Looking at a road map of Santa Barbara, it seems like California State Route 154 is the perfect shortcut for anyone passing through on Highway 101. The 101 crosses the Santa Ynez mountains all the way over by Gaviota, but the 154 crosses at San Marcos pass—right above Santa Barbara—before it connects back to the 101 near Los Olivos. Winding mountain roads don't make for a good shortcut however, and people driving through on the 154 hoping that they've found a useful local secret will be disappointed. The 154 is just over 30 miles long and it takes about 45 minutes to drive the whole thing, which means that it is faster to just follow the 101 across the mountains. What the 154 lacks in drive time efficiency though, it makes up for in other ways. Designated by State Legislature as the Chumash Highway, it follows an extensive chain of ancient Native American trails. Its many landmarks have much to offer in the way of local character, and for those sick of the Santa Barbara beach scene, driving Highway 154 has enough charm to be the perfect day trip.
My girlfriend and I finally made the drive one afternoon in late July. I had heard from my California-exploring extraordinaire uncle about some Chumash cave paintings just off the 154, and I knew that I wanted to see them. Other than that our plans were about as elaborate as driving the entire scenic highway, stopping to take some pictures, and getting lunch before we got home. The southern end of the 154 begins right at the point where State Street becomes Hollister Avenue. From there it rises quickly into the Santa Ynez mountains, arcing gracefully between shoulders of rock and California chaparral. It doesn't take long for the views of the Santa Barbara coast to become spectacular. The road weaves and twists around the mountains and does get thin at points, so it's important to drive diligently and not get too distracted by the awesome sights. There are plenty of turnouts along the way for those that just need to stop and take a picture. Most of the mountainous section of the road is actually within the Los Padres National Forest, and near the pass it seems like the coast is so far away. The air has a clean, pine-forest scent, and the mountains are too tall for any of that fog that lingers on the coast to ruin the midday sunlight. This portion of the 154 has been recently repaved, so the drive is very smooth. The feeling of driving on such a velvety surface as it curves around the mountains was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It's the little things that really matter after all.
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is about fifteen minutes off of State Route 154 on the tiny, steeply meandering Painted Cave Road. At some points this road is barely one lane. There are switchbacks that seem to turn farther than 180 degrees on themselves. Needless to say, large trucks, RV's, and vehicles with trailers are not recommended. The cave itself is immediately off the road. There is no parking lot, only a turnout that can fit about four cars maximum. The whole of the park seems like it can't be any bigger than twenty yards square. It's in a wooded area that stays very cool. It was a hot day everywhere else, but my girlfriend and I were almost shivering near the cave. According to the informational on-site sign, the cave paintings are several hundred years old. They were painted by the Chumash people, most likely by shamans attempting to commune with the spirit world, but their meaning is now lost to history. The cave is not very deep. There is a grate over the entrance which keeps people from going inside, though the art is still easily viewable. The paintings are vibrant, looking almost fresh despite their great age. It is all very abstract and esoteric. Shapes and lines and colors intersecting with other shapes and lines and colors. Nothing that's immediately recognizable to anyone unfamiliar with images of Chumash cosmology. Leaving the caves, our boat of a sedan was so long, and the road was so thin, that we were forced to drive up the road a little bit farther to find a wide enough spot to turn around. On the way down I realized how difficult of a trek it must have been to come all the way up the mountain to paint on that cave wall. It seemed like a difficult trek to me and I was driving a modern car on a well-kept paved road.
After crossing the San Marcos pass, the 154 descends the northern side of the mountains just as fast as it climbs up the south side. Here drivers are treated to incredible views of the Santa Ynez valley and the cerulean Lake Cachuma. There are several large turn outs along this section of the road for those looking to enjoy the scenery. The famous Cold Spring Tavern—built in 1865—is just off this stretch of the 154 on Stagecoach Road, and the Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge—finished in 1963—crosses the gap that Stagecoach Road snakes around. The Cold Spring Tavern and the road that it's on are legacies of the importance of San Marcos Pass during the nineteenth century. The route that the 154 takes now was once the primary route for northbound stagecoaches leaving Santa Barbara, and until what is now called Highway 101 was built in the early twentieth century, it remained the primary route for northbound cars as well.
Once the road has finished descending from the pass, it enters a long segment of picturesque rolling hills and continues alongside Lake Cachuma for several miles. This area is typical of California ranch country—golden grassy hills dotted with oak trees. The 154 cuts across this beautiful landscape and passes through several towns on its way to connecting back with the 101. By this point we were both hungry and decided to stop at the place that seemed most likely to have an awesome local food joint. We came to the winery town Los Olivos and both thought that Grand Avenue looked promising. This clean little main street hosted more wine tasting businesses than either of us had ever seen before in our lives. We ate pastrami sandwiches at the R-Country Market in Los Olivos and sat around street side for awhile. It was a hot day and the umbrellas we were sitting under did little to cool either of us down. Soon after reentering our air-conditioned chariot, we discovered that the 154 ends uneventfully at a small metal fence just beyond the on ramp for the 101. It was an abrupt change of direction, but the drive back into Santa Barbara along Highway 101 is beautiful as well, so neither of us were complaining that the Chumash Highway's thirty-two miles were up. The 154 may be a short road and a failure of a short cut, but it more than deserves its scenic designation and is well worth anyone's time.
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