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Wine Tasting and Beyond: 6 Fun Things to Do In Lompoc CA

Kim Orlando

Updated

September 6, 2025

Vineyard views from Babcock Winery in Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

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Just an hour north of Santa Barbara, Lompoc is the laid-back add-on or replacement for a Santa Barbara trip. It might not look like much at first glance, but we found it full of hidden gems, from amazing wine tasting experiences, wild horse encounters and rocket launches to lavender fields and legendary burgers. Here are six of the most unexpected things to do in Lompoc, California.

Editor’s Note: The writer was hosted.

Taste Some Wine

Longoria Winery wine tasting. — Wine tasting at the Longoria Winery, downtown Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

Wine tasting In Lompoc isn’t just an activity. It’s the reason many people come here.

This small, no-frills town sits in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). One of California’s most acclaimed cool-climate wine regions where coastal fog and ocean breezes create ideal growing conditions for world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

My husband and I spent a day exploring elegant downtown tasting rooms in the quirky “Wine Ghetto,” and later out along Highway 246 to estate wineries with sweeping vineyard views.

The vibe is unpretentious, the pours are exceptional, and the people pouring them are often locals who’ve been part of the wine community for decades. Although it’s not crowded, Lompoc draws wine lovers from around the world.

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SheBuysTravel Tip: Read more about the world-class wineries of Lompoc.

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Eat a Burger at the Jalama Beach Store

Tasty Jalama Beach Burger, Lompoc, CA. — Jalama Beach Burger, Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

Tucked inside the Jalama State Beach Campground, about 10 miles off Highway 1, is a sweet little restaurant and store right on the beach. It serves up one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.

The owner, Don Eittreim, is 90 years young and drives the curvy road to work every day from Lompoc. He told me that his wife once gave their secret burger recipe to Ray Kroc (McDonald’s founder) and then promptly patented it.

According to Don, it’s all about the small-batch special sauce, which has to be made just right to get that worth-the-drive flavor. And I can now personally vouch that the drive is worth it.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Jalama Beach is one of the best spots to watch Vandenberg’s SpaceX rocket launches.

Don Eittreim, the infamous 90 - year old burger maker. — Jalama Beach Store owner and infamous burger maker, 90-year-old Don Eittreim, and Kim Orlando. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

There’s nothing else around, just sand, surf, several campers and a lifeguard stand—making this burger stop feel like a delicious secret tucked at the edge of the world.

SheBuysTravel Tip: The store closes at 6 but the grill closes at 5:30. Guess how we found that out?

Breathe Deeply at Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm

A purple dress blending with the lavender — Photographer in a purple dress blending into the lavender at Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm. Photo credit: Suzann Thompson

This family-run farm offers rows of fragrant purple blooms set against a backdrop of vineyards and rolling hills. Self-guided tours are $10 per person or you can take a guided tour for $20 per person.

Lavender goods are handcrafted on site, from essential oils to soothing lotions.

Tour Vandenberg Space Force Base (Or Watch the SpaceX Rockets Launch)

Awesome views of SpaceX rocket from the photographers porch in Lompoc, CA. — View of SpaceX rocket launch from photographers porch in Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Suzann Thompson

Just north of Lompoc sits Vandenberg Space Force Base, home to the West Coast launch site for SpaceX and other aerospace heavyweights. While public tours of the base itself are limited and must be booked well in advance through official channels, rocket launches are regular entertainment for locals and visitors alike.

Walk the Beach

Remains of a shipwreck on Surf Beach, Lompoc, CA. — *Sybil Marston* shipwreck remains, Surf Beach, Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Explore Lompoc

The Sybil Marston met her fate in the rough winter seas off Surf Beach more than a century ago. Resourceful Lompoc locals salvaged the ship’s lumber and used it to build homes that still stand today, a quiet reminder of how this coastal community grew from grit and ingenuity.

When the tides pull just right in winter, pieces of the wreck appear about a mile down from the beach entrance.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Surf Beach is gorgeous but don’t go in the water – it’s teeming with sharks.

Take a Photo Safari at Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary

Spirit, the celebrity horse — Celebrity horse, Spirit, at the Return to Freedom Horse Sanctuary, Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Explore Lompoc.

Just outside Lompoc, Return to Freedom offers a rare chance to step into wild horse country. On 2,000 acres of rolling hills with ocean views, more than 65 wild horses and 23 burros roam free. A top attraction is Spirit, a Kiger mustang stallion who was the model for Dreamworks Animation’s Oscar-nominated film, Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron and other spin-offs.

Visitors can book a photo safari, a wild horse hike or herd Immersion for a guided experience with the horses. Photographers chase the best angles while observers quietly follow the herds, watching their natural behavior.

Fees range from $250-$375 per person and support the sanctuary’s mission to protect America’s wild herds. It’s a memorable glimpse into a wilder California.

Where to Stay in Lompoc, CA: Embassy Suites

Bedroom at the Embassy Suites, Lompoc, CA. — Embassy Suites bedroom, Lompoc, CA. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

Most of the accommodation options in Lompoc are chain hotels. We chose the Embassy Suites and were pleased with our choice. It’s showing its age and could use a refresh, but it’s well-maintained and the staff is welcoming and friendly.

Highlights of the Embassy Suites Lompoc:

One of the nicest options in town (along with Hilton Garden Inn)
All‑suite rooms
Clean and spacious
Excellent breakfast with made‑to‑order omelets
Large outdoor pool and garden seating areas with heat lamps
Nightly reception with two complimentary cocktails + snacks
Free parking
Free Wi‑Fi
Friendly staff

Kim Orlando

Kim Orlando, founder of SheBuysTravel, is a lifelong traveler, an entrepreneur and a sought-after social media and marketing consultant. She has made hundreds of appearances on TV and in digital and print media, sharing advice and tips built on decades of travel experiences. Hailing from the hills of Kentucky and taking her story to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, Kim built an online platform, the original TravelingMom, that has reached millions of moms and empowered them to explore the world with their families. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel. Kim has been featured on “News Nation,” “Today,” “Good Morning America” and on numerous satellite media tours. She has contributed travel guidance to outlets including The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and more. (Read more about Kim’s media appearances here) Her travel mantra is simple: All travel counts. “You don’t have to go far. Leaving your home is travel,” Kim says. “Wherever you go, even just to the next town over, you can learn something new, see someone and something you haven’t seen before. “It’s good for the brain and good for the soul.” An epiphany in early parenthood started Kim on the journey that led to SheBuysTravel. She’d been a fan of a newsletter for women travelers, and she saw an opportunity. “I thought something like that for moms could be extraordinarily helpful,” she said. “I was traveling for work, traveling for fun, and I was looking for support.” That seed grew into the award-winning website TravelingMom, created as a resource for traveling families of all stripes. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel, with an expanded mission to serve women travelers at any stage of life. Millions of readers have visited the site for trip planning help, travel secrets, destination information and gear recommendations. What sets SheBuysTravel’s content apart, Kim says, is its foundation in real-world experience. “Our writers and editors have actually gone out there and done this stuff,” she says. “They’ve booked the flights, tried the tour, tested travel clothing, visited that new hot spot to see if it’s worth the hype. It’s all real.” Memorable Adventures A 2022 tour Kim guided to Bhutan was a particularly standout experience. “Bhutan sounds so exotic, of course,” she said. “But the part where my heart just glows and warms is thinking of the people we met – amazing women doing amazing things in Bhutan.” Their ranks included a former police officer whose ventures into food science helped mitigate food insecurity for residents of Bhutan’s highlands. Top Tips Planning for travel can be daunting, Kim acknowledges. “I always say: Go anyway. No trip is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be something you didn’t expect, something that doesn’t go the way you pictured or planned it. And that something is what’s going to make it a great trip.” And on a practical note: “Go early! Getting to the airport or hitting the road just an hour earlier relieves so much stress.” Kim’s Background Kim, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, holds degrees in finance and entrepreneurship and has deep experience in developing and running businesses. Her previous work includes developing and running communications workshops and overseeing document management for corporations. SheBuysTravel hits a sweet spot where Kim’s two loves of travel and entrepreneurship meet. “The longer I work in this field, I only want to do more,” she says. “I find the travel world so exciting – not just the trips, but the whole online world of travel. There are still so many opportunities.” The World Awaits “The ‘best trip ever’ probably won’t be the same for an empty-nester or mom of three versus a single woman celebrating a bachelorette party with her friends,” Kim says. “We want to keep it real for traveling women, no matter what their age, life stage, where they came from or where they’re going. “We want to inspire women to travel in any shape or form.” In her free time, Kim enjoys visiting her adult kids, creating trips and traveling with her BFFs to explore the world. Her most recent adventures can be found on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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