Want to take a vacation but don’t want to jump on a plane? Sometimes what we are looking for is right in our own backyard!

For over a century Santa Barbara has famously been referred to as The American Riviera as early visitors saw so much of a resemblance to the French Riviera. There is so much to do in Santa Barbara! Here are some five-star world-class hotel choices and a couple of four-star choices.

Belmond El Encanto

Belmond El Encanto

This five-star resort advertises itself as one of California’s most indulgent hideaways and it’s true! It’s an architectural masterpiece. Every part of its original 1920’s glory still remains, but it’s been meticulously restored. It boasts separate bungalows with fireplaces and patios, a full spa, dramatic pool and lounge areas overlooking Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean, award wining dining and more. Peached in the Santa Barbara foothills just above State Street it’s a quite forest setting just above downtown!

San Ysidro Ranch

San Ysidro Ranch

Located in the historic Montecito area of Santa Barbara this five star resort boasts 41 individually decorated private cottages winding along San Ysidro’s hillside creek. This romantic getaway has a rich history. It was the spot John and Jackie Kennedy chose to spend their honeymoon! Just because it’s close doesn’t mean it’s not among the best in the world!

The four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara The four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara

It doesn’t get better than this! The Biltmore is a five star resort tucked in between the beach and the San Ynez mountains spanning 22 acres! Its Spanish colonial villas and bungalows are updated but, are still reminiscent of what made this historic landmark a Hollywood favorite since the 1930’s.

The Ritz Carlton Bacara Santa Barbara The four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara

Located adjacent to the famous Sandpiper Golf Course this five star resort will match the best Hawaiian resorts without the flight! It spans 78 beachfront acres on the Gaviota Coast just north of Santa Barbara. Here you can escape to its two beaches, three pools or you can pamper yourself in the resort’s 42,000 square foot spa!

Fess Parker Santa Barbara Doubletree Hotel by Hilton Fess Parker Santa Barbara Doubletree Hotel by Hilton

The Fess Parker Santa Barbara is in a great East Beach location. This four star resort is close to everything and has been a favorite for years. It’s convienent of Cabrillo Pavillon, Presidio Santa Barbara, The Mission, Downtown and more!

Fess Parker Santa Barbara Doubletree Hotel by Hilton Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecoto

This five star hotel was just completed and sits on the former site of the Miramar By The Sea Hotel. It is a luxury resort with 124 rooms, and 37 spacious suites, a full wellness center and cabins lined pools, sitting on the beautiful Miramar Beach. This Caruso developed resort offers true pampering and luxury!

The Comedy Store Reopening “Best of the store”

The Comedy Store is a world-famous comedy club located in West Hollywood at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. The reopening of comedy’s capital is a fantastic way to spend a Saturday Night laughing at some great jokes. Tickets for this indoor seated live event must be purchased in advance. There will be no tickets sold at the door and no stand-by lines. No parties over 4 people.

First Fridays at the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum’s in-person First Fridays may have gone the way of the dodo, but the museum isn’t letting the after-hours event go totally extinct-instead, it’s digging it up and brushing it off for an online presentation. NHM First Fridays Connected will assemble speakers for Zoom webinars alongside a dance party on YouTube. And best of all: It’s all entirely free to attend (though reservations are required).

Rooftop Cinema Club

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned, with both a Santa Monica drive-in and a new rooftop in El Segundo (the typical Hollywood and DTLA locations are still on hold for now). You’ll find the rooftop screenings in a warehouse district of El Segundo, on the fourth floor of a parking garage (1310 E Franklin Ave) that’s been remade into socially distanced alfresco cinema. You’ll find all of the RCC fixtures here, including wireless headphones, lounge seats (or loveseats), popcorn, a full bar, lawn games and pizza from the Urban Oven.

Transcend time and space with immersion into Elsewhere at the Madcap Motel

There’s no better escape from the mundane than exploring a mystical submarine inside a time portal, right? Not just another “selfie-museum,” Elsewhere at the Madcap Motel combines experiential trends such as Instagram playgrounds, escape rooms, and immersive theater into a wondrous, ethereal experience. Through a seemingly normal 1960’s-themed motel room, guests merge through different dimensions to uncover an interactive series of 19 whimsical and thought-provoking adventures.

U.S. Treasury bond yields – The 10-year treasury bond closed the month yielding 1.65%, down from 1.74% last month. The 30-year treasury bond yield ended the month at 2.30%, down from 2.41% last month. We watch bond yields because mortgage rates often follow treasury bond yields.

Mortgage rates – The April 29, 2021, Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey reported mortgage rates for the most popular loan products as follows: The 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 2.98%, down from 3.18% last month. The 15-year fixed was 2.31%, down from 2.45% last month. The 5-year ARM was 2.64%, down from 2.94% last month.

The April jobs report will be released next Friday. These are March’s results.

U.S. employers added 916,000 jobs in March – The Department of Labor and Statics reported that 916,000 net new jobs were added in March. That number exceeded Dow Jones analysts’ expectations of 675,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate declined to 6% in March, down from 6.2%, in February.

Home sales are released on the third week of each month for the previous month. Below are the March sales results.

U.S. home sales and prices – March 2021- The National Association of Realtors reported that the number of existing-home sales rose 12.35% in March from the number of sales in March 2020. The median price paid for a home in March rose 17.25% from the median price one year ago. That marked 109 straight months of year-over-year increases in the median price. Inventory levels totaled 28.2% fewer homes on the market than one year ago. There was just a 2.1 month supply of homes for sale, down from a 3.3 month supply last March. First-time buyers accounted for 32% of the home sales. Second-home (vacation home) and investor purchases accounted for 15% of the sales. Foreclosure and short sales accounted for less than 1% of sales.

California existing home sales in March – The California Association of Realtors reported that existing, single-family home sales totaled 446,410 on an annualized basis in March. That represented a year-over-year increase of 19.7% from the 373,070 annualized rate of homes sold in March 2020. The median price paid for a home climbed 8.6% month-over-month from the median price in February. The median price paid for a home in California was $758,990 up 23.9% from the median price of $612,440 last March. There was just a 1.6 month supply of homes for sale in March, down from a 2.6 month supply one year ago. Below please find a graph of regional statistics for Southern California.