Last time I came to Santa Barbara I decided airport shuttles and things were too complicated so I hired a car at LA and drove the two hours to Santa Barbara. I had to pull over and sleep after I got to the stage where I had to consciously focus my eyes, and continually dart them around on account of my peripheral vision having switched off.
I decided that this time, knowing santa barbara a little better, I could afford to fly right in to the airport and catch the airport shuttle or a cab to the condo.
The plane from Chicago to L.A. was delayed by about 15 minutes, and when we got to our connection we found that yes, technically we could get to the plane in time but no, we wouldn’t be getting on it as they had given our seats away. But we of course would be given a complimentary fighting chance to get on the next plane which was in only 3 hours’ time.
A few of us didn’t think this was too good to refuse, so 3 older ladies and I hopped in a rental car and drove to Santa Barbara. One of the ladies was Bernice, an intense matriarch, a retired American Airlines Employee and a dab hand at getting free stuff. We hired a huge Buick one way, with drop-off fee waived, for $43 including tax between 4 people. Superb. Turned out she was into ballroom dancing and knew a couple of people I knew from the salsa scene in SB. Small world.
After dropping two of the ladies off in Santa Barbara, discovering that there was no key at the corporate condo for me, and dropping he rental car at he airport, I remembered my baggage. Doh! After faffing a bit, I picked a hotel out of the blue and had them send the luggage there, then caught a $30 cab and booked in there for the night. Unfortunately I forgot to keep a receipt for the cab. Mind you, this morning’s cabbie gave me a blank receipt so not all is lost…