Dana Adobe at Historic Rancho Nipomo — Attraction in California

I saw the historical market sign while driving on Highway 101. Since we were stopping in the town of Nipomo, we decided to venture to the Dana Adobe to check it out as well. Our visit didn't turn out as we hoped though.

As we entered the cultural center, we were greeted. We were told that the admission was $15 each. We asked what that included. It includes the self guide tour for the grounds, no entry into the adobe since no one is there now. It was not free to walk around the grounds or view the cultural center. The contents of the grounds was not described, so being short on time and not willing to spend $30 for unknown sites, we declined and left.

The adobe is set further back from the center and not fully visible from the parking lot. But from the lot, in the distance I did see they have an outdoor paved patio with gorgeous views of the valley.

This isn't the end of this story. As we were walking out, I noticed the admission info board folded up and set up against the wall. The price was $8 for self guided and $10 including the Adobe. Hmm. We were told some tall tales. I'm thinking back now and wonder about the folks that just bypassed the cultural center and walked about the grounds and patio for free. In the future, I’m willing to come back and give it a go for $8 but not for the $15...

The Dana Adobe Heritage days are a great way to picture the adobe during it early ranching days. Volunteers work hard to give you perspective on the typical life on the ranch. Each room in the adobe home are full with informative signs and displays, one giving you the perspective of the master bedroom, another on how the adobe house was built, and another on how the adobe has changed over the decades. Each room is relevant.

Heritage days also had some great, local businesses sharing their wares, from homemade soaps (I bought some beer soap) to locally made hot sauce. It is definitely worth the trip and should see a much larger...

There's a lot of information to be found about the people and culture of the Central Coast at the Dana Adobe. The people that work there are well-versed in the history and there's not a problem spending an hour or two learning about this area. I'm not really much of a history buff but really enjoyed sitting down and shooting the breeze with the people that were working there on the day that we visited. They're all volunteers and dedicated to what they do. There are pictures of the Adobe before it was restored and there was a lot of money invested to make this a very nice...