Best Western Encinita Lodge
Hotel Class: 
3 Stars - 131 Opinions
2220 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States
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84%
of people enjoy staying here
131 Opinions
- Excellent
- 21
- Very Good
- 43
- Average
- 20
- Poor
- 11
- Terrible
- 5
More about Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara mall
Maritime Museum
some impressive work with chalk
Spanish-Moorish influence
Forum Posts
24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by nkhong
I am planning to drive to Santa Barbara for an overnight trip. I know there are many wineries to visit, but can anyone recommend anything else to do there? Are there any 'must do' or 'must see' things? Planning to go after New Years. Any special festivals?
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by ranger49
More than enough for 24 hours. Visit the Old Mission, the City Hall, The Botanical Gardens, walk along the Waterfront and Stearns Wharf and the Historic "Red Route".
But first go to the very helpful Visitor Centre opposite East Beach; pick up a local map - particulaly one marked with the historic tour and buildings of interest.
The Amtrak Station at the harbour end of State Street is worth a look and there is a rather famous spectacular tree just behind the station.
you can use the MYD Shuttle to travel up and or down State St with a transit point for the Waterfront Shuttle ( about $1 if I remember correctly).
Have fun in Santa Barbara
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by ranger49
Sorry that dhould be the MTD Shuttle - and I forgot to mention County Courthouse, rebuilt after the 1925 earthquake in flamboyant Moorish - Spanish style.
The decoration is sumptious and views of the city the sea and surrounding countrysidefrom the top of the tower, El Mirador, are wonderful. A small lift with strict control of the numbers that can be carried in one ascent will take you to the viewing platform.
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by travelgourmet
Well, coming from a local, I have VT pages on Santa Barbara if you are interested in my take. See my pages for tips: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/b8758/
As for the festivals in town see their website: http://www.santabarbara.com/events/annual_events_list.asp
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by nkhong
Thanks for that! Will definitely look those places up! Are there any good wineries that you would recommend? Looks like it could be 48 hrs in Santa Barbara as long as I can book at hotel!
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by travelgourmet
There is a Winery that has a tasting room right in town. Appropriately called the Santa Barbara Winery. The wines are very nice and the staff are friendly. You even get to keep your tasting wine glass. See their website for directions and open times. :-)
Website: http://www.sbwinery.com/
Re: 24 Hours in Santa Barbara
by travelgourmet
Now, if you want to see an actual winery with the vineyard on the property then you could drive about a half hour away up to Solvang and Los Olivos. I have Vt pages on Los Olivos: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/b80b6/
Solvang is a Danish Community that looks like you are in Denmark. They now have about 12 wine tasting rooms in town and a few wineries on the road as you drive the 10 minutes further to Los Olivos. See my VT pages for Solvang: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/b8884/
Travel Tips for Santa Barbara
great chunks of coastal scenery
by richiecdisc
Having Ernst show us around was the best part of town. Not only did he show us things we would not have seen otherwise, it was more fun doing it with him. Thanks, Ernst. Walking around Santa Barbara with Ernst, it was easy for us to see why he would want to live there. Southern California may take its share of flak for being home to a lot of shallow plastic people but the reality is there are a lot of people here period. They're here for a reason: it's one hell of a beautiful place with just about every terrain you could want and a climate anyone could live with. So, he fell in love with it like many Easterners do when visiting and after going to school right in town, wound up settling here.
He was enjoying showing us his slice of paradise and we could finally let the wind out of our sails a bit. We could really relax. After over two months on the road from our native South Florida, most of it camping through the deserts of the Southwest, being in such a pleasant town and staying at someone's home rather than a tent or motel, we could breathe again like it was everyday life. It felt good just hanging out and not having an agenda. We had no preconceptions and just went where Ernst brought us.
Great chunks of coastal scenery unfolded before us, a precipice of things to come. Spanish colonial architecture caught us perhaps even more off guard. Walking was our mode of travel. Slow, just like the time that was now passing with no particular place to go, to see, to do. (concluded below in Fondest Memory)
Beautiful views of the area
by meteorologist1
Since the Santa Barbara County Courthouse is one of the taller structures in Santa Barbara, from here you can get a pretty nice view of the area. If you know this area, you know what I'm talking about. There's water, there's mountain, there's hills, there's trees, and there's the city. I think this is one of the more beautiful cities in California.
SPANISH-MEDITERRANEAN STYLE TRAIN STATION
by travelgourmet
Arriving by train to Santa Barbara starts out by seeing the simplistic beauty in the Spanish-Mediterranean style of architecture in the train station that so typifies the Santa Barbara region. Located at 209 State Street with a parking lot.
Sea Bird + Junk Food
by vigi
Walk towards the pier, we had a coffee there. I am suprised to see many big sea birds here, instead of catching fishes in the sea, they seems addicted for leaft over junk food on tables. Well... actually, not really leftover, but people feeding them with junk food. Not sure if this is healthy for the animals, but sure that they are happy.
Well,
It is pretty easy. We...
by OceanMan
Well,
It is pretty easy. We are a very laid back kinda people. We have a big influx of students but they don't really count as locals..:) So if someone is acting like an ass and is young. You can put 2 and 2 together.
Nothing really starts downtown till after 9:00PM.
Local police are helpful & curtious. Pretty much act the way you wanna be treated. As it is in most places.:) Kick back Bro and toss some back.
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Best Western Encinita Lodge
We've found that other people looking for this hotel also know it by these names:
- Best Western Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Best Western
- Best Western Encina Hotel
Address: 2220 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, California, 93105, United States
