Southern California Getaways:
Beyond the Urban Scene

Southern California offers an abundance of experiences that may be sampled on
short trips from cities like San Diego and Los Angeles. Here are several options
that will take you to deserts, ocean, mountains and places in between.

By: Maribeth Mellin and Cathy Cavender

 

In Carlsbad, Family Fun

You've got the theme park Legoland California for the children; golf courses, spas and outlet malls for the grown-ups; and plenty of sand for the whole family at this eclectic coastal city established by 19th-century Bavarian emigres -- and you don't even have to deal with Southern California traffic. Trains run along the beach from downtown San Diego to Carlsbad's convenient depot 35 miles north. Stay in town and take a taxi to Legoland (about $15) or hop public bus 321 (it doesn't run on Sundays). The beach is only a block away from the casual, pseudo-Tudor Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort (800-235-3939; www.carlsbadinn.com; rooms from $195), with its family-friendly kitchenettes and free use of beach toys, and there are abundant neighborhood restaurants and shops nearby. More Information: www.visitcarlsbad.com.

Savoring The Life

If you want a total escape with ample amusement and pampering, consider this completely refashioned resort playground on 400 acres in Carlsbad, about 40 miles north of downtown San Diego. Famous for its golf and tennis tournaments since opening in 1965, La Costa Resort (800-854-5000; www.lacosta.com, from $350) has evolved into a 21st-century destination with the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Hawaii-worthy pools and waterslides, several restaurants and blissfully serene Spanish-Mediterranean suites and villas. As the sun sets, guests gather around the BlueFire's outdoor fire pits to review the day's events over artisanal cheese and fresh California cuisine.

A Cultured City

Gracious and stylish Pasadena-- at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains about two and a half hours north of San Diego -- provides the backdrop for some of Southern California's most famous architectural landmarks and gardens, including the annual floral extravaganza known as the Tournament of Roses Parade in January. Craftsman-style homes line the streets of several neighborhoods. The nearby grande dame Langham Huntington Hotel (626-568-3900; www.pasadena.langhamhotels.com; from $319) opened in 1907; four years later it was bought by the founder of the nearby Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The center's combination of fine art (including Thomas Gainsborough's “Blue Boy”) and some 15,000 species of plants on nearly 120 acres is so overwhelming you'll want to reserve a spot for afternoon tea in the Rose Garden Tea Room (626-683-8131) just to recuperate.

Dana Point: A Seaside Village

Forty years ago Dana Point was a secret surfer paradise. Today this Orange County community on the Pacific's edge (just south of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach) combines sybaritic luxury with a New England-inspired harbor and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

To get there from San Diego, drive up Interstate 5 or take an Amtrak train to nearby San Juan Capistrano. Check out the mission -- to which the swallows famously return each spring -- and the town's historic district, then take a six-mile cab ride to Dana Point.

You can make reservations at the Dana Point Marina Inn (800-255-6843; www.danapointmarinainn.com; from $89), which overlooks the scenic harbor where 2,500 boats are moored. You can easily walk to shops and take advantage of the harbor's various recreational offerings -- boating, sport-fishing, whale-watching and the one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride to Santa Catalina Island. Children will enjoy the nearby Ocean Institute, which has tall ships and tide pools, and is open on weekends. There's surfing on nearby Doheny State Beach. Local restaurants include the informal Wind and Sea (949-496-6500), Jon's Fish Market (949-496-2807) for fish and chips, and the slightly more formal Harbor Grill (949-240-1416).If you're in the mood to indulge in the wealthy lifestyle, rent a car and head directly to one of the area's three luxurious resorts: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, the St. Regis Monarch Beach and, just up the road in Laguna Beach, Montage. All have ocean views and resorts where the fine art of pampering has been perfected.

I stayed at the St. Regis Monarch Beach (St. Regis Monarch Beach; 888-625-5144; www.stregismb.com; from $425), a sprawling, Tuscan-inspired resort with an 18-hole golf course, tennis, a gym, three swimming pools, a beach club and those ocean views. Admission to the excellent gym is free to guests, and nonguests who receive treatments are entitled to spend the entire day relaxing on the premises.

A 10-minute drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, Montage (866-271-6953; www.montagelagunabeach.com; from $595) has been showered with accolades since it opened five years ago. The Craftsman-style structure clings to the 50-foot-high ocean bluff, barely visible from the road. Even if you don't stay there, stop in to soak up the truly gorgeous Pacific views from the panoramic windows in the lobby, or enjoy dinner in the fine-dining room, Studio, or in The Loft, a more casual restaurant that serves sophisticated fare in an extremely relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.