20+ Fun Things to do During Two Days in Lompoc, California

Lompoc, California is not on a ton of people’s radar, but it is definitely an underrated area along the California Central Coast. Lompoc contains a bunch of awesome wineries and some other fun things to do. Spending two days in Lompoc is the perfect weekend escape along the coast of California and should be part of any central coast road trip. 

Disclaimer: Special thanks to the Lompoc Tourism Board for hosting me during my stay. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you! 

History of Lompoc

Long before the Spanish took over the area, the Chumash people lived in the area. The Spanish arrived in 1787 and founded the Original Mission La Purisima. In 1812, an earthquake destroyed the mission and a new one was built in its place. It was then left in ruins in 1821. 

In 1893, an earth mine opened the area and became the largest employer in the area. Throughout the years, the area began to grow with a railroad and the opening of the Air Force Base. Present-day, the area is known for its flowers and wineries and has a population of about 44,400.

When to Spend Two Days in Lompoc

Spending two days in Lompoc is great any time of the year. I recommend visiting in spring or early fall as the weather is perfect during that time. If you visit in fall, it may even be harvest season at the wineries.

How to Get to Lompoc

Lompoc is located about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The closest major airport is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). You can also opt to fly into the Santa Barbara airport which is about 50 miles away. However, you will usually find a better flight deal into LAX.

From Los Angeles, follow the 101 north for about 130 miles. Then hop on the 1 north for another 30 miles and you will arrive in Lompoc. 

Transportation in Lompoc

In order to get two and from Lompoc as well as get around the area, you will need a car. I recommend renting a car through Autoslash as that is where I always find the best deals. You are able to easily walk around the downtown Old Town area of Lompoc. 

Where to Stay in Lompoc

TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Lompoc hotels here!

I have stayed in Lompoc a few times now. Although there are no super high-end hotels, the Embassy Suites, O’Cairns Inn and Suites, and the Hilton Garden Inn are all decent options. You can always try searching Priceline Express Deals for a better price or check the Lompoc website for other options. 

We really like staying at the O’Cairns Inn and Suites because it is affordable, comes with a happy hour, and an awesome breakfast!

Things to do During Two Days in Lompoc

There are plenty of things to do during two days in Lompoc! Wine tasting is one of the main highlights but there are several historical sites you can visit as well. 

Day 1

Grab Coffee at South Side Coffee Co.

Cost: $

Hours: Mon-Fri: 5:30am-4pm, Sat-Sun: 6am-4pm

Start your first morning of two days in Lompoc with a coffee at South Side Coffee Co. If your hotel does not have breakfast, they also have a variety of breakfast options. They have a ton of different roasts to choose from as well as tea and other coffee beverages. 

La Purisima Mission State Historic Park

Cost: $6 for parking

Hours: 9am-5pm

Next, head to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park. This is one of the missions that were a part of the California Mission System that was established throughout California. The area was originally established by the Chumash people until the Spanish took over the area. The La Purisima Mission was established in 1787. 

Although most of the mission was destroyed in an earthquake in 1812, the majority of it has been rebuilt. Present-day, visitors can explore the various buildings and learn about what life was like living at the Mission. There is also a Visitor’s Center with information as well. A stop at La Purisima should be part of any two days in Lompoc. 

Lunch at Capulin Eats and Provisions

Cost: $$

Hours: Tues-Sat: 7am-3pm

After spending some time at the mission, opt to grab lunch at Capulin Eats and Provisions. This little cafe serves breakfast, sandwiches, salads, and other light bites to eat. It is conveniently located next to the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, your next stop during two days in Lompoc. We opted to get their short rib barbacoa sandwich and one of the toasties. 

Lompoc Wine Ghetto 

Spend the first afternoon of two days in Lompoc wine tasting at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. This area is a huge block full of tasting rooms. Most of the tasting rooms source their wines from the Sta. Rita Hills area as well as Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. The following were some of our favorite wineries we stopped at. 

Ampelos Cellars

Cost: $10

Hours: Thus-Sun: 11am-5pm, Mon: 11am-4pm

Ampelos Cellars was the most unique wine out of all the wineries we tried during our two days in Lompoc. They do the basics like Pinot Noirs and Syrahs, but also some dessert wines. Ampelos also has a line called “Funky Town” where they create more natural wines like a Piquette and an Albarino-orange. A tasting here is only $10 and you get to try 7 different wines! They also threw in a few bonus pours as well. 

Montemar Winery

Cost: $20

Hours: Fri-Sun: 11am-6pm

Montemar was another fun winery in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. They had a mixed flight, a Syrah flight, and a Pinot Noir flight. Each flight came with 5 wines. I highly recommend the Pinot Noir flight if you have never traveled to this wine region before. This gives you a good sampling of the different pinots of the area. 

Sweetzer Cellars

Cost: $20

Hours: Fri-Sun: 11am-5pm

Sweetzer Cellars was probably my favorite winery we stopped at in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. A tasting here costs $20 and gives you 5 tastes. You could mix and match choices off of their menu to create your own flight or go with one of their preset tastings. The owners, Mike and Lisa, were super nice and we enjoyed pretty much all the wines we tasted. 

Zotovich Vineyards

Cost: $25

Hours: Sun-Thurs: 12pm-5pm

Zotovich is one of the larger and older wineries in the area. They have three lines: a basic “Zoto” line, a mid-level line, and a higher-end “Z” line. All of the lines had delicious wines. A tasting comes with 6 wines, but we got to try some that were off the menu as well. I really liked their “Zoto” Pinot Noir and mid-level Syrah. 

Dinner at La Botte Italian Restaurant

Cost: $$

Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm, Sat: 5pm-9pm, Sun: 4pm-8pm

Tonight, grab dinner at La Botte Italian Restaurant. The restaurant serves delicious pizza and pasta. All of the portions are huge, so plan on having a lot of leftovers. I just got their pasta Pomodoro and it made three meals for me!

Day 2

Flower Fields

Cost: Free

Hours: Varies

Start out your second of two days in Lompoc with a stop at the Flower Fields. The flower fields are typically in bloom from mid-April until fall. If you check the Explore Lompoc website, they always have up-to-date information on which fields are in bloom. 

We opted to visit the fields off of Highway 246 and La Salle Canyon. To get there, follow Highway 246 and turn onto La Salle Canyon (you can only turn one way). Follow the road for a short while and you will see the flower fields on the left. 

All of the fields are on private property, so you are not able to enter the fields. You can view them from the road only. Please remember to be respectful and not trample any of the flowers!

Lunch at Toro Loco

Cost: $

Hours: 8am-9pm

Toro Loco is a great place for a quick-service lunch. They have a ton of delicious Mexican food options and a super awesome salsa bar. The food is very reasonably priced as well. 

Lompoc Murals

Cost: Free

After lunch, walk around Old Town Lompoc and browse the stores. They also have a ton of commissioned murals set up around the Old Town area. Attached to each mural it gives information about the artist and what it is about. In total, the area has over 40 murals. You can pick up a map at the visitor’s center of all the murals if you want to do a self-guided tour. 

Lompoc Museum

Cost: $2

Hours: Fri: 12pm-4pm, Sat-Sun: 1pm-4pm

In the Old Town Lompoc area is also the Lompoc Museum. This museum has two floors of exhibits about the history of the area. It also typically has some rotating exhibits. It is not huge, so it does not take a long time to go through, but it is worth visiting if interested in the history of the area. 

Spear Vineyards and Winery

Cost: $25

Hours: Wed-Thurs: 11am-5pm, Fri-Sun: 10am-5pm and Mon: 10am – 3pm, Closed Tuesdays

On the way out of town, opt to head to Spear to go wine tasting. This awesome vineyard specializes in Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, and Chardonnays. It is one of my absolute favorite wineries and it is the one winery we are a member of. This gorgeous winery is a small family-owned and sustainable winery. A tasting lasts 45 minutes and you get 5 tastes. 

More Than Two Days in Lompoc?

If you have more than two days in Lompoc, opt to visit the small towns of Los Olivos, Buellton, and Solvang which make up the Santa Ynez Valley. 

Brewer-Clifton 

Cost: $25

Hours: 10am-3pm

Another fun place to go wine tasting during two days in Lompoc is at Brewer-Clifton. Their tasting room is in an industrial complex but you can get up close and personal with the wine-making process. We were able to see where they store the vats as well as the process of smooshing the grapes. They also specialize in Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. 

Floriano’s Mexican Food

Cost: $$

Hours: Mon-Sat: 8am-9pm, Sun: 8am-3pm

If you want another good Mexican food place to eat, stop at Floriano’s Mexican Food. They have really delicious combo plates and are a great place if you just want to grab and go with your food. 

Sanford Winery

Cost: $30

Hours: 10am-4pm

Sanford Winery is one of the original Sta. Rita Hills wineries. Their wines are more widely distributed. They have a gorgeous property and a very relaxed atmosphere for wine tasting. A lot of people opt to bring picnic lunches. 

Vandenberg Space Force Base

The Vandenberg Space Force Base sometimes will launch rockets. They were supposed to launch a rocket while we were there, but it kept getting postponed due to weather. Make sure to check their website for up-to-date information. You can view some of the launches from all over Lompoc, but you will get the best views from the beach. Surf beach is usually a popular spot. 

Other fun things to do during two days in Lompoc that we did not get a chance to do was visit the Farmer’s Market, Surf Beach, the Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary, and the Dare to Dream Farms. 

Final Tips for Two Days in Lompoc

Make sure to check for special events put on throughout the year in Lompoc. For example, every June Lompoc typically has the Lompoc Flower Festival. The mission also puts on a ton of special events. 

Did you know that if you fly Alaska Airlines, you can fly a case of wine home for free? Southwest also has the free two checked bag policy, so keep that in mind if you want to buy wine to take home! 

Two days in Lompoc makes for a fun weekend getaway along the coast of California. If you have more time, you can also continue to head up the coast along Highway 1 to Monterey and San Francisco. If interested in other California wine regions, opt to stop in Santa Maria, Paso Robles, Napa, or Sonoma.

Share this lesson!