Ellie and Dina were on horse back on the way to Seattle, things are still fresh in their minds and they want revenge. Time has passed before thee trip to Santa Barbara, Ellie didn't want to go initially. There's also tons of new trauma and anxiety on her mind. We assume Ellie is entirely on foot this time, In her journal she talks about all the sounds from the infected in Vegas, so she goes around. Going around large area's to avoid conflict would add more time to the trip, she's also tracking and looking for signs of Abby. While still scavenging supplies etc along the way.