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Gilroy to Santa Barbara Weekend


Did you miss our Central Coast drive last August? Or the overnight run out to Solvang in 2022? No worries! You can make up for it this April on our drive down to Santa Barbara, featuring some of the best highlights from both routes.

Lodging Planner

The Friday run will go from Gilroy/Hollister to San Luis Obispo. The following are some lodging options in SLO for Friday night.

San Luis Obispo

The Saturday run will go from SLO to Santa Barbara. the following is a list of lodging options in SB for Saturday night.

Santa Barbara

Run Details

We’ll cruise through beautiful farmland, enjoy stunning coastal roads, tackle a few hill climbs with awe-inspiring views, and stop for lunch in a world-famous picturesque town — with a few more surprises along the way.

Your Host(s) for the Event

Eddie Vergara

Register via MotorSport Registry

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/gilroy-santa-barbara-run-norcal-minis-689845

Day 1: Friday, April 10th — Gilroy to San Luis Obispo

Meet-up Location

Starbucks
6865 Camino Arroyo Dr.
Gilroy, CA 95020

Meet-up Time / Departure Time

8:30 am / 9 am

Route

https://maps.app.goo.gl/HvZiZGBvhN3Wb6ut6

Duration: ~4.5 hours (plus a 1 hour lunch)

Run Details

We’ll begin our adventure heading south from Gilroy, winding through the farmland landscapes of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties.

  • Gilroy - Gilroy Crossings: We’ll meet at the Starbucks in Gilroy Crossings. From there, we’ll exit via eastbound Hwy 152 and head south along scenic Gilroy and Hollister country roads, eventually joining CA-25 toward King City.

  • King City - The Forum at Broadway: Our first stop will be in King City at The Forum at Broadway shopping center for a quick 10-minute pit stop before continuing south on Jolon Road.

  • Paso Robles - Bubba’s Smokehouse: As we head south from King City, we’ll take in the beautiful rural scenery of the San Antonio Valley, cross over Lake Nacimiento Dam, and continue on to Paso Robles for lunch.

  • Paso Robles Wine Region: After lunch, we’ll drive through the Paso Robles and Creston wine regions as we continue south toward San Luis Obispo.

  • San Luis Obispo - Madonna Plaza Shopping Center: We’ll wrap up the drive at Ralph’s in San Luis Obispo (201 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405). From there, everyone is welcome to explore SLO or check in for the evening.

Things to do

  • Sunset Drive In - a 5-minute drive from our ending point is a working drive in that is pet friendly

  • Drivers may also consider heading back to Paso Robles to experience the Sensorio light show—it’s well worth it!

Day 2: Saturday, April 11th — Morning & Afternoon Drives Towards Santa Barbara

Morning Run: San Luis Obispo to Solvang

Meet-up Time / Departure Time

8:30 am / 9 am

Meet-up Location

Ralph’s
201 Madonna Rd.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Route

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dyU4iYxfLhV6LWqT7

Duration: 3 hours (plus a 2 hour lunch)

Run Details

We’ll kick things off with a scenic hill climb through Prefumo Canyon, cruise past Pismo Beach, and follow southbound Highway 1 toward our lunch stop in Solvang.

  • San Luis Obispo - Sprouts Farmers Market: We’ll meet at 8:30 AM at the Ralph’s supermarket in San Luis Obispo and depart via Madonna Road.

  • Prefumo Canyon: From Madonna Road, we’ll turn right onto Los Osos Valley Road, then left onto Prefumo Canyon Road. This roughly 30-minute hill climb offers sweeping views of the San Luis Obispo area and some truly beautiful natural scenery. Note that there’s about a ¼-mile stretch of dirt road — we’ll take it slow through that section.

  • Arroyo Grande: After descending from the canyon, we’ll join southbound US-101, pass through Pismo Beach, and make a quick pit stop in Arroyo Grande.

  • Hwy 1/Lompoc: From there, we’ll head south on Highway 1 through Lompoc as we continue toward our lunch stop in Solvang.

  • Solvang: We’ll park in the back lot of Solvang Village Square (320 Alisal Rd., Solvang, CA) and spend about two hours in town. This will give everyone plenty of time to grab lunch, window shop, and explore the charming Danish-style village.

Afternoon Run: Solvang to Santa Barbara

Departure Time

2 pm

Route

We have 2 options for the Day 2 PM run from Solvang to Santa Barbara depending upon the traffic conditions that day. The run leader, Eddie, will check traffic conditions while in Solvang, then tell the group which way we will drive.

Option 1 via PCH: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3nXwVA11EgxfWKVW9

Option 2 via CA-154: https://maps.app.goo.gl/D54rWqtRwcn5zceN8

Duration: 45 min

Run Details

We’ll wrap up the day’s drive by continuing to drive south towards Santa Barbara via US-101.

  • Goleta/Santa Barbara: Our stop for the day will be at Storke Plaza in Goleta (town next to Santa Barbara).

After a short debrief to discuss Sunday’s drive, everyone is welcome to explore Santa Barbara or head to their accommodations for the evening.

Day 3: Sunday, April 12th — Santa Barbara Hillclimbs

Meet-up Location

Target
3891 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Meet-up Time / Departure Time

8:30 am / 9 am

Route

Part 1 - SB to Ojai Starbucks Rest Stop

https://maps.app.goo.gl/VKdEW4jWfcEobZuR9

Part 2 - Ojai to SB

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kenopkBqPpTD4g7C8

Duration: ~3 hours

Run Details

We’ll finish the epic weekend with two memorable hill climbs: one through the Topatopa Mountains, the other along the ridgeline of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

  • Santa Barbara - Target: We’ll head out 9:00am south US-101, then east on Hwy 126 towards Santa Paula.

  • Santa Paula: At Santa Paula, we’ll start the first hillclimb via north Hwy 150.

  • Ojai: After about 30 minutes of climbing through the hills, we’ll stop at a Starbucks in Ojai for a short pit stop.

  • Hwy 150/Casitas Lake: After the stop, we’ll continue west on Hwy 150 toward Santa Barbara, passing Lake Casitas before following Hwy 192 through the northern neighborhoods of Carpinteria and Montecito.

  • Gibraltar Rd/Camino Cielo: Shortly after Montecito, we’ll begin our second hillclimb via Gibraltar Rd and Camino Cielo.

  • Santa Barbara (Target): We’ll tackle the Santa Ynes mountains for about 50 mins before we head back to where we started and wrap up the weekend drive.

Additional Run Details

If you have any other questions about runs in general, check out our FAQ.

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March 14

North bay twisties with a visit to Jelly Belly
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May 9

Hike for Hope (Pleasanton)