| As fairy-tale destinations for lovers go, a romantic | | | | before you arrive. The dedicated Santa Barbara |
| Santa Barbara getaway tops the list. From scenic | | | | vacation rental concierge staff will have your favorite |
| Stearns Wharf and the beautiful Santa Barbara | | | | wines, food and flowers ready for you and will even |
| Mission to the tree-lined State Street shopping district | | | | arrange for your personally selected mood music to |
| and glorious sandy beaches, renowned wineries, spas | | | | be playing when you arrive. This perfect "Wow!" |
| and art galleries, a romantic getaway is just what the | | | | moment is priceless. Prepare to pick your beloved's |
| doctor ordered. And Santa Barbara vacation rentals | | | | jaw up off the floor. |
| can help you create the special retreat for Valentine's | | | | Romantic Getaway Tip #3: Rule your personal love |
| Day, anniversaries, honeymoons or that dreamy | | | | nest. With a vacation rental home, you won't have to |
| romantic tryst you'll remember for the rest of your | | | | worry about hotel conventioneers making lots of |
| lives. | | | | noise or crowding out all your romantic moments. |
| Travel writers have waxed rhapsodic about many | | | | You control the environment. Instead of a noisy |
| romantic Santa Barbara activities but instead of a | | | | hotel, imagine your own private villa with outside |
| simple list of romantic tourist attractions (I've included | | | | decks, including a "living roof" terrace, a fireplace, a |
| those at the end), these tips will help you create the | | | | fountain and 360-degree views of the ocean, |
| ultimate romantic getaway. | | | | mountains, Santa Barbara Harbor, Mission and Riviera. |
| Romantic Getaway Tip #1: How to compose your | | | | It is like having all of the beauty and amenities of a |
| perfect love symphony. Planning the ultimate | | | | luxury hotel, but all the privacy of a private home. |
| romantic getaway is easy. Santa Barbara offers a full | | | | Romantic Getaway Tip #4: Enjoy top flight hotel |
| orchestra of locales and activities at your disposal. All | | | | amenities at half the cost. The San Ysidro Ranch has |
| you have to do is compose the most romantic | | | | often been called Santa Barbara's most romantic |
| getaway for your beloved. As with any great piece | | | | hotel. Take your significant other to the Ranch to |
| of music, the secret to a romantic getaway is | | | | walk the grounds and eat at their delicious and |
| varying the pacing. | | | | headily romantic Stonehouse restaurant. You can |
| Mix slow leisurely beach walks (or art gallery walks, if | | | | enjoy the ambiance of the hotel, but enjoy a |
| you prefer) with high-energy activities like dancing. | | | | beautiful nearby vacation rental home for half the |
| Start with lyrical passages like getting a massage at a | | | | price. |
| local spa. Up the tempo with an invigorating | | | | Romantic Getaway Tip #5: Have the best of Santa |
| horseback ride. Build to a romantic crescendo with a | | | | Barbara come to you. Once you arrive at your |
| candlelit dinner at a fine restaurant. Then segue over | | | | vacation rental home for your romantic getaway, |
| to a passionate evening of poetry reading (or | | | | you don't have to leave it. You can have the best of |
| whatever else comes to mind). | | | | romantic Santa Barbara come to you. Many of the |
| One of the best ways to pull off a memorable | | | | city's finest restaurants will cater your romantic dinner |
| romantic getaway is to get a vacation rental home. A | | | | in your very own vacation rental home. Santa |
| musical masterpiece should be played in a venue | | | | Barbara vacation rentals also offer in-home massage |
| worthy of it. But beyond a great showplace, picking | | | | and spa treatment services. |
| the right vacation rental home can inspire romantic | | | | Let a Santa Barbara vacation rentals concierge team |
| activities based just on the location. A vacation home | | | | arrange to bring the very best of city to your door. |
| gives you so much more opportunity to create great | | | | Although the area has a lot of outside activities to |
| romantic moments than an anonymous hotel room. | | | | enjoy, sometimes it is the inside activities that visitors |
| Imagine your vacation rental home just steps away | | | | remember best from a romantic getaway. |
| from Shoreline Park and the sand, with easy access | | | | Romantic Getaway Tip #6: The way to a lover's |
| to Ledbetter Beach. When you stay at a vacation | | | | heart is through the stomach. If your honey is a |
| rental you can enjoy a morning stroll through the | | | | foodie, you don't have to book a worldwide cruise. |
| park. There is also a children's playground and seating | | | | Santa Barbara has cuisine from all over the world. |
| areas for afternoon BBQs in the sun. Watch the | | | | You can sample an English breakfast, then an Asian |
| surfers at the beach, take a walk through the harbor | | | | lunch and finally a seven-course French dinner. While |
| area, and enjoy the oceanfront atmosphere of | | | | some of the area's finer restaurants (such as the |
| beautiful downtown Santa Barbara. | | | | Four Seasons Biltmore) may require reservations well |
| The physical layout of a vacation rental home is also | | | | in advance for your romantic dinner, you can often |
| important. For example, imagine the relaxing you can | | | | get an equally romantic lunch reservation the same |
| do on your own private rooftop patio with incredible | | | | day. |
| views of Shoreline Park and the Pacific ocean in both | | | | To make sure your gourmet trek is flawless, engage |
| directions. Each individual feature of a Santa Barbara | | | | the Santa Barbara vacation rentals concierge to make |
| vacation rental home is a piece of music waiting to | | | | all the arrangements. Not only will the concierge know |
| happen. | | | | all the best places, but they might be able to get you |
| Romantic Getaway Tip #2: Set the stage for love. | | | | a deal or an elusive reservation at the |
| The best way to enjoy a romantic getaway is to | | | | impossible-to-get-into restaurant your beloved would |
| completely control your environment so that you can | | | | love to try. |
| set the stage for love. A vacation rental home costs | | | | Romantic Getaway Tip #7: Surprise is on your side. |
| half as much as a luxury hotel for more than twice | | | | One of my favorite romantic Santa Barbara getaway |
| the square footage, plus you have an outside oasis all | | | | stories is about a husband who secretly booked a |
| your own. | | | | vacation rental home as a surprise for his wife. The |
| With a romantic vacation rental home, you can drop | | | | husband asked one of her friends who lived in in the |
| a trail of rose petals, light all the candles you want, | | | | city take her out to lunch, while he secretly checked |
| even light a roaring fire in the fireplace. Almost every | | | | into the romantic vacation rental home. After lunch |
| romantic vacation rental home has a multimedia | | | | the friend followed the husband's instructions and |
| system to play any mood music you like. | | | | asked the wife to look at a Santa Barbara vacation |
| One of the best ways to set the scene is to choose | | | | rental home the friend said she was interested in |
| a romantic vacation rental that fits your mood or | | | | buying. When they walked in to inspect the property, |
| style. If the sound of waves crashing on the shore | | | | her husband was there and announced to his |
| causes insomnia, maybe you'd prefer a home on a | | | | shocked wife that he was surprising her with a |
| beautiful tree lined street in Montecito. You'll still be | | | | romantic vacation. |
| close enough to enjoy the beach, but you'll also have | | | | Don't feel you have to cram every activity into one |
| easier access to shopping and fine dining. Instead of | | | | romantic getaway. There's one thing better than |
| going out, maybe you'd like to cook on a gas BBQ | | | | your first romantic Santa Barbara getaway, and |
| grill and relax with your honey in a hammock. | | | | that's returning to your vacation rental home for your |
| Many vacation rentals offer concierge service to help | | | | second romantic getaway. |
| you set the scene according to your specifications | | | | |