After a quick early-morning stroll down the beach, enlivened by the honking of a low-flying great blue heron, we indulged in the hotel's deluxe continental breakfast buffet (free), notable for its fresh-baked blueberry muffins.

We took the shuttle (25 cents each) to the end of the line on Sola Street, then walked a little more than a mile up Santa Barbara Street to Old Mission Santa Barbara ($4 each), where much of the town's Spanish history began. The mission has a beautiful courtyard garden, and its Chumash Indian–painted church is one of the most striking in the mission system. We then walked five minutes to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History ($6 each) to check out its collection of creatures, from California condors to a robust hooked squid.

On the walk back into town, we stopped at Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden (free). With a wedding taking place in a gazebo and what appeared to be an imminent proposal at one of the park's benches, my ever-romantic bride cooed while I koi-ed, impressed as I was by the lily pond's colorful fish.

Back on State Street, we lunched at the Natural Cafe, splitting a filling chicken pita and a side of hummus ($9.26) as we checked out paintings of the Santa Barbara coast. Which was a reminder that we needed to get back to the beach, where we hung out before shuttling (25 cents each) back downtown. We admired the area's Spanish-influenced architecture (free); I had also hoped to show Becky the ornate interior of Santa Barbara's most impressive theater, the Arlington, but nothing was playing that week. Instead, we caught a bargain matinee at the Metro 4 Theatre ($5.50 each).

Usually when we're in town, we have at least one meal at the estimable La Super-Rica Taqueria on North Milpas Street, but with the car back at the hotel, we opted for a New Mexican–style dinner at one of the sidewalk tables of Zia Cafe. The night was mild, so we walked off the chicken burrito and blue-corn vegetarian enchiladas ($27) on the way back to the hotel.

DAY TWO
($92 in pocket)

Hotel continental breakfast: FREE

Shuttle into town: 50¢

Old Mission Santa Barbara: $8

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: $12

Visit to Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden: FREE

Healthy lunch at the Natural Cafe: $9

Shuttle: 50¢

Admire downtown architecture: FREE

Bargain matinee: $11

New Mexican cuisine at Zia Cafe: $27

$24 Remaining