We spent 48 hours in Santa Barbara on a complete whim, and it turned out to be one of my favorite impromptu vacations. But why did we end up in the charming city? The reason might surprise you!
It was the end of November, and I was checking our Delta MQD status. We live near Salt Lake City, which is a major Delta Hub, and our preferred Airline to fly. With ambitious travel plans for 2025, I wanted to see if a “mileage run” could push us into the next status tier, unlocking more benefits for the next year.
What started as a “milage run” turned into a “mileage trip” and I found myself planning a weekend getaway instead. Oops! The fun part? We were set to leave just over a week after I booked the trip. Keeping our 2024 theme of last-minute travel going strong and putting my planning skills back into full gear.
Quick side note: This isn’t an ad for Delta or a push to chase airline status. For us, it made sense because of how much we fly and our location in SLC. Okay, back to the trip and deciding on a destination!
Deciding Where to Go
Our goal with booking this last minute trip – keep it simple and uncomplicated. For us that meant:
- Dan only had to take minimal time off from work.
- An affordable option that didn’t break the bank on expensive activities or car rentals – but still allowed us to earn the Delta MQDs we needed.
- A relaxed destination where we could take things at our own pace (a.k.a not feel like we had to be on the go the whole time).
I used Google Flight’s Search & Explore functions to see what options we had for affordable flight prices. California had a few options and after some initial research, Santa Barbara fit the bill perfectly.
It was affordable, practical, and a new destination for us to explore. Once the location was set, I focused on figuring out key details to get the trip planned and booked. Here’s what I did I did to make sure this trip aligned with goals we set.
P.S. No worries if Delta MQDs aren’t your thing! I’ve got plenty of ideas in here that’ll help you plan a great trip, no matter what airline or rewards program you use – or even if you skip them altogether!
Take a shortcut
To start, I took a little bit of an easy way out, booking our flights and hotel through Delta Vacations. Although it was a shortcut, it was intentional. That’s because it was the best way to maximize our MQD spend to earn the next status tier.
It also meant we had a narrower selection of flights and hotels to choose from. But this also simplified the planning process. Sometimes, I appreciate this way of planning – it means less research and fewer decisions to make.
I’m normally not a fan of bundling booking elements. It can mean less flexibility and a bit of smoke and mirrors, in my opinion. However, with limited time to reach our MQD goal, this was a necessary option.
And while I’m not super keen to book vacation packages, there are times where it makes sense. If I am going down the bundling path I typically spend time researching the costs on their own, along with the cancellation policies to understand if it really is the right fit and value for us.
Scope out the area
Before deciding on a hotel, I spend time looking at Google Maps to get a lay of the land. I find this to be a really helpful practice to help familiarize myself with the location. I pick out a few things in the area to understand distance and proximity to one another.
I’ll choose a hotel, a restaurant, and something to do. Then I review the walking and driving directions and distance to get between them. I keep doing this a few more times with other places around the city until I feel I have a comfortable understanding.
All in all, this typically takes me about 10 minutes – and it’s time well spent. It quickly puts things into perspective and sets me up for success as I get to planning other parts of our trip.
As I wrapped up my scoping, it became obvious that we didn’t have to rent a car to get around. While there were things we could have driven to, we didn’t feel it was an absolute necessity to spend the money or the hassle renting a vehicle knowing it would be a quick trip.
Reviewing distances between things to do in Santa Barbara using Google Maps
Choose where to stay
With booking a Delta Vacation package – the hotel options were more limited than how I would have originally started my search. And honestly, sometimes this just makes planning easier. Choosing a hotel can be one of those things that gives me major decision fatigue. I usually like to have the freedom to choose, but I also appreciate opportunities to make the simplify the planning process.
From the options that we had, I was able to throw a few out just based on the cost alone. To continue to narrow it down, I looked at each on the map to understand walking proximity to restaurants and things to do. Being close to the beach gave extra bonus points to the location!
Lastly, I read reviews of my top two selections to see what other guests had to say about their stay. I focus on feedback about cleanliness, comfort, and noise levels. This task can cause me to to go down a rabbit hole, quickly. To prevent the hole from getting too deep, I limit how much time I spend reading and have learned how to weigh information that seems overly nit picky. Ultimately I make this part of my routine because where you stay can really impact how your trip goes. It’s helpful to get insight the hotel might not be offering up. Things like nearby construction or how stiff the mattress was.
Figure out what to do
Santa Barbara is one of those places I’ve heard of – but really knew nothing about. So I had a blank slate in terms of knowing what to do for our trip. Sometimes a blank slate can be exciting, sometimes it can be overwhelming. To help keep my emotions more on the side of excitement, I focused on two things.
One – we had limited time, and it wasn’t realistic to see everything. Plus, with not renting a car, our options became more limited, in a good way! Keeping our options to places that were within walking distance or a reasonable Uber ride.
And two – this would be an easy location for us to visit again if we really liked it. Now, this might not always be the case and I think it’s worth mentioning. I think it’s an important consideration when planning your trip to help minimize the overwhelm that can creep in.
No matter the trip, my go-to spot for learning about a new destination is the search bar on Pinterest. The visual search engine nails it when it comes to serving up relevant and easily digestible content. It typically covers 80-90% of my research needs with blog posts, travel guides, and itineraries linked to each pin. I usually stick to four main searches, swapping out the destination name for where we’re headed:
- Best areas to stay in [destination].
- Where to eat in [destination].
- What to do in [destination].
- How to spend [xx] days/weeks in [destination].
Put together a List
For each destination, I create a new note in my phone. As I’m reading blog posts or reviewing itinerary ideas, I list things out into different categories: coffee spots, places to eat, and activities to do. Sometimes making subcategories if needed, like beaches, tours, etc..
I also like to add any other details that might be helpful. If there are relevant closure days or limited hours. If booking tickets online or making reservations ahead of time are required or just strongly encouraged.
I’ll put more things in each category than we’ll have time for or actually do. Having this vetted and organized list makes the trip so much easier for us. We spend less time spinning on what to do and spend more time exploring. Having the virtual note makes it handy to be able to reference on our on our trip. Plus I can easily share with friends and family if they reach out wanting recommendations.
From Idea to Adventure
Planning a short getaway doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focusing on a few key aspects – like proximity, convenience, and realistic expectations – can make all the difference.
Whether it’s a mileage run or a spontaneous adventure, a little smart planning can go a long way in making your trip both smooth and memorable. And who knows? Your next impromptu vacation might just become one of your favorites too!
Want to know where we ended up staying and all the things we did during our 48-hour trip to Santa Barbara? Read about it here!
Planning a weekend getaway soon? I’d love to hear your favorite tips or destinations! Drop a comment below or send me a message with your go-to getaway ideas—I’m always looking for new spots to explore!
With joy,
Bri
