Located just up the road from its nearest big city, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is an ocean-side nirvana, where days rarely heat up past "comfortable in shirtsleeves" or cool down past "grab a jacket, just in case." And though there can be a few anomalous days--especially the quirky weather in June, when foggy mornings linger a bit--weather is mostly well, perfect.
What to pack
If you're hanging out near the beach, you
may be surprised to find out the ocean can be downright chilly
most of the year. Though it warms in the summer, beachside can
still be breezy. Year-round, you'll do best to start out with
a few layers, a short sleeve shirt with a light jacket just to
ward off the morning chill. Shorts are usually fine, but Santa
Barbara tends to be a fairly upscale town, so if you want to
fit in with the locals, forgo the tourist Bermudas and opt instead
for lighter linen pants, jeans or khakis, especially if you're
going wine tasting. You'll feel more at home.
Despite its reputation for being the playground of the rich and famous (and trust us, you'll likely see a star or two), casual wear is the name of the game. There's almost never a need for a sportcoat or tie, unless you're planning to be at some very elegant events. Women may want to bring some interesting scarves to accessorize (and double as a wrap on cooler nights).
Dining Style
Santa Barbara, as we mentioned, is every bit California casual,
but because of its proximity to trendy LA and the number of
wealthy folks living in the area, you may want to dress up
for dinner just a bit. Though even the most sophisticated restaurants
usually welcome diners dressed in pretty much anything appropriate
for a casual office environment: slacks and a sweater, a comfortable
skirt, pants, you'll want to avoid jeans or shorts--or be labeled
a tourist.
The People You'll Meet
Santa Barbara itself has many second homes of wealthy celebrities,
politicians and the otherwise well-heeled (and those who want
to be near them). You'll find plenty of upscale shops and restaurants
that cater to these folks. However, the areas just outside
the town of Santa Barbara tend to be much more laid back and
quickly veer toward rural. There is also a significant Latino
population, which contributes to a multicultural feel and plenty
of excellent taquerias to try out.
Typical temperatures
Throughout the summer, expect highs to be in the 70's and 80s
and lows to dip into the 50s, at their lowest. As the weather
warms, along with the ocean, the evenings will stay a bit balmier.
My wife's favorite travel destination is Santa Barbara...we love to go there for an escape from the busy city life and take a romantic vacation for us. We are big foodies and winos, and Santa Barbara can get pretty pricey when you factor in hotel prices, so we like to save on our hotel so we can splurge on treats for us. In our years of experience we have found a few favorite destinations. For Italian, Chase's on State Street or Palazzio is a must, and for a casual Mexican dinner with margaritas, Sandbar is a fun local spot that can get pretty crazy at night. As far as hotels, we used to stay closer to the pier (there are some cheap inns in that area), but that got a bit too touristy after awhile, so now our go-to destination is The Sandman Inn on upper State. Enjoy your vacation folks, it's a great city!