- Santa Barbara is the perfect place for a spring vacation (Photo courtesy of preservationnation.org).
Spring is the perfect time to take a long weekend jaunt and I know just the place. Santa Barbara is a classic coastal California destination and like its grapes, it’s just ripe for the picking!
You don’t have to be particular about when you visit Santa Barbara as the weather is fantastic year-round. Couple that with its beautiful beaches, Spanish architecture, Santa Ynez Valley wineries, an urban wine trail, nightlife, and some great restaurants and hotels, and you have a vacation in the making!
Wine on Tap in Santa Barbara
When you ask, “what’s on tap” at Santa Barbara bars, you might be surprised to hear pinot noir and sauvignon blanc in the mix with the beer list. The hottest trend is the growing prevalence of wine on tap. The Wine Cask Bar-Café was the first establishment to go this route and remodeled its bar to accommodate wine kegs. They are more sustainable — think of all of the bottles and corks that are spared — and ultimately benefit the consumer by lowering the by-the-glass price point, ensuring freshness and speeding up service.
The Santa Barbara county wineries are located in the Santa Ynez Valley. If you’ve always wanted to do a wine tasting getaway, I think Santa Barbara is ideal because you can experience the wineries along with the beaches and culture of downtown. A word of caution: Plan ahead. Not all the wineries that you may want to visit are located close to each other. So allow for driving time and drive carefully.
Land of Health and Wellness
You will find a talented collection of local lifestyle gurus in Santa Barbara sharing with you “Sustainable, Outdoor, Momentous Adventures.” SOMAdventures gives you choices from paddle surfing to horseback riding and biking.
Download the Taste of Santa Barbara mobile app
Santa Barbara even has its own free mobile application focused on its culinary tourism. “Sip & Savor: A Taste of Santa Barbara” lets mobile users book restaurant reservations and locate gourmet food shops, as well as download directions to wineries and find foodie-friendly deals.
1. Bacara Resort and Spa – This five-star resort is located just outside Santa Barbara on a pristine stretch of beach. It offers a full service spa and golf course. Hotels.com rates from $289/night.
2. Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara – This beachfront hotel offers complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi. Hotels.com rates from $157/night.
3. Hotel Santa Barbara – Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. This hotel is perfectly situated for shopping and dining and is reasonably priced. Hotels.com rates from $159/night.
Let me know if you visit this area. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
If you have questions or comments for the author of the Travel Smart Blog, Nicole Hockin, please email: 
[...] For travelers looking for a west coast escape, the Best Western Carpenteria Inn offers a three-star experience for a bargain, with a savings of 15%. Room rates start at $70 per night. Here are a few of my tips for visiting Santa Barbara. [...]
I grew up in Santa Barbara and although I have relocated to the East Coast, I still always love going back there to visit friends and family. The wine, the beautiful mountains and ocean, the amazing hikes and great weather…Santa Barbara does sure seem to have it all. A little local secret on a great place to stay for travelers on a budget is the Sandman Inn (www.sandmaninn.com). It’s a bit cheaper than the Hotel Santa Babrara and Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara (definitely much cheaper than the Bacara ha!), but it offers a really quaint and relaxing experience and is located right on State Street. I always suggest it to my friends when they come and visit. Happy Traveling!
Santa Barbara is a great place to travel to in the Spring and Summer months especially. There are so many great outdoor things to do to enjoy this wonderful weather it is well worth the visit. If you’re a fan of biking, hiking, beach volleyball this is most definitely the place for you. I visit Santa Barbara often and I always take some time to enjoy the scenery and go on a nice long walk along the beach or take a hike up in the mountains. A great place to stay would be the Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com). Really affordable and in a great location, close to everything you want to see and explore in this beautiful town!
Thanks for the tip Carole! My husband and I stayed at The Sandman Inn last weekend and absolutely loved it. It was a great hotel for an awesome price. It’s hard to find a reasonable hotel that is still nice in Santa Barbara.
Love hearing everyone’s thoughts on Santa Barbara, but especially like seeing everyone helping out one another!
I love staying in Santa Barbara. It is so gorgeous and there is just so much to do there! Shopping and the restaurants are really good and the museums as well are exceptional. The beaches are gorgeous and it truly is sunny in January! I tend to travel there often and whenever I do I always stay at the South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com). It is a great place to stay if you want to escape the noise of downtown and get some much needed R&R. If you want to stay closer to downtown a great place would be the Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com). Really affordable and the location is the absolute best!
Great suggestions, Jackie. I always love hearing where my readers are staying and what they are doing when in Santa Barbara. It’s one of my favorite places to visit!
It’s surprising that all these followers have stayed at these two wonderful hotels in town! I have actually stayed in both the Sandman and The South Coast Inn and both were a great time! Very affordable and in excellent locations. Both offer different things to accommodate specific travelers. If you are looking to stick close to the downtown area and be in the thick of all the action I recommend the Sandman. If you want to escape the city life the South Coast is for you!
Santa Barbara is an awesome city and well worth a few visits! The weather is usually quite nice and the beaches are award winning as well. Take a hike, enjoy the outdoors and enjoy Santa Barbara! I have to agree with Jackie and everyone else who mentioned it; The Sandman Inn is an excellent hotel at a great price. Another awesome hotel is the South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com). So elegant and the perfect place to escape all of the city noise!
Wow! Fantastic blog and I can tell I am not the only one who feels this way! Santa Barbara is the place to be when the weather is right and the flowers are just in bloom. Everyones attitude is up and positivity is in the air as well. I cannot wait for my next trip there, this next summer I’ll be spending a whole lot of quality time there and I cannot wait! The South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com) has my name written all over it!