Gaviota, California

The Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California is a rural coastline along the Santa Barbara Channel roughly bounded by Goleta Point on the south and the north boundary of the county on the north. This last undeveloped stretch of Southern California coastline consists of dramatic bluffs, isolated beaches and terraced grasslands.

The Gaviota Tunnel (officially known as the Gaviota Gorge Tunnel) is a tunnel on U.S. Route 101/State Route 1 (US 101/SR 1) completed in 1953 in the center of Gaviota State Park, 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Santa Barbara, California, on the Gaviota Coast. It is 420 feet (130 m) long and 17.5 feet (5.3 m) tall. Only the northbound lanes of US 101 pass through it, as the southbound lanes descend from Gaviota Pass through a narrow canyon to the west of the tunnel. Because it is the only major route between the Santa Barbara County South Coast and the Santa Ynez Valley, bicycles are allowed through it. There is a rest area for both southbound and northbound lanes on the southern end of the tunnel, the southernmost one along US 101. There are frequent rockslides in the area, especially during and following rain. Some of the hillsides and road cuts are covered in netting to prevent erosion. There are also fences made of netting along the roadway to stop rocks that do fall. An alternate bypass to this section of US 101 between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos is provided by SR 154 capped by the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge near the summit of San Marcos Pass. SR 154 cuts directly between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos in a northwestern direction, whereas US 101 runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean about 25 miles (40 km) west before turning north passing through Buellton to meet up with SR 154 near Los Olivos.

Gaviota State Park is a state park of California, United States. It is located in southern Santa Barbara County, California, about 33 miles (53 km) west of the city of Santa Barbara. One of three state parks along the Gaviota Coast, it extends from the Pacific coast to the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains, and is adjacent to Los Padres National Forest. The 2,787-acre (1,128 ha) park was established in 1953.

Gaviota Hot Springs is a geothermal feature in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The two pools are accessible from the Gaviota Peak trail in Gaviota State Park. Gaviota Hot Springs is sometimes called Las Cruces Hot Springs or Sulphur Springs. The hot springs lie within the Hot Springs Creek watershed, near the junction of U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1.

Gaviota Peak is a summit in the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County, California. It is located 10 miles (16 km) west of Santa Barbara, 16 miles (26 km) east of Point Conception and 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Gaviota Grade is the most formidable in length and elevation change along U.S. Route 101 in Southern California.

Las Cruces (sometimes rendered Las Cruses, meaning the crosses in Spanish) is a former settlement and an archaic placename in Santa Barbara County, California. It lies at the split between California State Route 1, which travels north to Lompoc, and U.S. Route 101, which travels north to Buellton. The two routes coincide on the highway to the south through the Gaviota Gorge to the Gaviota Coast. The community lies within area code 805.

Rancho Las Cruces was a 8,888-acre (35.97 km2) Mexican land grant in the Santa Ynez Mountains of present-day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Miguel Cordero. The name means "the crosses". The grant was inland of present-day Gaviota Beach and the Gaviota Tunnel.

Hollister Ranch is a 14,400-acre (58 km2) gated residential community amidst a working cattle ranch on the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, California. The dramatic bluffs, isolated beaches and terraced grasslands are within the last undeveloped stretch of Southern California coastline. The fallow and fertile fields, mountains and valleys include some of the oldest known human settlements in the new world, the last native population of which was the Chumash. The Spanish Portolà expedition, the first European land explorers of California, traveled along its coast in 1769. It became part of the extensive Spanish land grant known as Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio, operated by the family of José Francisco Ortega from 1794. The land was purchased by William Welles Hollister after the Civil War as part of a large acquisition, the center of which was at Glen Annie, Tecolotito canyon. Lying between Gaviota State Park and Point Conception, there have been conflicts over public access to coastal parts of the ranch for nearly 40 years. Beaches along the Ranch remain technically open to the public per California state law, but access is difficult because the ranch itself is protected private property. A cattle ranch since the days of the Ortegas, Hollister Ranch is the fourth largest cattle ranch in Santa Barbara County having shipped over 1,500,000 pounds (680,000 kg) of beef in the summer of 2005. As a result of the Hollister Ranch Owners' Association CC&Rs, Santa Barbara County zoning and California's Agricultural Preserve Program, when fully built out, over 98% of the property will continue to be devoted to cattle grazing. Other benefits to Hollister Ranch owners as a result of the cattle operation include a reduced fuel load in the event of range fire and the tax benefits that result from adherence to the restrictions imposed by the Uniform Rules of the Agricultural Preserve. Relative to the land prices for parcels in Hollister Ranch, however, the cattle ranching is probably uneconomic, and may continue largely for the sake of fuel load management for fire protection, Agricultural Preserve tax consequences and aesthetic considerations.

Area codes 805 and 820 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the U.S. state of California. The numbering plan area (NPA) includes most or all of the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and the southernmost portions of Monterey County. 805 was split from area code 213 in 1957, and area code 820 was added to the NPA in 2018, creating an area code overlay.

Rancho Nojoqui was a 13,284-acre (53.76 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Raimundo Carrillo. The grant was located in the Santa Ynez Valley and foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, just south of present-day Solvang.

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company is an American brewing company based in Buellton, California. Founded in 2010 by Jaime and Jim Dietenhofer, the company grew rapidly during the subsequent decade, opening multiple tasting rooms across Southern California. By 2019, the company was producing 23,145 barrels of beer annually and winning medals in industry competitions. In 2020 however, the company declared bankruptcy and, as of October 2022, is undergoing reorganization in bankruptcy.

Elverhøj Museum of History and Art is a museum in Solvang, California whose mission is “to collect, preserve and exhibit the history and Danish culture of Solvang and to promote the arts.” It is one of the few examples of museums outside of Denmark that focus on Danish/Danish-American culture. It is located a few blocks from the town center. It is on a residential side street south of downtown.The museum was the former residence of Viggo Brandt-Erichsen, an internationally known painter and sculptor, and his wife Martha Mott, a painter and art teacher. In 1950, the couple constructed their house to reflect large farmhouses of 18th century Jutland in Denmark. The museum was renovated in 1987 and opened to the public in May 1988. The Brandt-Erichsen family first donated it to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society. Subsequently, the City of Solvang took over ownership and maintenance and the non-profit Solvang Heritage Associates operated the museum. Later, due to the city’s decline in budget, the ownership and maintenance was transferred to Solvang Heritage Associates in June 2007.The name Elverhøj means “Elves’ Hill”. It came from the famous folk play Elverhøj from 1828 where a king visits dancing wood-spirits and forest friends at night. The play has been performed in Solvang since 1914. The redwood carving on the front door was inspired by the play and designed by Viggo Brandt-Erichsen. It is now the museum’s logotype.Elements of Scandinavian architecture can be seen throughout the building, such as ornamental wrought iron, a carved wooden front door, and hand-painted panels. There is a traditional Danish kitchen with pine floors, countertops, and tables decorated with hand-painted green and stenciled flowers. The museum also contains a number of old photographs and traditional arts and crafts, such as displays of paper cutting, lace-making, and wooden clog making. There are also rotating exhibits that change throughout the year about the surrounding area.In 2020, the suggested donation was $5. The museum also has a store that sells gift items and souvenirs.