Find quintessential SoCal in Carlsbad and come for the Flower Fields in spring

This article was first published in LA Travel Magazine print, summer 2022 edition. Carlsbad, California feels like the best of America due to its small-town laid-back feel and proximity to the ocean. Situated 30 mins north of San Diego and a couple hours south of LA, Carlsbad is a charming community with 7 miles of pristine beaches and picturesque hilly inland regions that make an … Continue reading Find quintessential SoCal in Carlsbad and come for the Flower Fields in spring

Melissa CurtinAugust 10, 2022Leave a comment

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BIG BIG Baja – 3 restaurants with below the border bites

After many years, I’m still thinking of one of the best lunches of my life in Baja California, Mexico, just outside Todos Santos at a restaurant called Jazamango by innovative creative Chef Javier Plascencia. Seated next to a lush garden, the restaurant offers up produce from a few feet away and seafood delights from the abundant and fruitful lands of Baja while the open outdoor … Continue reading BIG BIG Baja – 3 restaurants with below the border bites

Melissa CurtinMay 15, 2022May 18, 20221 Comment

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SoCal Staycation at Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa

Get to know Carlsbad That signature yummy white tea scent that Westin pumps in all their hotels greeted and energized us upon arrival to the soaring Christmas tree lobby. The clean and refreshing fragrance with notes of cedar and vanilla even permeated our face masks. After passing the expansive outdoor pool and jacuzzi, we had checked in at the perfect time because soon after, the … Continue reading SoCal Staycation at Westin Carlsbad Resort and Spa

Melissa CurtinDecember 29, 2021December 30, 20211 Comment

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Carlsbad, easy Southern California living

A little more than an hour’s drive from Malibu midday (or perhaps a short Metrolink ride for you), we found ourselves in Carlsbad for a winter weekend. The small southern California town in North San Diego County is 87 miles south of LA on the water. With no expectations of what the area might be like, we never imagined to repeatedly ask, “Why doesn’t Malibu … Continue reading Carlsbad, easy Southern California living

Melissa CurtinOctober 13, 2021October 13, 20211 Comment

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Escape LA: Carlsbad

Adulting is hard work. There’s a reason we turn to sites like this to guide us to the next Happy Hour, resort spa and bottomless mimosa brunch. Many Californians are forced into a life of labor, toiling sometimes as much as five days a week. Some have traded slumber to produce children, a hedge against poverty and loneliness in old age. And there are so, … Continue reading Escape LA: Carlsbad