Meet Ian Filippini, Travel Writer

Ian Filippini is a travel writer based out of Santa Barbara where he is also an active member of the business community. Filippini is highly lauded for being one of the city's biggest advocates and is known as a local expert. Filippini has recently launched a series of digital travel magazines with Santa Barbara recommendations as well as extensively documenting his travels around the world.

1. What first attracted you to Santa Barbara?

I was interested in Santa Barbara from my first visit. It is a sleepy beach community unlike any other, and they have a large city just off the coast that invites me. They have a lovely food scene, and I love the way to city looks when I am staring at the ocean. I feel at peace in Santa Barbara, and I believe other travelers will feel the same.

2. Why did you decide to create a web resource with information about Santa Barbara destinations?

I wanted all travelers to feel a sense of connection with the city. They may read the site I created to learn about the city, and I believe they will feel something about the city as they browse. They will learn how the city will serve them, and they may begin making an itinerary that will take them across the city. I want everyone visiting to have the same adventure I did.

3. When you only have time for a short travel getaway (say, three nights maximum), what do you like to do?

I prefer coming to the city to see the beach, and I plan my trips around the beach. I enjoy sitting on the beach, and I will make my way from the beach to other parts of the city during my trip. I will find my favorite lunch spot, and I plan a lovely place for dinner. I will shop downtown, and I quite enjoy coming down to the pier for an evening of fun.

4. From your own travel experience, do you have any favorite tips you'd like to share?

I ask all my travel readers to bring plenty of cash on their trips. Santa Barbara is a lovely beach community with many street vendors who take cash, and you will find a number of attractions that require cash. You may tip your valet or jump on the shuttle with a bit of cash in your pocket. You must ensure you are using your cash wisely, but you must have it in your pocket.

I ask everyone to try local food. There are many beautiful restaurants in the city that you will prefer, and you will find places that are run by up-and-coming chefs. They are making news in the food world, and you may find yourself in a place that has been featured on TV in the past. You may find it interesting to visit food carts, and you will enjoy local joints that serve specialty drinks.

The final step in any trip is choosing a local hotel that plants you in the heart of the city. Traveling to chain hotels is not as much fun as being among the locals, and you will have a nice time in a place that serves breakfast, puts out dessert wine at night, and does not allow you out the door without a friendly goodbye.

5. What, in your opinion, takes a restaurant or hotel or other spot out of the ordinary and makes it a place you want to return to again and again?

The service is the most important thing in any establishment. The personal service I receive on trips will lead me to return. I want to meet the nice people I saw the first time, and I want to send more people to visit. I am in love with certain places where I know the staff, and they call me by name. They got me with their service, and it is the same on every return trip to Santa Barbara.

Thanks, Ian!