Guys. California. I’ve been a couple times but this time just really pulled at my heart. It’s the first time we went as a family and I love EVERYTHING about it. It just feels like me, like us. The sun, the palm trees, the laid back beach loving vibe, the WEATHER, the people, the landscape, the restaurants, the streets…I just want a little abode by the beach, a beach cruiser for each of us, I want to learn how to surf, and spend time there.
This probably sounds crazy but it just feels so right there for me. We’ll move there eventually I know it, but for now, I want to tell you about our trip! We flew out to LA for work Brian had in Santa Monica. I wasn’t too sure how the long flight would go over with Brian and Grace but I’m happy to report it was a breeze. At the fifth hour, Brian and I looked at each other and our jaws dropped. How the heck was this happening?? Every other flight we took with them had been pretty brutal but this was a pleasure! They each had their ipads, headphones, snacks, new toys and were happy as clams. Thanks to my readers who all gave me such great travelling tips which you can read about here.
We spent a few days in Santa Monica, and actually, we hit a cold and cloudy rain spell so we made the best of it and headed to Disneyland on our first day. We had no clue what to do but it was only a 45-minute drive and with the rain, there were no lines! We’ll never forget our first trip to Disney, it poured on us at times but we all got Mickey ponchos and had the best day ever! We were there from about 12:00-4:30 and it was perfect. I picked up those bento box lunches from Starbucks on the way, lots of waters and juice boxes and we just had fun. I can’t wait to go back!
On Day 2 we had a work event with Big B, and my friend Cooper set me up with one of her friends who babysat for us, it worked out so well and we were able to hang out with dear friends who live out it Cali and go to probably the chic-est party I’ve been to in a while. Mama had fun 😉
On Monday we packed up and headed south to La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. When I had mentioned a couple of months back that we were looking for a family-friendly spot in Southern California a sweet reader wrote me and let me know she had just come back from a wonderful vacation at LJBTC and said it was so perfect for kids. I immediately looked into it and knew it was the spot for us. Before I get into it, I know the people who are loyal and repeat visitors are going to hate this blog post because it truly is a hidden gem. It’s situated in this really nice area of La Jolla, La Jolla Shores, which has a sweet little village filled with restaurants, shops, ice cream, playground, etc…all in short walking distance. We walking into down every morning for coffee and scones at Brick & Bell and several times at night for dinner. We stayed in a two bedroom suite on the beach, and the room had everything we needed to feel right at home. A full kitchen, two full bathrooms, and a view of the sunset like I’ve never seen. They also have a gym, heated pool, room service, tennis courts, par 3 golf course, club restaurant, and the famous Marine Room restaurant which served up quite possibly one of the best meals of our lives! The view is incredible, the ocean is lit up at night and the waves crash onto the restaurant, if you go, sit by the window!
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is a private club, with all of the amenities and lodging open to guests, which makes it unique. Often times, clubs like these are ☠ to outsiders like us, but at this place you’re welcomed right in! The staff is SO friendly and everything you need is there, you can literally be doing laundry (which I so appreciate being on a beach vacation) and ordering a Mai Tai from your beach chair seconds later.
One of the nights we invited some friends of ours to the club and took advantage of the beach BBQ they offer. They set us a beautiful table for us, and made a three-course dinner on the beach at sunset. It was SO cool! You can also grill yourself if you want but we just wanted to hang out so they did it all for us (lazy I know).
What I really liked about this spot was that it had the luxuries of a resort AND the comforts of home which is hard to come by. I also felt like we were immersed in SoCal culture. It was neat to be around members (who were all so kind) and visitors who clearly LOVE this place. The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and it was the perfect location for exploring. We actually didn’t venture too far away from La Jolla, we felt like there was enough to do between the village, beach, and the downtown area. The kids had a blast and we will most certainly be back! In the summer they have a kids camp, sign us up!
