Your trip to Santa Maria.

1. Morning
   La Purísima Mission

   Head south early toward Lompoc and explore La Purísima Mission: the adobe buildings, workshops, gardens and corrals. Check the visitors center schedule.

2. Afternoon
   Barbecue and history museum

   Return to Santa Maria for a barbecue lunch, with pinquito beans and toasted bread. Afterwards, visit the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum on South Broadway, which is open during daytime hours.

3. Late afternoon
   Guadalupe dunes

   Follow Main Street west, passing through Guadalupe to the end of the road at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, and walk the dunes down to the beach.

4. Evening
   Dinner in the center

   Dine in Santa Maria, downtown or along Broadway, and try a valley wine such as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Day 1

1. Morning
   Santa Maria Museum of Flight

   Start with the two hangars at the aviation museum on the airport’s northern edge: one dedicated to early flight, the other to aviation from World War II onward. It operates Friday through Sunday.

2. Afternoon
   Valley history and barbecue

   Have Santa Maria barbecue for lunch and spend the afternoon at the valley history museum, with rooms on ranches, old schools and agriculture.

Day 2

1. Morning
   Mission near Lompoc

   Spend the morning at La Purísima Mission, with a guided tour or a self-guided walk through the restored buildings and a short hike on the park trails.

2. Afternoon
   Beach and mouth of the Santa Maria River

   In the afternoon, go to the Guadalupe dunes, watch the birds at the mouth of the Santa Maria River and, if time allows, stop by the dunes’ visitor center in Guadalupe.