Santa Barbara on a budget with kids

Santa Barbara is where the Hollywood jet set goes for spa treatments, shopping sprees, and seafood dinners on the weekends. It’s where Oprah has a house. Rob Lowe too. It’s a luxuriously opulent town known for high-rollers with lots of money. But surprisingly this town that sits two hours north of Los Angeles and offers a year-round Mediterranean climate is also a place where families can enjoy a beach vacation on the cheap. Here are some ideas for where to stay, play, and eat based on my recent overnight stop here with my kids.

Stay: You can easily pay $500 a night to stay in one of the more luxurious hotels right on the beach. Or you can pay between $150 to $200 night to stay at the Best Western Beachside Inn that sits right across the street from the harbor. From here you can walk to the town’s commercial district, State Street.

Play: Kids will love Chase Palm Park with an antique carousel, grounds landscaped with native plants and ponds, and Shipwreck Playground with a boat and sea creatures to climb on. The only thing you'll have to pay for is the merry-go-round at $2 a ride. The best beach for kids is Leadbetter with clean, white sand and a palm-shaded grassy park. At the Ty Warner Sea Center right on the wharf ($5 kids, $8 adults), you'll find a big touch tank where kids can hold sea stars, hermit crabs, and sea cucumbers.

Eat: Where did Julia Child go for a taco? La Superica, where the tortillas are homemade (pictured left) and the guacamole made from avocados grown in the area’s orchards. Brophy Bros., right on the water, is known for its clam chowder and a bowl ($6.50) will fill you up at lunch. Kids can split an order of fish n chips. ($9.95).