Santa Barbara: America’s Riviera

Having just returned, I can attest to that! As a destination, Santa Barbara was the perfect choice for a client’s recent incentive award trip.  When planning for an elite group of top producers and their guests the challenge is to find the right combination of location, accommodation and customized activities.  These participants rated Santa Barbara as one of the best destinations ever!  It has everything: beautiful beaches, art, culture, great golf, restaurants, unique shopping and fabulous history.

The moderate temperature makes it possible to enjoy outdoor activities year round. One can spend a day in the Santa Yenz Valley visiting the vineyards and award-winning wineries or take a walk along the Urban Wine Trail in downtown Santa Barbara to try the products of more than 10 wineries.

We enjoyed an afternoon at Kunin Wines with Seth Kunin and Market Forays’ Chef, Laurence Hauben, learning how to pair wine with food and how to “live Locavore”, the practice of buying locally grown and raised ingredients to prepare simple, in season meals.  Santa Barbara is the home to many well-known chefs so the dining is exquisite with a focus on creative menus using fresh ingredients.

Accommodation at the luxurious Four Seasons Biltmore was the perfect choice for this group, but Santa Barbara has many hotels and resorts from which to choose.  The new airport will be finished next year and while the existing 1930 style is charming, the modern terminal will make travel into the area much more efficient.

Santa Barbara is an all-around winner of a destination!