Images courtesy of Explore Lompoc.
LOMPOC — There is still time to enjoy Spring with a wildflower-colored drive to Lompoc. This hidden gem tucked along the Central Coast offers a rich history, fun outdoor activities, impressive sights, a flourishing wine industry, and outstanding options for accommodations.
During the spring, it’s a little cooler and quieter, making it one of the best times to visit. While you plan your trip to Lompoc, here’s a list of things you don’t want to miss during this season – we call it “Lompoc’s Spring Bucket List.”
See the Insta-Worthy Flower Fields
Lompoc Flower Fields
Lompoc’s climate and soil are perfect for flowers. Whether it’s the commercially cultivated acre of vibrant commercial flower fields or our gorgeous seasonal wildflowers in spring – our blooms are truly a sight to see! The flowers start peaking in spring, with 15-20 fields in full bloom.
Check out the Bloom Tracker on our website to see what’s in bloom. Plus, the site offers a map of the fields, so visitors can take their own DIY tour.
Wondering what kind of flowers you’ll see? Depending on the season, you can see Stock, Larkspur, Delphinium, Queen Annes Lace, Bupleurum, and Bells of Ireland.
Tour the Sta. Rita Hills
Sunrise Vineyards Santa Rita Hills
The Lompoc region is known as the “New Wine Country” with exceptional pinot, chardonnay, and other cool climate wines. The Sta. Rita Hills, just outside of Lompoc, are home to large estate vineyards with exceptional tasting rooms.
During the springtime, the eight wineries in the Sta. Rita Hills are less crowded and give visitors more time to get to know the owner, explore the grounds, and have an extra taste or two.
The Lompoc Wine Ghetto, Sta. Rita Hills Wine Center, and Midtown Lompoc are also great bucket-list stops to make to taste wine right in Lompoc.
Go skydiving
Lompoc Skydiving
What bucket list is complete without something exotic – like skydiving?! During your trip, you can free fall from the highest drop zone in the U.S.
Skydive Santa Barbara is fully recognized by the FAA and has operated daily for the last 15 years. More than 30,000 thrill-seekers have taken the plunge with this company.
You can choose from three jumps:
- 8,000 foot tandem jump
- 13,000 foot tandem jump
- 18,000 foot tandem jump
Will you fight the jump-jitters and take the plunge this spring?
Visit the most extensively restored mission in CA
La Purisima Mission in Lompoc
The chance to see an extensively restored mission like La Purisima Mission is a rare, unique opportunity. The site was founded back in 1787 and quickly grew to include 100 adobe structures, a water system, crops, and livestock. Earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings in 1812, but the mission rebuilt.
Today, guests can wander through masterfully restored buildings, take a guided tour, or enjoy one of the many events that recreates the days of old.
Before you visit the mission, visit the Explore Lompoc website to check the events calendar and download the La Purisima Mission brochure.
About Lompoc:
Located on scenic Pacific Coast Highway 1, just 155 miles northwest from Los Angeles with close proximity to Santa Barbara and Solvang, Lompoc takes on a world of its own.
Its valley setting, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and vineyards, creates an invitation for visitors to detour off the main road, and explore what’s around the bend. Lompoc is
a destination for wine tasting, golf, cycling, hiking, skydiving, birding, and surfing at nearby Jalama Beach. It is home to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, the
most fully restored and furnished of the 21 California missions, and adjacent to Vandenberg Space Force Base, where rockets are launched throughout the year by such entities as
NASA, SpaceX, and ULA, to name a few. Lompoc has 12 hotels to welcome visitors. To discover more about the Lompoc Valley, and other things to see and do, visit: www.explorelompoc.com