Explorer's Guide Santa Barbara & California's Central Coast: A Great Destination: Includes the Santa Ynez Valley (Explorer's Great Destinations)

I am so mad I bought this book! Don't make the same mistake. Reasons I am disappointed:1. NOT a guidebook on Santa Barbara. A guidebook on the central coast with a section on Santa Barbara but an obvious preference for San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas.2. Pretty layout and pretty pictures but if I wanted a coffee table book, I would have bought one that was more suitable for the job.3. Information is weak - I can get better information on tripadvisor and better images on Google. I was hoping for some real insider tips that would spare me reading a bunch of reviews on tripadvisor, but no such luck.Seriously, don't bother.

I live near LA and picked up this book because I enjoy going to the Santa Barbara area and Paso Robles wine country. I love this guide's emphasis on nature getaways and sustainable, farm to table eating. Some really cool spots to check out, like upscale camping in El Capitan Canyon right off the beach. The Big Sur chapter is great, too.

As a fellow journalist, I appreciate information that cuts to the chase and gives me great information about what I need to know when I visit a new area. Great details without info that wastes my time.

Useful and resourceful.

My partner and I picked up this delightful guide in preparation for our trip to Big Sur and the Santa Barbara Area. Wares details some great places that are not part of the typical tourist destinations. The chapter on the Big Sur left us wanting more, and yearning for our trip to start. This guide has prepared us well in the planning and will serve us well when we are on our trip. I recommend this highly for travelers and natives alike to explore this lovely area of California.