Local Area Guide For Santa Barbara Vacation Rental Guests – Insider Santa Barbara Travel Tips

Now that you’ve decided to enjoy Santa Barbara, what’s next? How do you plan to spend your time here? Where can you mix and mingle with the locals? What you need is a native to give you the kind of useful insider tips only local knowledge can give.Whether you are interested in dining, seafood, shopping, art, ocean, hiking, antiquing, wineries or farmers markets, we’ve got you covered. And to get your custom-tailored vacation tips, contact your vacation concierge.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #1 – Sunday Treat: Every Sunday afternoon Cold Springs Tavern, a tucked away restaurant/bar on the way to wine country, features live music, a colorful assortment of characters and the best tri-tip sandwiches in town. Take Hwy. 101 to Hwy. 154, drive up the mountain to the top, then one mile down the valley side turn toward Stagecoach Road. Then take a direct onto Stagecoach Road and go down the canyon for about 1.5 miles to the Tavern.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #2 – Beautiful Beach Combing: Butterfly Beach in Montecito is one of the prettiest beaches in town. Take the Olive Mill exit from Hwy. 101 and take Olive Mill west toward the ocean, Olive Mill becomes Channel Drive. After you pass the Four Seasons Resort on your right, begin looking for parking.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #3 – Enjoy a Seafood Feast: If you want to create a seafood feast at your vacation rental home, go to Kanaloa Seafood for the freshest, highest quality fish available. From Hwy. 101 take the Garden exit up to Haley, take a right on Haley, another right on Quarantina, and another right on Gutierrez. Kanaloa is located at 618 E. Gutierrez, on your left hand side.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #4 – The Happiest Happy Hour in Santa Barbara: The Boathouse restaurant on Hendry’s Beach offers a great happy hour. Watch the surfers and the sunset while you wash down your pulled pork sliders with a cold beverage. Take the Las Positas exit and head towards the ocean, continue straight until you hit the T in the road, and take a right at Cliff Drive and pull into the parking lot on your left.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #5 – A Hike Everyone Will Like: If you’re in the mood for some outdoor activity, Seven Falls hiking trail offers amazing views and swimming pools. Drive past the Mission towards Foothill Rd., take a right on Foothill and a left on Mission Cyn. Rd. Take a left on Tunnel Rd. and drive all the way up. Follow the trail signs from the trailhead and don’t forget to bring your water and good walking shoes.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #6 – Set Your Sail for Adventure: Take a cruise aboard the Double Dolphin catamaran or Sunset Kidd sailboat. You might spot whales and you will likely see dolphins, but the beautiful coastline views are guaranteed.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #7 – Enjoy the Santa Barbara Wharf Experience: Stearn’s Wharf is a quintessential Santa Barbara experience. Take a walk down the pier and head to the Shellfish Company. With indoor and outdoor seating, nearby fishermen and the smell of the sea, this historic locale is the perfect setting for your lobster taco meal.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #8 – Meet Local Artists: The Cabrillo Beach Show is a weekly arts & crafts show that runs along East Beach every Sunday. Enjoy a colorful, leisurely stroll and pick up some quirky local art.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #9 – Go Gallery Hopping: The first Thursday of every month all the local galleries open their doors to the public, often featuring music, snacks or drinks.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #10 – Discover New Antiques: Summerland is a quaint, seaside town just south of Santa Barbara that has a variety of antique shops. The Summerland Antique Collective across from the freeway onramp is our favorite. 2192 Ortega Hill Rd., Summerland, CA 93067 Open every day 10-5. Phone: 805-565-3189. Then head to the Nugget afterward for lunch or dinner.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #11 – Wine and Dine Your Way through Santa Barbara: Carr Winery http://www.carrwinery.com/, located at 414 N. Salsipuedes St. in Santa Barbara, opens their doors every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 5 pm to midnight, offering wine tasting and live music. The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail includes a variety of other wineries, all within biking distance of each other. If you fall in love with a specific winery, be sure to join their wine club. You will then be eligible for greater access to savings as well as receiving select varietals before they are released to the public. If you can’t wait to open up your new favorite wine, purchase a couple bottles at the tasting room and bring them back to your Santa Barbara vacation rental.Local Area Guide for Vacation Rental Guests: Insider Travel Tip #12 – Taste Mouthwatering Treats at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market: Santa Barbara’s Local Farmers Market is a great place to stock up on produce, artisan cheeses, flowers and much more to enjoy in your Santa Barbara vacation rental. The Tuesday afternoon market takes place on State St. between Ortega and Gutierrez, and the Saturday morning market takes place in a large parking lot on Santa Barbara St., between Ortega and Cota.The real benefit of a rental Santa Barbara vacation home is not just the great price (although it provides tremendous value to guests, often half the cost of a luxury hotel), but a vacation rental concierge or someone with local knowledge who can help you every step along the way, offering supportive assistance and invaluable information about all that our fine region has to offer. These tips are just a starting point to planning the perfect Santa Barbara vacation custom tailored just for you.