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You guys are awesome, thanks for the suggestions so far, and keep them coming!
Pbergen and Mike, in Santa Barbara in mid-November, do you think the weather is warm enough for me to SIT on the beach? I don't really care about water temperatures, I don't really need to frolic in the ocean all by myself, LOL - that'd be better with friends or a lady friend. But I would enjoy sitting on the beach and getting a tan -- I googled the average November temperatures in Santa Barbara, and it looks to be about 70 degrees. Do people sit on the beach there in November? Or will I look silly doing so?
The concept of flying into LAX and renting a car and driving to Santa Barbara is interesting. Question - would I be able to find a cheaper flight to LAX since it is a much busier airport than Santa Barbara, or is it negligible?
I'd like a balance of relaxation and dining/nightlife. I'm more of a pub guy than a club guy. I'm turned off by touristy things (like tropical resorts ... although I guess they do serve a purpose). I'm turned on by authenticity, great architecture, history, culture -- stuff like that. A walkable area is a must for me.
FYI, I can do 5 days if need be -- I can make Wednesday and Sunday the main travel days.
70 degrees is about right, but the beach is windy, especially in Santa Barbara, so it will most likely feel about 5 degrees chillier. If the temps hit the mid-70's you're fine, but if it's in the high 60's you'll feel cold.
L.A.'s beaches will be warmer, and San Diego's will definitely be warmer to sit on. Also, L.A. and San Diego's beaches will be more "typical" beaches, wide open and sandy. A lot of the beach in SB is rocky and/or narrow. SB is beautiful because it's kind of mountainous yet on the beach.
I would strongly suggest you fly to LAX - flights will be cheaper and direct. I'm sure flying to SB will require a connecting flight and will cost more. The drive up to SB is short and nice. I would also suggest you consider staying in SB one night; I found SB to be more the kind of place I'd go with a female companion, because it's a "cute" seaside town. I think L.A. is more exciting for a single guy. In any case, you can judge for yourself. You may find that when you get to L.A., as you head out from LAX to drive up to SB, you will want to come back to check it out.
I think you'd get more out of driving down to San Diego for a couple days and a night, then driving up to San Juan Capistrano to check out the mission on your way to L.A., but SB will be good also if you choose that.
Good luck!
EDIT: I just checked pricing of airfare, using the dates of Nov. 12-15 for a sample of the flights and fares available:
JFK to Santa Barbara:
$260 on either Delta or Northwest - Must connect in Salt Lake City, adds at least 2.5 to 5 hours to travel time.
EWR to LAX:
$230 on Continental, DIRECT flight, just over 6 hours
It's a no-brainer; Newark is the better airport, Continental is the best airline choice, the fare is lower, and travel time is considerably lower (not to mention that much more can go wrong with connecting flights, particularly in a cold, snowy Salt Lake City in November).
Fly direct to LAX on Continental and save time, hassle, and money.
Last edited by BergenCountyJohnny; 10-22-2009 at 10:49 AM..
Reason: Updated w/ airfare info
The temperature there, on the beach, doesn't really vary much. You can choose June, May, etc, it seems to stay between 70 to 80 degrees, just about every day. A better climate really can't be found in this country.
Do you think people sit on the beach there in November?
Oh who cares if they think you're a nut. You know you're sane, right?
(p.s. - I go swimming in the pool in January/February, when it's "cold" to most Floridians [granted, I wasn't born here, but nonetheless]. I don't care if people think I'm nuts )
70 degrees is about right, but the beach is windy, especially in Santa Barbara, so it will most likely feel about 5 degrees chillier. If the temps hit the mid-70's you're fine, but if it's in the high 60's you'll feel cold.
L.A.'s beaches will be warmer, and San Diego's will definitely be warmer to sit on. Also, L.A. and San Diego's beaches will be more "typical" beaches, wide open and sandy. A lot of the beach in SB is rocky and/or narrow. SB is beautiful because it's kind of mountainous yet on the beach.
I would strongly suggest you fly to LAX - flights will be cheaper and direct. I'm sure flying to SB will require a connecting flight and will cost more. The drive up to SB is short and nice. I would also suggest you consider staying in SB one night; I found SB to be more the kind of place I'd go with a female companion, because it's a "cute" seaside town. I think L.A. is more exciting for a single guy. In any case, you can judge for yourself. You may find that when you get to L.A., as you head out from LAX to drive up to SB, you will want to come back to check it out.
I think you'd get more out of driving down to San Diego for a couple days and a night, then driving up to San Juan Capistrano to check out the mission on your way to L.A., but SB will be good also if you choose that.
Good luck!
EDIT: I just checked pricing of airfare, using the dates of Nov. 12-15 for a sample of the flights and fares available:
JFK to Santa Barbara:
$260 on either Delta or Northwest - Must connect in Salt Lake City, adds at least 2.5 to 5 hours to travel time.
EWR to LAX:
$230 on Continental, DIRECT flight, just over 6 hours
It's a no-brainer; Newark is the better airport, Continental is the best airline choice, the fare is lower, and travel time is considerably lower (not to mention that much more can go wrong with connecting flights, particularly in a cold, snowy Salt Lake City in November).
Fly direct to LAX on Continental and save time, hassle, and money.
70 degrees is about right, but the beach is windy, especially in Santa Barbara, so it will most likely feel about 5 degrees chillier. If the temps hit the mid-70's you're fine, but if it's in the high 60's you'll feel cold.
L.A.'s beaches will be warmer, and San Diego's will definitely be warmer to sit on. Also, L.A. and San Diego's beaches will be more "typical" beaches, wide open and sandy. A lot of the beach in SB is rocky and/or narrow. SB is beautiful because it's kind of mountainous yet on the beach.
I would strongly suggest you fly to LAX - flights will be cheaper and direct. I'm sure flying to SB will require a connecting flight and will cost more. The drive up to SB is short and nice. I would also suggest you consider staying in SB one night; I found SB to be more the kind of place I'd go with a female companion, because it's a "cute" seaside town. I think L.A. is more exciting for a single guy. In any case, you can judge for yourself. You may find that when you get to L.A., as you head out from LAX to drive up to SB, you will want to come back to check it out.
I think you'd get more out of driving down to San Diego for a couple days and a night, then driving up to San Juan Capistrano to check out the mission on your way to L.A., but SB will be good also if you choose that.
Good luck!
EDIT: I just checked pricing of airfare, using the dates of Nov. 12-15 for a sample of the flights and fares available:
JFK to Santa Barbara:
$260 on either Delta or Northwest - Must connect in Salt Lake City, adds at least 2.5 to 5 hours to travel time.
EWR to LAX:
$230 on Continental, DIRECT flight, just over 6 hours
It's a no-brainer; Newark is the better airport, Continental is the best airline choice, the fare is lower, and travel time is considerably lower (not to mention that much more can go wrong with connecting flights, particularly in a cold, snowy Salt Lake City in November).
Fly direct to LAX on Continental and save time, hassle, and money.
Agreed. If I'm flying to/out of EWR, I use Continental (EWR being their major hub). Saves me quite a bit of money that way.
Pbergen and Mike, in Santa Barbara in mid-November, do you think the weather is warm enough for me to SIT on the beach? I don't really care about water temperatures, I don't really need to frolic in the ocean all by myself, LOL - that'd be better with friends or a lady friend. But I would enjoy sitting on the beach and getting a tan -- I googled the average November temperatures in Santa Barbara, and it looks to be about 70 degrees. Do people sit on the beach there in November? Or will I look silly doing so?
i think you should be fine lounging around on the beach in mid-november. the thing about november in coastal southern california is that the high temp can range from about 66 or so up to the low 80s. sometimes there's a freak heat wave that can bring temps up to the high 80s/low 90s, even in the winter, but the most likely high temp will be about 70-74 and sunny with low humidity.
another thing to note is that while some of the beaches are rocky, others are more smooth and sandy. the great thing about SB is that there is no shortage of beaches, so if you don't like the one near your hotel, you can always drive a few miles in either direction.
here are some good links which provide some photos and more specific info about the beaches in the santa barbara area (note that some of these spots are up to 15 miles away from SB proper):
and here is a great ny times article about taco shacks along the california coast between los angeles and san francisco. the two santa barbara taquerias mentioned, la super rica and lilly's, are both excellent and highly recommended:
you can't get mexican food like this on the east coast, so you should definitely check out these places if you end up making this trip.
Quote:
The concept of flying into LAX and renting a car and driving to Santa Barbara is interesting. Question - would I be able to find a cheaper flight to LAX since it is a much busier airport than Santa Barbara, or is it negligible?
flights into LAX tend to be cheaper because it's such a major airline hub, but i've also seen some very reasonably priced direct flights into santa barbara from time to time. you just need to check the prices every day and pounce whenever a good deal strikes. and btw, the fares bcjohnny quoted in his most recent post are accurate - you can definitely fly round-trip into LAX for under $300.
try using the site airfarewatchdog.com to find the best deals. you can plug in the destination city and your email address, and then the site alerts you to the cheapest flights of the past few days to give you an idea of current fares.
i think you should be able to find a flight in the mid-$200 range as long as you look at the flights on a daily basis.
and the drive up the coast from LA to SB along the pacific coast highway is really beautiful - there are mountains (topped with palatial mansions) on your right and the beach and ocean on your left. it really makes you feel like you're in the romanticized 1960s-era california that the mamas and the papas sang about in "california dreamin'".
so flying into LAX gives you a chance to squeeze in two relatively quick road trips (to and from LA) without committing to an entirely driving-filled vacation.
Quote:
I'd like a balance of relaxation and dining/nightlife. I'm more of a pub guy than a club guy. I'm turned off by touristy things (like tropical resorts ... although I guess they do serve a purpose). I'm turned on by authenticity, great architecture, history, culture -- stuff like that. A walkable area is a must for me.
FYI, I can do 5 days if need be -- I can make Wednesday and Sunday the main travel days.
SB is definitely super relaxed. it has a walkable town center with plenty of restaurants and some basic bars and cafes due to being a college town. lots of older retirees, too. and you'll find beautiful spanish architecture (e.g. mission santa barbara), plus some gorgeous mansions on top of the mountains above the city center and to the east in the neighboring community of montecito.
the only question is whether you'll be bored after a couple of days, as SB is more of a town rather than a true city; i guess it really depends on your personality. you could always cut the SB trip short if you get restless and then hang out in LA for the remainder of your trip. or you could stay out of LA altogether and instead explore the rest of the coast going up toward lompoc/santa maria/pismo beach/san luis obispo/montana de oro state park/morro bay. the coast has so many incredibly beautiful spots with tons of photography and recreational opportunities.
personally, i think SB is perfect for a 2 day weekend, but i'd probably get slightly bored after that and want to move on. but that's just me - i tend to favor more active, itinerary-filled getaways. if i were in your situation, i'd hang out in SB for 2-3 days and then spend 1-2 days in LA for a more lively scene, but you may love SB and its surroundings so much that you don't want to leave.
if you want to hedge your bets, my suggestion is to book your hotel in SB for a couple of nights and then play it by ear, with the option of staying in SB for the remainder of the trip or heading down to LA, where you can stay at a seaside motel in malibu, santa monica, venice beach, manhattan beach, or hermosa beach.
the advantage of the seaside LA communities is that they offer a small town feel with big city amenities. other than malibu, all of the areas mentioned are walkable and are filled with with cafes, restaurants, and pedestrian/bicyclist activity. so instead of dealing with the entire sprawling megalopolis, you can limit yourself to a single, compact oceanside community where you can walk/bike around, grab your morning coffee with the locals, and just sit on the beach all day.
They are! I was shocked. I'm tempted to take a flight out just for a quick trip to visit relatives and to boost my frequent flier miles.
No $*&t! That's incredible. If I am Tommy, I am moving on those tickets. Oil's up to 82 bucks a barrel, and plane prices are volatile based on what trading price is for. Those fares are only going northward in the coming days. For only 20 bucks more to SB, that covers the price of fuel in the rental car from LAX, however, that drive, as you and PBergen know, is one that really should never be missed. Everyone owes it to themself to ride the PCH at least once in their lives.
No $*&t! That's incredible. If I am Tommy, I am moving on those tickets. Oil's up to 82 bucks a barrel, and plane prices are volatile based on what trading price is for. Those fares are only going northward in the coming days. For only 20 bucks more to SB, that covers the price of fuel in the rental car from LAX, however, that drive, as you and PBergen know, is one that really should never be missed. Everyone owes it to themself to ride the PCH at least once in their lives.
You're right about the drive being a nice one, but it's not the only factor tipping the scales in favor of flying into LAX...
That $20 more also forces a flight out of JFK instead of EWR, and on a worse airline (either Delta, the worst, or Northwest) than Continental (the best major airline), AND it requires an additional 2.5 hours of travel time, including a connection in snowy Salt Lake City. Depending on the flight tommyc chooses, it might be an 11-hour flight total!!!
I say pocket the $20 and put it towards gas, get there comfortably and easily, drive up to SB, and spend some time in Los Angeles while there.
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