Two hours and seventeen minutes. That's how long it will take you to get to from Los Angeles to Los Alamos, a city in Central California that is often referred to as the 'city that time forgot'. And, I promise an evening well-spent.
Read along if you are looking for a local weekend getaway idea.
We made this trip in May 2021. It was mostly impromptu - The only thing that we booked was a one-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lompoc.
I am recommending this hotel because it is brand new and seemed like a decent deal. The hotel also has free electric car charging stations.
Here is a rough plan you can follow.
Saturday around 10 AM: Drive to Los Alamos
You may face some traffic getting out of Los Angeles but in general, it is a scenic drive all the way. If you are lucky, you will see wildflower blooms along the way
Break for lunch at Oxnard, CA. Then, drive straight to Los Alamos.
The Collection at Riverpark is a good place to stop, lots of restaurants and shops (and a Tesla charging station if that matters to you). We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and my daughter bought make-up (for the first time in her life) at the MAC across the restaurant
Spend the afternoon and early evening in Los Alamos
With its old town charm, this place really does take you back. Be sure to walk into all the little markets
Plan to spend early evening in Los Alamos. There are several great restaurants and wineries in town. Bell Street is the main touristy street in town.
If you are looking for a fancy dinner, reserve at Bell's in advance. Bob's Well Bread Bakery is popular, check their timings though. Pico is another interesting spot
Presqu’ile Winery, Foxen Vineyards, Bedford Winery, Lo-Fi Wines, Casa Dumetz are some of your options if you are looking to drink!
Giving our vegetarian food and child-friendly requirements, we had dinner at a wonderful flatbread place with great wine selection. Look up Full of Life Flatbread. We ordered two different flatbreads (think pizza with a pretty thin crust) and red wine from the Brave & Maiden winery, which was admittedly fantastic. My daughter had to prep for an upcoming math quiz so we took our laptop along as well. It turned out to be an amazing evening, actually - despite the nerdy stuff :)
Drive to the hotel in Lompoc and spend the next morning in downtown Lompoc checking out the beautiful murals. They are unique and very well maintained. Even the crossings have murals!
Grab coffee and breakfast at South Side Coffee - tons of vegetarian options + check out the music shop next door!
If you have had an early start, check out the missionary and the La Purisima Mission State Park.
If it interests you, check out flower and vegetable fields in Lompoc
Flowers generally bloom April through September. Summer is the best time!
On your way back, make a quick lunch stop in Buellton at Andersen's Pea Soup
Make reservations to be safe, and get their All You Can Eat Traveler's Special Split Pea Soup for $13.99
Drive back to Los Angeles via beautiful Santa Barbara!
