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.

My son Lucas and I, at our local spot - South Ponto beach, north San Diego county.

There’s a saying among veteran surfers: if you don’t surf, don’t start. I was told that several years ago, didn’t listen, and became hopelessly addicted to the greatest activity known to man. (Well, the second greatest.) I’ve ridden waves all up and down the California coast, from warm summer Pipes to the frigid and spooky waves a few hundred miles north of San Francisco, and while I’d never tell someone to not learn how to surf, I’d certainly give them an earful about the right way to go about it. As we head into spring, many people will be traveling to America’s Finest City and the place that I call home, San Diego. And quite a few of them will be thinking about paddling out for the first time. If you are, here are some tips that will make your experience a fun and safe one, for you and the other people you’ll encounter in the water.

The Ocean Can And Will Kill You If You Aren’t Careful And Prepared

Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Well, no, actually I did. Go to any southern California beach on any busy summer weekend and you’ll get to watch the lifeguards earn their pay, plucking hapless swimmers (of ALL abilities) out of the water left and right. The ocean’s a living thing: there are longshore and rip currents that will pull you up and down and out to sea before you know it, there are holes and rocks and stingrays and jellyfish waiting to mess up your feet and ankles, and there are waves that look manageable but have the power to drag you down to the bottom and keep you there. It’s not, as many non-beach people assume, a big pool, or even a big lake. Assuming that you are a strong swimmer, keep in mind that while it helps, paddling a surfboard is a strenuous task that works muscles that you probably never knew you had. So two things: get yourself in surfing shape (two surfing-specific fitness books I highly recommend: Surf Flex by Paul Frediani and Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And Of Course Surfing) by Laird Hamilton and if you can’t get those? Pushups, pullups, and crunches. Lots of ‘em.) and when you do head down to the beach, make sure that you read the update boards that are posted on the lifeguard towers; they’ll give you all kinds of info on the current conditions.

My surfboards; different boards for different waves.

Go To A Beginner-Friendly Beach

All beaches are not the same. For beginners, picking a good spot to surf is crucial for both physical and mental health. On the physical side, bouncing off of a rocky reef is rarely enjoyable; on the mental side, trying to paddle out through and then catch challenging surf is immensely frustrating (as well as extremely tiring). In San Diego county, there are miles and miles of surfable beach – but there are very few surf breaks that are beginner-friendly. The absolute best beginner spot in the county (apologies to the locals, but they’re painfully aware of this) is La Jolla Shores. The waves are small, and the vibe is friendly (we’ll talk about that in a second); it’s the perfect place for newbies. Be warned: parking is a nightmare. Another good choice is south of the Shores; Mission Beach is a long, sand-bottom stretch of beach that sees it’s share of beginners and surf camps and classes. It can get crowded during the summer, and the waves can be bigger and trickier than La Jolla Shores’, but it’s usually a good bet.

Dry-land practice: a surf class learning how to get to their feet.

Take A Lesson. Or Two. Or Three.

Yes, there are surf schools and camps, and yes, I highly, highly recommend taking lessons. Put it this way: would you try to go skiing without taking a lesson? Surfing is infinitely more difficult than skiing or snowboarding. Yes, I’ve skied and snowboarded, and I stand by my statement – think of surfing as similar to both, but you start your run by lying face down on your skis or snowboard and have to get up and stand on them and stay standing without the aid of straps while flying down the slope, which by the way is moving up and down and sideways underneath you. San Diego’s best known surf school is Surf Diva; yes, they allow guys. Another recommended surf school is Pacific Surf School. Along with teaching students the basics of the sport, a good surf school will instruct students on how the ocean “works” (tides, swells, wave mechanics) as well as provide guidance on surfing etiquette (yes, there are unspoken rules, and it’s crucial to know them for safety reasons as well as common courtesy). You’ll learn a lot more and have a lot more fun if you take a lesson – it can take days or even weeks for a novice to catch their first wave without someone showing them the ropes. (Full disclosure: it took me exactly one month, from my first paddle-out to catching and actually riding my first wave.)

Finally, surfing requires commitment; it takes years to master, and many people, even those who surf daily, never do. But there’s no better way to spend a summer day than out in the lineup with friends, soaking up the sun and hanging out with the dolphins. (More full disclosure: I can walk across the street from my house and be at the beach, and right now I’m gazing out the window and it looks like there’s no wind and a bit of a swell, so…)

What’s the first thing you think of when you imagine a vacation in Los Angeles?  Disneyland.  Okay, yeah, that’s been covered here already, so what’s the second thing?  The beach, of course!  If you live in Wisconsin and you’re planning to visit Southern California, you’re not coming here for the art museums.

Santa Monica on Veterans' Day

The obvious beach destinations are the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach, both places that are good for classic photo opportunities.  But if you’re the kind of beach lover who wants to see more beach than people, head north.  Once you pass Sunset Boulevard you leave the tourist traps behind in favor of some of the most beautiful beach spots in the area.  If you have the time and enjoy a beautiful drive, keep going even farther than the vast stretches of Zuma Beach, itself a great destination for a quick two-hour out-of-town getaway.

Family fun at Zuma Beach

The steep terrain that drops off away from Pacific Coast Highway makes some of these beaches a little bit more difficult to access, but that’s what keeps the crowds away, and almost guarantees that you will have a pristine view once you get down there.  Nicholas Canyon and El Matador are two beautiful less populated spots.  Look closely for the brown signs directing you to the turnoffs – they’re easy to miss.  Parking here is paid for at a machine, then you display your ticket in your window.  Solidly constructed staircases get you down to the sand, but there are a LOT of stairs, so make sure you pack lightly.

El Matador

Just up the coast, Leo Carillo State Beach has a campground to the east of the highway, and plenty of parking along the sand if you take the turnoff to the west.  There’s also a stretch of beach there that allows dogs.  Not just for sunbathing, you can watch surfers, windsurfers, and parasailors, or poke around in the tidepools at low tide.  Parking is $10 a day, so make sure you’ll be there long enough to make your visit worth the cost.

The last chance beach in Los Angeles county is called County Line.  No longer the true line that ends the county, this is a local surfing spot famous for its dual breaks, perfect for long- and shortboarders alike.   You’ll know you’re there when you see the turnoff for parking on the west side of the highway, right across from from Neptune’s Net, an old-school beach shack that attracts local color as well as beach visitors for bottled drinks, grilled meats, and steamed seafood.  (Warning – there are only portable toilets at this beach and restaurant, so leave your daintiness back at Leo Carillo’s flush toilets.)  It’s a perfect destination for your drive – sit on the porch and have a snack and drink while you watch the surfers, then head back south to that turnoff that you missed on the way up.

I don’t surf. I just wish I did. I grew up on Puget Sound and any surf above my head intimidates me. That may explain my fascination with Mavericks, a world famous big wave surf contest, where the waves really are killer. Mavericks is taking place again this weekend in Half Moon Bay, Ca. As one surfer said, it is the ultimate rush. Media is given notice 24 hours prior to the event. It is all based on when the waves are ready. The science behind wave prediction is amazing, starts with Arctic storms traced across the Pacific Ocean. For awesome photos, click here. Read More »