Have to travel to LA for work before Mem Day weekend. Thinking of having my husband join me in LA on Friday night, then we'd rent a car and drive to Ventura or Santa Barbara and stay three days. We've never been to either spot, although we have been to San Fran, Monterey, and Carmel. We'd like to spend three days eating good food, swimming if possible, walking around town, maybe doing a hike, hearing some live music. We'd like to spend about $100 per night on lodging. Seems like Ventura is less $$ than Santa Barbara, and we'll have a car so exploring both spots will be easy.

Will these places be overrun for Memorial Day? What are the best deals for lodging? No B&Bs if possible, nothing "cutesy." Any info is helpful. I did do a search and found a few recs, Busy Bee Diner, a good mexican spot, but not many hotel recs (esp in Ventura).

Thank you --

IMO, there is more to do in Santa Barbara than in Ventura. Tons of restaurants, shopping, sightseeing in walking distance of downtown. You might try The Hotel Santa Barbara on State st. It's a great location, although rooms that face the street will be loud. Ask for a room at the back. They will be close to your price range. If you really don't care about ambiance at all, I think there is a Motel 6 very close to the beach. It's very basic but a good location.

Hi West! Traffic going to/from Santa Barbara on Mem W/E will be very heavy during the get away & return hours.

Hustle on those reservations....

I travel to both cities at least 1-2 times a year and I have to agree with a previous post: there's more to do and see in SB. However, Ventura is a nice little beach town. It was a Main St. which has restaurants, lots of antique shops and the mission. There's also a Harbor area where there are restaurants and shops.
Ventura doesn't have a lot of hotels but there is a Holiday Inn on the Beach.

There's 2 motel 6s in SB: one on upper State St. and the other is on Corona Del Mar..I would say 1/2 block from the beach.

Thanks everyone!

When Dayle talks about the traffic you may not get the full idea of how bad it can be. Take heed of his/her warning. The Traffic will be bad.

Thanks for the extra warning, Susie. (And Dayle!)

In that case, is there a better bet for Memorial Day weekend, within driving distance of LA? (Even as I write I realize this is probably a lost cause!) We normally NEVER travel on Mem Day weekend but we need a getaway . . . if you have any suggestions I'd appreciate them.

Thanks again for the help.

TRAFFIC
i hit north l.a. on the friday of the memorial weekend at about 1:30 p.m. trying to get to san diego. it took me 5 1/2 hours to get through the city. it was HORRIBLE. once i got out of l.a. it wasn't bad. unless you can leave early friday morning, i'd consider either staying put or head south instead of north.

xxx, you suggest going south instead of north . . . how about Palm Springs? Would that be better/worse/same as Santa Barbara?

Palm Springs is east, not south, of LA. My guess is that east will be the worst traffic of all as people will go east to catch the 15 to Las Vegas. South of LA choices are Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and San Diego. I don't think going south will be better than going north. It's just bad on a Friday before a long weekend, but once you get to Santa Barbara, you'll really enjoy the rest of the weekend. Coming back Sunday night, or Monday morning, rather than Monday afternoon, will save you a lot of grief on the return trip to the airport.

Traffic in most of So Cal will be bad Memorial Day weekend. It's just the nature of the area. But if you know to plan for that in advance and schedule it into your time frame, then it should'nt be a problem.

I agree with others that Santa Barbara would be your best bet for a short getaway. Lots to do, see, and plenty of great restaurants. But I also agree with Dayle that you should make your reservations as soon as possible because that is such a busy time. Try Hot Spots (http://www.hotspotsusa.com/) for a list of hotels, their rates & availability.

Hi West! Traffic is why I no longer live in southern California. Got tired of planning my life around the freeways.

If you actually want to avoid the traffic, stay IN southern California. Half the population is gone & traffic on Mem w/e is light. There are tons of fun & interesting things to do around LA/OC.

If you can get out or back prior to the rush traffic, great. SB is really nice. I especially love the Santa Ynez Valley, where Solvang is. Not Solvang itself (except for pastries), but for the wine country surrounding. There are many award winning wineries between SB & just east of Solvang.

My favorite place to stay is east of Solvang, in the microscopic town of Ballard. Ballard has a stop sign, that's it. The Ballard Inn is smack in the middle of wineries, completely rural and nearby the charming little town of Los Olivos. At this point, I doubt they will be avail for Mem w/e.

There is also a small high end hotel in Los Olivos owned by Fess Parker. He has a winery in the area, but it's not the best.....my two favorites are Foley Vineyards and Richard Longoria - tasting room in Los Olivos. Sanford is also quite good, it's west of Solvang.

Anyway, have a great time where ever you end up!

Thanks again to everyone who replied with such good info. I will definitely get on the ball and see if I can still find accomodations in SB.

Dayle, I live in Seattle, so I am also frustrated by traffic on a daily basis! When I'm stuck in traffic on my way home every day, I think about new places to call home!

Happy Mem Day in advance, everybody!