Canadian snowbirds flock to Santa Barbara vacation rentals
When Canadian Anne Murray sang her hit song “Snowbirds,” she wasn’t singing about Canada geese. She was singing to the thousands of snowbound Canadians called ‘snowbirds’ who make the annual pilgrimage from winter Canada and the Pacific Northwest to warmer climes in places like southern California. There, snowbirds nest during the winter months, basking in the warm Southern California sun, in quaint resort towns like Santa Barbara. Nestled between the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific, Santa Barbara is a premier travel destination.
The snowbirds that come here to what some call “The American Riviera” have a secret: Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals has it all. Those who have discovered Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals avoid the arid deserts of Arizona and even the luxurious oasis of Palm Springs for this coastal beauty. Why? They know very well what Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals can offer them in terms of services, comfort and entertainment. The snowbirds that flock to the beach town of Santa Barbara aren’t content to curl up with a good book for winter under a Saguaro cactus or be satisfied with designer shopping sprees that require SPF 70 and a checkbook. great. They are too active and full of life for that. They want more and that is exactly what Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals has to offer.
Vacation rentals in Santa Barbara cover a large urban area of Santa Barbara. There are private homes and condo units on the coast, directly on the beach, inland, close to tourist attractions, and everything in between. For the snowbirds that migrate here, camping is not an option. They are not interested in having a hard time all winter or sharing public facilities with their neighbors. They don’t own RVs because they don’t want the hassle of storing an unwieldy RV for most of the year. They are used to comfort and crave it during the long winter away from home.
David and Leslie Benscott, retired lawyers from British Columbia, used to camp with their children. But now they are empty nesters, and when they leave for the winter, they are not interested in giving up comforts. They have been renting vacation rentals in Santa Barbara for the past seven years. “Plus,” says Leslie, “we both love to cook and are spoiled enough to admit that we want a nice kitchen to do it in. Our condo has a fabulous chef-style kitchen with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. At least once a week, we’ll cook a gourmet meal in our vacation rental in Santa Barbara and meet friends at the beach for a picnic. You just can’t do that in January in British Columbia.”
Benscott’s Santa Barbara vacation rental is fully furnished with all the amenities. Often vacation rental owners will outfit a condo or home with things like beach gear, games, movies, and a stocked kitchen. There are no taxes or tips involved with vacation rentals like there would be with a hotel, so in the long run, vacation rentals in Santa Barbara work out cheaper for them than an extended hotel stay, especially when you don’t have what to have dinner each meal. The Benscotts have also made it a point to catch up on all the sights of Santa Barbara, each season adding a few new discoveries to their treasure chest. This year her grandchildren visited and they all enjoyed the Santa Barbara Zoo and Railroad Museum. It was a memory that everyone will keep for a lifetime. Fortunately, there was enough space for everyone to stay in their vacation rental with its three spacious bedrooms and oceanfront patio. The grandchildren could walk to the beach every morning with the Benscotts. They have the shell collections to prove it.
With over a hundred wineries in and around Santa Barbara, cultural events like theater, beachfront arts and crafts fairs, even the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, there’s something for everyone here. Snowbirds knows that if you like the outdoors in style, then Santa Barbara is the place for you.
Snowbirds Ken and Marie Linter, a retired surgeon and his wife, come here from Alberta, Canada each winter, drawn by the warm temperatures and great properties they find at Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals. They have rented the same condo now for four seasons. Ken and Marie are avid cyclists and kayakers and love the opportunities Santa Barbara provides to keep fit during the winter months. “The only exercise I get in Alberta is shoveling snow,” says Ken, who stopped skiing several years ago. “And frankly, I’m over it. Now Marie and I can bike all over town on the bikes our Santa Barbara vacation rental provides us at no extra cost. We go home in better shape than when we arrived.”
Now it’s just the two of them, and they love the one-bedroom apartment they found at Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals. Not only do they have in-house cleaning services, but there is also a concierge service attached to your vacation rental. When it’s time to decide which fabulous restaurant to choose, the concierge is there to help. “Last week,” says Marie, “the concierge took us to a five-star restaurant tucked away in a little private beach cove. It was probably the most romantic dinner Ken and I had. Well worth the trip from Alberta.” .