Right on the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, on the coast of southern California, just north of Los Angeles. The UCSB campus is on the ocean.
What's special about the Santa Barbara Vacation Center for families?
Families stay for an all-inclusive week that includes many activities for kids and for the whole family. Partickpate as little or as much as you like: play golf and tennis, or just read all day, or go off and explore Santa Barbara with your family.
The Vacation Center offers eight one-week sessions during July and August. Price includes meals, lodgings, daily housekeeping, and most activities including child care.
Activities
Activities for the whole family include beach picnics, campfires, games at the pool, Family Carnival, etc. Some evenings offer separate activities for parents and kids: for ex., Tuesday night, adults go on a sunset cruise while kids have Kids Night Out (-could be a treasure hunt).
A childcare program has daytime sessions and a couple of evening sessions too. Kids up to 18 are grouped by age with trained counselors. Older kids take outings to the zoo, local parks, the beach. Counselors for teens work with kids' preferences; teens also stay overnight at a local campground.
There's also a tennis program with lessons for age 7 and up, tennis tournaments, kayaking, surfing, golf and golf lessons, arts and crafts, and (sometimes) faculty lectures. Guests can use the UCSB Recreation center with lap pool, kiddie pool, gyms, weight rooms, and squash and raquetball courts. The area has paths for biking, running or walking along the beach; and downtown Santa Barbara is just 10 miles away.
Some activities cost extra: such as kayaking lessons, wine-tasting tour, sunset ocean cruise. (Cost averages $50 to $75/family.)
Lodgings
Families stay in apartment-style suites for four to eight people, with living room, two to four bedrooms, bathroom, small fridge, microwave. Groups or family reunions can rent residence halls that sleep 16 or more. Prices for suites are: adult (age 13 and up) $750; child 8-12 $675; child age 4-7 $650; age 1 to 3 $550; children under 1, $300 (- this includes infant care). Check web site for price updates.
Meals
Three all-you-can-eat buffets are served daily; eat in the dining room, or on a patio with ocean view. Special meals outside the dining Commons include an elegant meal for adults and a picnic in a park.
Where can I find out more about the Santa Barbara Family Vacation Center?
- Head to the Santa Barbara Family Vacation Center web site, with details on all aspects of the week-long sessions.
- Check TripAdvisor.com for online articles and reviews by previous guests. Just enter "Santa Barbara Family Vacation Center" in the TripAdvisor Search box.
*photo courtesy of Santa Barbara Family Vacation Center.
This brief profile is meant to introduce this property to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person. See also Resort Reviews.
