As great as North Texas’ quality of life can be, the weather in late August isn’t anything to be celebrated. Our family does our best to escape to cooler climes at some point in late summer and find respite from the heat. This August, we were fortunate enough to explore Carlsbad, California, which had everything we sought and more.
As a family with two active five and seven-year-old boys, we almost exclusively travel to places where we can check all our boxes: adventure, activity, swimming, pleasant weather, animals, and great food. It isn’t always easy to find those things, but a quick flight to the West Coast delivered in a big way.
Carlsbad, California, is the kind of place where the tourism bureau proudly posts the daily temperature (nearly always in the 60s and 70s) and surf height. When you close your eyes and picture the rolling hills, Mediterranean and Mission architecture, perfect weather, cool sandy beaches, and laid-back lifestyle of Southern California, you may be picturing Carlsbad. It lacks all the traffic and hustle of its larger neighbors, San Diego and Los Angeles, but it still packs a punch in things to do and culinary delights.
We started our trip at the Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa, which offered access to multiple pools equipped with water slides and beautiful views of the rising ridges west of the resort. We took advantage of the region’s permanent patio weather to dine al fresco at the Westin’s 20 Twenty Grill, where I paired my Oaxaca Old Fashion with a hearty, succulent, and delicious Pork Osso Bucco. Being so close to the sea, we were inspired to share the ahi tuna ceviche, and my wife enjoyed her Diver Scallops.
The next morning allowed us to take advantage of one of the key attributes of the hotel and resort, what we told our boys was a “secret entrance” to Legoland. With two Lego-obsessed sons who also love roller coasters, there isn’t a place we could have taken them to make them much happier than Legoland. From the Westin, we simply walked across the parking lot to come into the back of the amusement park, where the “secret entrance” allowed us to take advantage of the rides at the back of the park (The Dragon was our favorite) before the masses have made it to the back.
We could have spent days at the park but did our best to explore, with Miniland, USA, being a highlight. Imagining the time and effort it took to recreate the skylines of New York, Las Vegas, and other cities with Legos was enough to make my head hurt, but the boys were amazed at the 500,000 Lego bricks it took to build SoFi Stadium or the tallest Lego building in the U.S., the One World Trade Center.
After a quick break and change back at the hotel, we finished the day at the park’s aquarium and water park. At Sea Life Aquarium, we watched a stingray feeding and walked through a tunnel surrounded by dozens of the aquarium’s 350 species of sea creatures. My five-year-old is the biologist of the bunch, and it made his day to hold a shark egg and handle sea urchins.
Even though the temperature hovered near 70 degrees, after a day of walking, we were ready to splash in Legoland’s waterpark, which has adventures for all ages. With pools, kiddie slides, and a lazy river for the less adventurous, there are also water slides high enough to see all the way back to the Westin Resort. We piled into a giant tube and slid nearly vertically on Orange Rush, and the boys could have spent all day racing each other down the exciting but not too scary Twin Chaser slides.
Legoland did the job of exhausting everyone, but we needed our energy for the next day when we explored Carlsbad State Beach and watched the surfers catch the consistent and rideable waves. Other options to get outside and see the environment are visiting the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, which is actually three separate lagoons connected to the ocean and an excellent place for fishing, paddleboarding, and seeing the wildlife. It is perfect for our five-year-old budding birder.
For something a bit more high-octane, California Watersports in Carlsbad offers wave runners, miniboats, speedboats, and two different sizes of pontoon boats for rent to explore the lagoons and enjoy the cool California breeze.
With all this activity, one needs to replenish their energy. For a smaller town with just over 100,000 people, it has a surprising number of independent coffee and ice cream shops. The beachside neighborhood of Carlsbad Village is a great place to walk around and soak in the vibes, with dining options as diverse as Himalayan Sherpa Cuisine and Shorehouse Kitchen (which has a dog menu). Steady State Roasting in Carlsbad Village is great for a tasty caffeine injection.
Our next stop took us to the luxurious 400-acre Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, situated at the end of Batiquitos Lagoon and another picturesque example of the prototypical So Cal charm. The 607-key resort’s Spanish Mission design was dotted with bougainvillea and palm trees, and our 3,000 square foot Presidential Suite gave our two boys their own queen beds while our massive primary suite was separated from the kids by a spacious family room equipped with a pool table and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the golf courses. My seven-year-old’s late-night trip to the bidet ended with quite a surprise when he “flushed” what he thought was the toilet and was sprayed in the face. We love to learn on vacation!
The resort has recently undergone a multi-million dollar renovation to reimagine the guest rooms, spa, golf facilities, and meeting spaces. The resort now has an expanded lobby, an adjacent bar, and an event center. With 70,000 feet of indoor and 100,000 square feet of outdoor event space, it has the largest resort meetings footprint in the western United States. It also has two presidential suites and a golf course that is the 2024 and 2025 host for the NCAA Golf Championships, so it checks all the boxes for corporate travelers as well. The hotel has two courses, the Legends and Champions courses. Tiger Woods is among the big names who have played and won there.
For family leisure travelers, take advantage of the Kidtopia childcare and get a round of golf or a lesson and match at the resort’s 12 tennis courts and six pickleball courts, including seven lighted tennis courts for evening rallies. I managed to sneak off to the resort’s well-equipped athletic club, which has boot camp, Pilates, and other fitness classes if you need some extra encouragement. Everyone can meet afterward for a swim in one of two pools and double water slides, where the poolside french fries are some of the best I have ever enjoyed.
When my wife returned from the resort’s extensive 43,000 square foot spa, she reported receiving one of the best massages of her life. The nation’s first ever resort spa offers complete salon services, skincare and facial treatments, and massages. It also has its own pool and lounging area, meditative walking path, cafe, and garden–a perfect escape from a busy family vacation or business meeting. The spa’s courtyard includes a pool, jacuzzi, outdoor waterfall shower, and herb garden as well.
For dinner, we could have opted for a taste of home, as there is a Bob’s Steakhouse location at the Omni La Costa, but we opted for another patio dinner overlooking the beautiful grounds at the aptly named Vue. My Shrimp Scampi hit the spot when paired with my Bulleit Bourbon Lion’s Tail cocktail, and my wife enjoyed her Chilean Sea Bass. With room to run and play for the boys down the stairs from the patio, we enjoyed the rare peaceful family dinner.
If you can tear yourself away from the resort, you are just a short drive from all that San Diego offers, including Torrey Pines, La Jolla, and the world-class San Diego Zoo. On our way out of town, we had to say hello to the harbor seals basking in the sun at Children’s Pool in La Jolla and then make a trip to Dog Beach, which is exactly what it sounds like. My seven-year-old dog-lover was in heaven, with dozens of unleashed and friendly pups to chase and play fetch amongst the calm waves.
Our long weekend in Carlsbad gave us much more than unforgettable family memories: it also gave us an itch to return for one of the best things to see in Carlsbad. We had just missed the blooms of the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. Every March through May, 50 acres of hillsides are covered with a rainbow of ranunculus flowers overlooking the coastline. The Flower Fields are nearly adjacent to Legoland and offer tractor rides, event and wedding hosting, and greenhouses to take in more natural beauty.
Though we were only there long enough to explore Carlsbad’s offerings, we experienced a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure. Long weekends away from home often take their toll on a family used to a certain level of routine, but Carlsbad had the opposite effect. My son provided the ultimate stamp of approval: as we settled into our Presidential Suite, my five-year-old asked if we could have our dog mailed to Carlsbad so we could live there forever.
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