Olympic Resort Carlsbad

Although Carlsbad will never be a great destination for San Diego - probably the city's most popular beach in California - it may be a good place to stay during your visit to the region.

It is a compromise, of course. Come to Carlsbad and you eliminate the traffic and congestion of the city, highways, the constant "being-alert" driving and the hassle you ever experience in a big city. Of course, you do not eliminate the Gaslamp Quarter, Zoo, Old Town and all sites of San Diego is known for.

The answer for many is now to enjoy the best of both. Base your operations in Carlsbad, "which in itself offers a host of activities - and then take the car on Interstate 5 when you're ready to spend the day and evening enjoying the city.

About 4,000 hotel rooms have been built in Carlsbad "second only to San Diego in San Diego County and a tourist infrastructure has sprung up with the right homes. In recent years the city has added the Legoland theme park, major league upscale shopping at Carlsbad Company Stores, the Music Museum and resorts top, as Four Seasons Aviara and the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel.

Oh, and do not forget the water: "We have a great little north coast here," said Frankie Laney, director of public relations for the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The San Diego North Coast is probably the first destination in the County of San Diego."

An endless blue horizon awaits the visitor to Carlsbad a strip of beach that allows you to walk freely from Oceanside to well south of Carlsbad. This is not the heavy surf scene of Orange County, but there are lots of surfers, families and young people enjoying the sun in Carlsbad on any given day.

Years ago when we lived in Seattle, our realtor gave us our first clue that Carlsbad has increased and future. When she learned we were moving to California, she happily told the month before, she had spent in a beach house in Carlsbad "a place where people have never heard of. She tells us to be on the lookout for a good buy on a beach house because, she says, she decided to come to Carlsbad to stay.

Well, like most real estate buyers would suspect that "good buy" has been rather difficult to find in the real estate launch in recent years, our friend and realtor must now be content simply to visit Carlsbad. But she is content ", which also describes the feeling most people when they plan a weekend or vacation in Carlsbad.

Our recent stay began with a check-in at the Hotel Grand Pacific Palisades Hotel and a combination hotel and timeshare is located on a cliff overlooking the city of Carlsbad and its coastline. During the spring months there are massive fields of flowers on the hill just below the resort, and the palette of colors are simply magnificent.

But setting the hotel is beautiful any time of year when it was built, architects perched the Olympic size swimming pool on a ledge with a view down the coast. Many rooms and condo units at the hotel offer a spectacular view because the ownership of the hotel is a higher altitude than most in the region of Carlsbad.

Our room was spacious, airy and decorated in pastel shades to complete the semi-tropical weather that is almost always sunny with moderate temperatures and breezes. Those who are familiar with the coastal weather in Southern California will not be surprised to see some overcast in the morning during the spring months "formidable marine layer, but the weather almost always clears in the afternoon.

If you have children, they will probably notice that the Grand Palisades has Legoland right next door. all designed around the lego theme "The major theme park" includes 50 rides.