From the first chapter, starting in Santa Barbara

To my mind and probably accurate geographically, the central coast starts at Point Conception. That is where a transverse range of mountains, suddenly jutting skyward, cuts off Southern California from the rest of the state, forms the rugged Point Conception area and extends out to sea in the form of the Channel Islands. In other words, I should start this guide at Point Conception, but I’m going to fudge by about 33 miles. On the coast, large cities or towns are often far apart.  From Santa Barbara to the next big town, Santa Maria is about 70 miles, another 150 to the next one, Salinas. The bigger towns in between are all under 50,000 people.
    Santa Barbara is a good place to start our trip north. It sits just beyond the edge of what we consider Southern California, and it shares a piece of the coast with three excellent state beaches. Also, before going on an extended adventure, it’s nice to check into a nice motel, get a good meal, enjoy the last consistently warm beach and perhaps take advantage of nightlife and tourist attractions.