If you’re in weather denial mode and resisting the urge to switch your closet over to sweaters and snow boots, keep summer going for a little longer in Lompoc, California.
Located on the state’s Central Coast, it’s an ideal location for outdoor activities, such as exploring the 5,368 acres of Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve. Filling an area of maritime chaparral between the Purisima Hills and Santa Ynez Mountains, this reserve is home to an assortment of wildlife including bobcats, mountain lions, badgers, deer, colonies of endangered kangaroo rats and a wide variety of bird life. Visitors can walk or hike along posted trails.
Have your camera ready, and head to Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary, where more than 400 wild horses and burros reside on a safe haven of 1,500 acres. In addition to providing these animals with sanctuary, RTF programs promote education, conservation and advocacy. Private tours, photo safaris and herd immersion experiences can be booked online, along with workshops and clinics that include Animal Communication and Energy Awareness, Listening to Nature through the Council of Horses, and Reiki for Animals.
Other active pursuits in the area include voluntarily leaving an airplane to make an 18,000-foot tandem jump with Skydive Santa Barbara. Too high? You can opt for an 8,000- or 13,000-foot tandem jump instead. If you get hooked by the thrill, you can also enroll in Skydive School and embark on four–six hours of ground training, seven assisted jumps and a 13,000-foot solo jump.
There’s also horseback riding along 25 miles of trails at historic La Purisima Mission, founded in 1787; fishing, whale watching, surfing, kite surfing and beach cave exploration at Jalama Beach; wine tastings at Longoria Wines; and hands-on winemaking adventures with the Harvest Hands program at Melville Wines.
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