Posts Tagged ‘san diego travel’

Carlsbad is not only a special place to visit, but it’s a great place to live. With an abundance of sites to see and an ample amount of coastline, it’s easy to make a day out of visit to Carlsbad on your next trip to San Diego. There are resorts, golf, restaurants and even an amusement park. Well you probably can’t do everything in one day, so let’s take a look at how a nice day in Carlsbad might unfold.

Let’s start off our day with a stroll on the beach. Carlsbad beach’s main attraction for locals is that there usually isn’t the hustle and bustle you experience at a lot of the other beaches in San Diego County. It is common to find free parking and plenty of room to relax in the sun. Another great feature is a convenient walkway that makes for great jogging or walking along the coast while enjoying the fantastic ocean views and refreshing ocean breezes. Regardless of whether you are there for the surf, the sun or exercise, there is no better way to start your day than with the sound of the crashing waves and the occasional sighting of a dolphin’s dorsal fin making a majestic pinwheel in the Pacific blue.

Hungry? Carlsbad has plenty of good restaurants to visit while spending your day here. Along Carlsbad Village Dr. you can find authentic Mexican food, great Italian restaurants, and places for fresh seafood. One of my favorite places to stop for some great pizza, beer and a the Carlsbad vibe is Pizza Port. They make tasty California style pizzas and brew some of the best beer on earth. If you like pizza and beer, this stop will not disapoint.

Now it’s time for the kids to have some fun. Tucked away in the city of Carlsbad is Legoland, a great place to spend the day with the family. It’s the only Legoland outside of Europe and it has a variety of rides and Lego exhibits. Where else can you visit Miniland USA with over 40 million Lego pieces making up dioramas of the Eiffel Tower, the Las Vegas Strip, and the White House? With the new addition of the Sea Life Aquarium it’s sure to be a hit for the family and the adults as well.

Another great activity in San Diego for the more active lifestyle is hiking. Among one of my favorite trails is the Batiquitos Lagoon ,located in the southern part of Carlsbad, which can be accessed from the Aviara neighborhood. It’s a flat terrain 2 mile hike that looks over the lagoon and the ocean. The trail takes you all the way to Interstate 5, and there is talk about opening the path to give the trail beach access. During your hike on this path you will see birds, plants, trees and the occasional multi-million dollar ocean view estate.

As you can see Carlsbad has a little bit of everything to offer. It has the convenient location to easily get to the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, and it has the laid back feeling that you won’t get in a big city. Carlsbad is a great place to enjoy the SoCal liefestyle. So next time your in San Diego take a visit to Carlabd to see what the city by the sea is all about.

If you are going to visit Carlsbad and you are interested in learning about Carlsbad real estate go to the Carlsbad homes for sale website for data on the opportunities currently available.

Imagine a romantic vacation getaway to a quiet, relaxing and scenic village on the beautiful Pacific Ocean. This getaway has charming hotels and Inns, phenomenal restaurants and miles of gorgeous beaches. It’s just those elements that make up the gem that is called Del Mar, California.

Del Mar is Spanish for “of the sea” or “by the sea”, because it is located near the Pacific Ocean and is one of the most beautiful and romantic resort beach towns in the world. It’s here you find world-class restaurants, romantic bed and breakfasts, exotic hiking trails, delightful beaches and a world famous horse racing track

Del Mar has been home to celebrities ever since the 1940’s when Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien and Jimmy Durante helped turn the Del Mar Race Track Thoroughbred Club into one of the most beautiful and prestigious organizations in the entire racing world. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez were regulars at the track in those days, and Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickenson also had residences in Del Mar. Brad Pitt purchased a home here recently – an $18 million dollar beachfront home – so now Brad Pitt sightings are the new sport in town.

Del Mar isn’t very large, just two square miles along the Northern San Diego County coast between Solana Beach on the north and Torrey Pines State Reserve on the south. Del Mar has a population of 4000 to 5000 Del-Marians (depending on who is counting) who live among the beautiful sandstone canyons interspersed with hillsides or perched on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, all of them enjoying beautiful sunsets.

Del Mar is home to the endangered Torrey Pine, the rarest species of pine tree in the United States. Only two populations of this endangered species exist – one in Torrey Pines State Reserve the other in Del Mar proper.

Each summer Del Mar plays host to the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The fair originally opened in 1936, the site selected because it was the perfect spot just off the main highways – while still being near the ocean’s cooling breezes on hot summer days. Selection of a fair queen – Fairest of the Fair – is still a fail highlight each summer.

It was Bing Crosby who took a leading role to ensure that the now-world-famous Del Mar Race Track became reality. Del Mar Race Track opened in 1937 with newspapers dubbing the track “Bing’s Baby.” The next year Bing recorded a song that would eventually open each day of the racing season since those early days – Where The Turf Meets the Surf.

Terry Hunefeld gave up his position as a corporate CEO in 2007 to spend more time at sea. He now volunteers his time on the board of directors of the Audubon Society and leads charter voyages to sea to observe and count seabirds and marine mammals. To learn more, click San Diego B&Bs or Encinitas Beach Hotels.