the length of this stretch of California, we met experts on history, local color, restaurants, recreation, attractions and wines who were generous with their accumulated wisdom.

The careful reading by historian Ross Eric Gibson lent expert credibility to the research-intensive History section. Seasoned wine and food writers Jeanne Howard (Monterey and Carmel) and Christopher Weir (San Luis Obispo and the Santa Ynez Valley) contributed to the wine sections for those two areas of the Central Coast. And nods of appreciation to Kelly Luker and Tai Moses who added polish and perfection to the writing on some pages.

Throughout the writing of this book, we were inspired by the accomplishments of a great interweaving of culturesthe Chumash and Ohlone, the Spanish and Yankee immigrants, the 20th-century adventurers and new-millennium entrepreneursall of whom at one time or another called the Central Coast home and all of whom make us who live here today what we are.

Buz Bezore and Christina Waters
Santa Cruz, California

In the 25 years that we have lived and worked together on the Central Coast, weve never taken for granted the sheer beauty of the place that we call home. How clever of our great-great-grandparents to have settled in what amounts to one of the natural treasures of the country. Weve been fortunate to have our professional lives segue smoothly with our personal interests. In creating countless weekend getaway pieces for a variety of regional publications, weve combed the area, enjoying unforgettable accommodations, sampling cuisine that continues to set trends and soaking up ambiance that attracts visitors from all over the world.

From our house, we can walk to the beach in under three minutes and can thread through coastal bluffs and ancient oak groves by the simple act of driving to work. The walk from the parking lot to the office affords astonishing views of the shimmering Monterey Bay in the distance through a frame of towering redwoods. It would be impossible to take all of this for granted. Besides, were there gawking at the hypnotic waves right along with visitors from New York, Italy and Australia. Fine fall weather sends us out beachcombing or wine tasting at some of our favorite microwineries.

Not a day goes by that we arent firmly impressed by the fact that we happen to live in a place that other people covet as a destination. Thats another reason why vacations often find us exploring some new nook or cranny of the Central Coast instead of getting on a plane to somewhere else. We already live in one of the most desirable parts of the world. And while were convinced that it will take a lifetime to explore it all and to savor its richness, weve already begun tasting the best of the region. Frankly, we dont mind sharing it one bit. After all, we can hardly blame visitors smart enough to make our slice of paradise their next vacation spot.

Buz Bezore and Christina Waters
Santa Cruz, California

This book is divided into seven chapters. There are three geographically based chapters covering the following regions: the Santa Cruz coast; Monterey Bay, Carmel and Big Sur; and San Luis Obispo and the Santa Ynez Valley. Each has its own introduction, orienting the reader to the unique personality of the region. The remaining four chapters, History, Transportation, Wineries and Information, are thematic and concern all three regions.