The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center in Guadalupe offers interactive exhibits for guests of all ages, including young artists in the making. 
Fascinating timelines and fun facts from Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille’s epic silent movie, The Ten Commandment, filmed in 1923 at the Guadalupe Dunes. 
Remains of the movie-set sphinx have been unearthed and are on exhibit at the Dunes Center in Guadalupe. 
The sands of time tell a unique story. 
The Dunes Center offers education about the intricacies of a sea otter skeleton and its links to California’s history. 
A hands-on sand dune exhibit allows visitors to play the role of nature by using its combined 3D visualization applications to create rivers and mountains.
If you’re looking for a day trip that is unlike any other, head to Guadalupe — the “Gateway to the Dunes.”
Located 10 miles west of Santa Maria and just four miles from the ocean, Guadalupe is the opposite of a big city — even though it’s larger than you think. In fact, its population of 7,500 makes it bigger than both Buellton and Solvang.
At first glance, the town looks like an Old West movie set. Hold that thought; we’ll return to it in a moment.
Upon arrival, you’ll find 1½ square miles of rich history, authentic Mexican food, friendly people and the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. If you’re interested in natural and cultural history, ecosystems, birds and artifacts that are almost 100 years old, it’s one of the most interesting places to visit in Santa Barbara County.
My recommendation is to drive into Guadalupe early and hit El Tapatio for lunch. The small Mexican restaurant at 914 Guadalupe St. has been owned and operated by the Diaz family for four decades. When you’re there, you’ll feel as if you’re in a friend’s kitchen.
The food is simply delicious. The house-made bean dip is good, the chips are fresh and crispy, and the tortillas are made to order from fresh masa.
El Tapatio is known for the best chile rellenos around, and its soft tacos are scrumptious.
Next stop is the nearby Dunes Center, at 1065 Guadalupe St. The center is the smallest museum I’ve ever visited but it’s filled with fascinating exhibits. Local kids can’t get enough of the center and often come in to hang out after school.
A favorite draw is an interactive display that is an augmented reality, three-dimensional sandbox, which enlightens and educates youths and adults about ecosystems, topographical changes, landscape runoff and erosion.
The people who work at the center, and the docents, clearly love their jobs and enjoy taking school children on field trips.
Make sure to get a map so you can visit the bird sanctuary and check out the windswept dunes themselves at the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve at the very end of West Main Street.
The dunes are truly beautiful and spiritually grounding. Be sure to bring your camera. Where else does the landscape change — literally — with every breath of wind?
Movie and history buffs will love the dunes. One of the highlights is a sphinx head that was unearthed from legendary Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 epic, The Ten Commandments. The Dunes Center has the only remaining artifacts from the original movie set.
At the time the silent film was made, there were no special effects and everything was life size. Thousands of workers lived in a sprawling tent city on the sand while working on set.
Did you know that DeMille ordered the entire movie set and tent city to be abandoned and buried in sand after filming was complete? Today, it is known as “The Lost City of DeMille,” and archeologists have excavated Prohibition-era bottles, tobacco tins and other items.
“The Dunes Center is a place where people of all ages come together to learn and have fun,” said Doug Jenzen, executive director of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.
“Recently, we turned Guadalupe kids into published authors by publishing their stories, haikus and drawings about the things they’ve learned here at the center.”
Jenzen explained that 3,000 schoolchildren a year come through the center, which boasts 130 volunteers and “the ongoing generosity of ERG California,” the Santa Barbara Foundation, The Towbes Group and Santa Barbara County.
The sponsors and benefactors, he said, “have made it possible to excavate, build displays, do docent-led field trips and run educational and after-school programs.”
For dinner, try La Simpatia Café, at 827 Guadalupe St., for genuine Spanish food. It’s not fancy, but the food is great and it has the only full bar in town. Try the delicious Chile Verde. During the 2000 presidential election, eventual victor George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, ate there while campaigning in the county.
Whether you seek the beauty of the dunes, nature or the beach, history and culture, or just a slower pace with some great, authentic home cooking, make sure to visit Guadalupe.
Click here for more information about the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. Click here to make an online donation.
— Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys 2 the Coast, a free Central Coast travel resource providing honest recommendations on the best places that locals want to go. She also is a board member of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.