Vacations Blog

Encinitas, CA

Famous for its poinsettias and surfers, Encinitas is a seaside community north of San Diego that is a short drive from Los Angeles and a perfect weekend destination.  We ventured down there recently for a wedding and some beach walking, but if we had more time we would have poked around at Legoland, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, or any other of the attractive family activities located in the area.

The drive down from the San Fernando Valley was not bad on a Saturday at noon.  Apart from the blip of preserved nature you see driving through Camp Pendleton, the whole stretch feels like one long extension of Los Angeles.  Sign of the times:  without any pre-planning, we stopped for lunch when we got hungry, looking for the familiar signs of fast food eateries along an industrial stretch of road in Long Beach.  The beacon of a Quizno’s called us, but when we pulled up to the place we found it closed down.  That turned out to be a happy accident, because right across the street was a tiny shack called OK Burger that was deserted, so the cook whipped us up two delicious meals for the road in just a few minutes.

We stayed at the Best Western Encinitas which was the lodging of choice of the wedding party, so the deal was fantastic – $130 for the night for this balconied room with a view:

Balcony room at the Best Western, Encinitas

View of the pacific ocean in Encinitas

With a view like that who cares what the room was like?  Well, it was fine, but a word to the wise:  the coffee maker and cups are hidden in the dresser under the flat screen TV.  And once you lay down, you might not get back up.

Soft bed.

The wedding was held at the breathtaking Quail Botanical Gardens.  If you want to save money on your wedding flower budget, have it here.  I can’t imagine a more breathtaking backdrop for such a momentous and beautiful occasion. 

Quail Botanical Gardens

Wedding backdrop

The gardens were open for visitors while we were there, so we wandered among the different areas and found that everywhere the eye settled, there was something beautiful to photograph.

A pathway beckons at Quail Botanical Gardens

Quail Botanical Gardens is open every day from 9 to 5, and if you come with 4 people in your car they’ll waive the $10 parking fee.

I’ve been scolded in the past for not including local restaurants in my travel posts, and that will happen again;  if you have been out to eat in Encinitas please leave a comment with your favorite spots.  Like I said, we only had 24 hours for this little trip so we took part in the hotel’s continental breakfast – which, I might add, was actually quite good and included delicious breakfast burritos – before heading out to the beach.

The beach at Encinitas

"No having fun"

Long way down

There were surfers in the water as far as the eye could see, due to the incredibly long waves and seemingly polite nature of the crowds.  My husband, who is a surfer in Los Angeles, was surprised that multiple surfers could catch a single wave without getting in a fight.  Maybe it’s the local vibe, maybe it was the beautiful day, or maybe Los Angeles just needs some self-realization, Encinitas style.

Self-Realization Fellowship Temple

The clock was ticking on our daycare meter, so we had to settle for a morning walk and then head back north.  For parents of two young boys, we get our relaxation when we can, and Encinitas delivered nicely in even a small dose.

Relaxed mom.

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

It’s time for another Thursday Thirteen! I was driving around the other day, thinking about how much I love this city. Of course, that was before that lousy driver cut me off on the 405 Freeway and totally harshed my mellow, but that’s a blog post for another day. For now, here a few of my favorite things:

1. Pink’s Hot Dogs – To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what makes Pink’s Hot Dogs so popular, but for some reason I just feel better knowing it’s there.

2. Guy who sells maps to the stars’ homes on Sunset Blvd. near Doheny – I’ve never actually bought one of these maps, but it’s nice to know that if I ever act on my urge to start stalking Will Smith, there’s somebody who can tell me how to find him.

3. Giant Chair Statue at Pacific Design Center – I love this humongous 30-foot chair, not only for its aesthetics but because we have a running joke: whenever I drive by it with my husband and kids, we always talk about how we’re going to somehow hoist the 10-year old up there and take a picture of her perched on its edge. It’s going to happen, I promise.

4. La Brea Tar Pits – Besides being a great place to take my kids, this place reminds me of my childhood. Also, I have friends who live in the area and have stories of (prehistoric!) tar bubbling up through cracks in their street, which is way more exciting than anything that ever happens on the block where I live.

5. Grauman’s Chinese Theater – Totally overrun with tourists, but where else can you get a close-up look at celebrities’ handprints? Nah, sneaking a look at Shia LeBeouf’s fingerprints at the LAPD isn’t the same.

6. Capitol Records Building – Because it was designed to look like a stack of records! Also, because they’re one of the first buildings every year to put up their Christmas tree made out of lights.

7. Book Soup – Absolutely the coolest book store in the city. Although it makes me sad to go there now, because the legendary Tower Records across the street on Sunset is no longer there.

8. Hollywood and Vine – This famous intersection provides some of the best people-watching in the city. Stopping at that traffic light for thirty seconds always makes me feel like I’ve stepped into a David Lynch movie.

9. Angelyne – I don’t really like Angelyne but she’s my favorite in more of a ‘fascinatingly hideous’ sort of way. Talk to ten different people, and you’ll get ten different Angelyne stories. I once saw her buying clothes at the drug store. She bought some pants, hopped into her pink Corvette and drove away.

10. Watt’s Towers –I urge everyone to get over your fear of driving into this area, and check out these amazing works of art, at least once. Personally, I think your life may be in more danger while trying to shop at Costco during the Christmas rush.

11. Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine – I know it sounds all new age-y and touchy-feely, but you should really check this place out. And don’t worry – you don’t have to have a religious bone in your body to appreciate it. A couple of walks around the serene path that winds around the lake and you’ll feel like a new person. If not, at least make yourself useful by feeding the ducks.

12. First Street, Little Tokyo – There’s nowhere else in the city that can say it’s home to my favorite spa, my favorite restaurant and my favorite coffee shop. I’d tell you about all these secret places, but then I’d have to kill you.

13. The Beverly Center – Yeah, it’s just a mall to most people, but it takes me back to my Sex And The City days, when I’d spend hours trolling the stores just to find a perfect dress to wear on a dinner date. Who has that kind of time anymore?