The best weekend trip from Los Angeles. Whether you want to relax or explore California, there is an exciting weekend getaway from Los Angeles you can take. Santa Barbara is first on the list of the best weekend trips from Los Angeles. This coastal city in Southern California is known for its sunny weather, sandy beaches, great shopping, and luxury hotels. There are excellent restaurants and lots of wine tasting here, too. There’s plenty to do in downtown Santa Barbara in a weekend. The seafood on Stearns Wharf, the tasting rooms along the Urban Wine Trail, the colorful murals in the Funk Zone, the food stalls in the Santa Barbara Public Market, and the great boutiques on State Street are just a few of the highlights. And that’s to say nothing of the amazing beaches, museums and cultural sites like the historic mission, cycle routes along the waterfront, and Channel Islands National Park. If you like the water, you can go parasailing, surfing, kayaking, sailing, or stand-up paddle boarding, too. If all that appeals, it’s easy to get to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles. The drive takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes (depending where you start from and what traffic is like), putting it firmly in road trip distance. If you don’t want to drive, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train goes right downtown. The 2.5-hour journey has views along the Pacific Ocean