Ask Amy: Santa Barbara getaway

Ask Amy: Santa Barbara getaway Read Post

Ask Amy

Ask Amy: Santa Barbara getaway

Question: Hi Amy, My husband and I along with another couple are going to Santa Barbara this weekend. We are traveling by train for the 1st time and this is our 1st trip to Santa Barbara.

Because we'll only be their from Sunday morning til Monday evening, we want to get the most out of our stay. We are staying at the Best Western Beachside Inn and we definitely want to go wine tasting, which we've never done before either. We don't want to waste a lot of time looking for things to do. Can you help me?

We were thinking about doing a wine tasting tour when we check into the hotel on Sunday around noon. Then seeing some sites or going on an adventure. Then Monday we can enjoy the beach across from the hotel before we leave that evening. Can you help us? Thanks!

Answer: You're going to have a wonderful weekend! The Amtrak train rolls right into downtown Santa Barbara and you can walk from the station to your hotel.

Santa Barbara and the nearby San Ynez Valley are known for their wineries: visit sbcountywines.com. Since you'll be without a car, you'll probably want to go on an organized tour. Santa Barbara Backroads offers a four-hour open air Hummer tour of the San Ynez Valley with three winery stops. The tour leaves at 1:30 p.m. at the Wharf, that's within walking distance of your hotel. For more info.

The tour drops you back off at the Wharf at 5:30 p.m. Time for dinner! Right downtown, within walking distance of your hotel, you'll find Brophy Bros., known for its ocean views, clam chowder, and grilled fish.

The next morning, the beach right outside your hotel is your best bet. Enjoy!

Ask Amy a travel question: Email onthegowithamy@gmail.com.

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Santa Barbara on a budget with kids

Santa Barbara on a budget with kids Read Post

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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).

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