A beautiful paved bicycle path follows the shoreline of the Santa Barbara Channel in Southern California. In 70-degree winter temperatures, it's a treat to ride and a great way to get a feel for this city that has become known as "The American Riviera."

Happening Hood: This year, be sure to hit up the PRESIDIO NEIGHBORHOOD, presidioneighborhoodsb.com. Hugh Margerum a local artist and web sales manager at Margerum Wine Company, coined the name based on the historical landmark on Canon Perdido and Santa Barbara streets.

Whenever my wife and I visit the wine regions of California, we dream of sending for our things and opening a small winery.But whatever it is that shakes us from this beautiful slumber always ends up shipping us back to the Sonoran Desert; back to life, back to reality.

When Jamie and Kym Slone would travel as tourists to Santa Barbara, they found it hard to find winery experiences that celebrated the city's rich history and Spanish architecture. "Where was the wine tasting room with red-tiled roofs?" Jamie recalled thinking. "I couldn't find it."

"We're not winemakers. We're you. We're consumers." For Jamie Slone, that distinction – that he and his wife are entering the wine arena as avid wine drinkers, first and foremost – may well be the biggest driving force behind Jamie Slone Wines.