Guest Suggestions
These are all reviews and recommendations from past guests that have stayed at our beachfront vacation rentals! Read on for great restaurant recommendations, interesting and different things to do in San Diego, and inspiring accounts of vacations spent on the beach!
We love staying in Oceanside! One of our favorite things to do on vacation is shop. There is plenty of shopping to be done at the nearby Carlsbad Premium Outlets! Open daily, you will enjoy shops such as Banana Republic, Reebok, or Carters. If it is food you are looking for, there are also places to grab a bite like Rubio’s, Panda Express or Haagen Dazs! Just a few mile drive from our condo’s!
[...] Here at Go San Diego Travel Blog, we’re all about helping you make the most of your trip to San Diego. And if that means helping you win a free weekend getaway at a post oceanfront property, then we’re on the case. So, today I’d like to point you over to Beachfront Only’s visitor contest. [...]
JOURNAL ENTRY 1/3/08: INSPIRATIONAL DAY IN OCEANSIDE!
This is the first day of our vacation and we are up in time to do some THAI CHI on the beach at sunrise! We then walked to Pier View Way and Tremont to enjoy mingling with the locals at the Thursday morning MAINSTREET MARKET. This CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET has a sumptuous choice of farm fresh, organically grown produce and a glorious selection of homegrown flowers. Our breakfast consisted of a mouth watering, diverse selection of prepared foods. It was really inspiring to browse and shop the many booths exhibiting works of local artists.
We then drove out Mission Ave. about five mile east of Hwy. 5 to visit MISSION SAN LUIS REY de FRANCIA, the largest of the California Missions. The expansiveness of the architecture, the extraordinary treasures held within and the peaceful, inspirational surroundings made this a very special stop.
On the way back from the mission we nearly missed the Mesa Drive turnoff for the ROSICRUCIAN FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS. It is located on a bluff with a very dramatic view of the valley. We knew that the Fellowship’s goal is to unite Christianity with science and we were looking forward to this visit with a great deal of curiosity. We attended one of the two daily inspirational services offerred to visitors; spent time in the bookstore and then thoroughly enjoyed walking the many pathways around this very special sanctuary.
We had to hurry to make it to the PRINCE OF PEACE ABBEY, a Benedictine Monestary, in time to hear the Monks chanting during 5:00 Vespars. The Abbey sits on a bluff overlooking the San Luis Rey River Valley and the ocean….a breathtaking view and an inspiring service!
Back at our Pacific St. Bungalow just as the sun set, we savored our dinner of organic fruit and vegetables; meditated doing YOGA on our deck and reflected upon the many inspirational moments in our day. With those thoughts and the sound of the pounding surf outside our sliding doors, I think we will sleep well tonight!
http://www.princeofpeaceabbey.org
http://www.sanluisrey.org
http://www.rosicrucian.com
Hands down, Harbor Fish & Chips is my absolute favorite spot to get my eat on in Oceanside! I have had my fair share of authentic fish ‘n chips and I must say that Harbors’ blows them all right out of the bloody water, mate! Big pieces of fresh Alaskan Cod battered and fried to juicy perfection, with ‘chips’ that are out of this world! If you are looking to kick back and relax, sip on a cold, frosty bev or just simply pop in to eat some of the best fish ‘n chips this side of the ocean, Harbor F&C is your ideal destination. Sit outside and enjoy the great views of the harbor. Or perhaps share a scrumptious plate of the fried zucchini with a pal, or indulge in a cup of their fantastic clam chowder. The locals can’t seem to get enough of their famous cole slaw, either, so be sure to try it for yourself so you can find out what all the hype is about! Whether you are taking the kids out for a dinner or flying solo during lunch hour, you can’t go wrong with this place – it definitely floats my boat!
If you are staying at one of the great beach front homes in Encinitas, and want to keep up your workout routine so you keep up with the hard bodies you see on the beach, head over to the Family Fitness Gym on Santa Fe Avenue. The facility is well run, very clean, and the staff is very friendly. If you are not a Family Fitness member, the gym is happy to offer you a one-week membership for very low cost. One year they gave me the one-week membership for free simply because I made a donation to the U.S. Olympic team. This is s a great way to stay in shape and have fun while you are on vacation.
I have been vacationing in San Diego for 27 years but for the last three summers I have enjoyed staying at Beach Front Only properties. The condos are wonderful, staff is great, beach is clean, quiet and family oriented. No need to do much except enjoy, but if you are in the mood for wandering, here are some of my many recommendations.
* Del Mar Race Track- Events/ car shows/dog shows/ conventions/ concerts and all kinds of events happening through the year. Opening day at the Races is in July 2008
Take the surfliner coaster from practially any location, get picked up by a double decker roofless bus, with a ukele playing bus driver and be dropped off right at the entrance. Fridays have free concerts after the races.
* Hot Air Baloon rides in Del Mar at sunrise and sunset!
Encinitas/Luecadia:
* Self Realization Center Koi Garden, great views, very peacful, located on the 101
* The Potato Shack, great food and loads of it, for a good price, and they have manhole pancakes!
* Swami’s Cafe…. named after the famous surf spot across the street. Organic, delicious, exotic healthy food with garden like outdoor seating! (Definitely check the surf spot out – great views)
*Cardiff Dog Beach….amazingly enough hardly anybody here, depending on what time you go, you may have the beach to yourself, fun friendly people, if there are any, and friendly dogs. All dogs are on leash. At the south end of the beach there are tide pools with all kinds of sea animals to check out!
* Las Olas- Fantastic mexican seafood, very happening place, always busy, but fun atmostphere and you can look at the ocean from there. Located on the 101 accross from Cardiff Beach.
* D-Street Bar and Grill, a flat screenTVwith surfing videos, sports and videos playing every where you look, usually have live music on the weekends, or at least a DJfor dancing, nice big booths availble if you get there before 8:00 p.m. Really delicious food.
*101 Bizare every Saturday & Sunday on the 101 just south of Encinitas Blvd. Fun stuff.
* Encinitas/ Luecadia Farmer’s market every Saturday
* Art Gallerys- There are at least 3 art gallerys on the 101 in Encinitas, easy to spot.
* 101 Cafe – great personalities will be serving you, great shakes/w burgers and fries…total diner atmosphere!
*Juanita’s- Biggest, best and cheapest burritos around, open until 3:00 a.m. Local favorite, usually a line out the door, but they’re fast so do not be deterred! Located on the 101 in between Luecadia Blvd. and Encinitas Blvd.
*La Especial Del Norte- Best Tortilla soup in San Diego located just south of Luecadia Blvd. on the 101.
* The Luecadian, local dive bar, feels like you are in the bottom of a pirate ship, several pool tables, cheap cocktails, usually have some sort of live music, and definitely great people watching! Located on the 101 just south of La Costa Blvd.
* Leucadia Donut Shop…Best donut you will ever have…but better get there early or else there will only be scraps left….local favorite! Worth the drive and the calories. You always get something free with your order. Located on the 101 just south of La Costa Blvd.
Carlsbad:
Downtown Carlsbad has great gems and a very comfortable atmosphere!
* Dinis Restaurant & Bar with ocean view, delicous meals, in the restaurant, with/ indoor outdoor seating, and a fun and fiesty bar with awesome bar food, particularly the wings…gets packed with people of all ages! Located on the 101 just south of Carlsbad Village Dr.
*Carlsbad Farmer’s Market Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Flowers, local organic produce, a homemade fudge stand, hand made jewlery, awesome tamales, and fresh baked specialty breads. This is a quaint local place to find some great stuff.
*Ocean House on the 101 and Carlsbad Village Drive- Live music from local bands and later on in the evening dancing.
* Tai Show- Best sushi around
* The Coyote just below Tai Show – Kareoke, dancing, fire pits and fun for all ages!
*Peabody’s- Mello dive bar, with great food and cheap cocktails. Sunday’s they have a build your own Bloody Mary bar with every fixin you could imagine only for $3
* Tom Giblin’s Irish Pub on Grand – reat times , good people, authentic Irish food and the staff is primarily from Ireland as well. Live Irish music on Friday nights.
*Pollos Maria- Great food, fire pits, off the beaten path, not ever too busy, and super fast. They have beer as well, but it is not a bar.
*Just walk the boardwalk……..lots to see….on weekend early evenings at the north end there are usually interesting people/groups to watch such as the bubble lady or the percussion band or the man with the exotic birds – never know who will show up…great place to watch the sun set – you might just see the “green light” as the sun dips into the horizon.
Oceanside:
* Beach Break Cafe, awesome Mom and Pop breakfast joint, super busy all the time, but delicious food, well worth the wait. Make sure to check out the bathroom…it’s quite a site to see! Located on the 101 just north of Carlsbad.
*101 Cafe in Oceanside…….old school diner, historic, great food.
Enjoy North County beach locales……..nothing better. I’m looking forward to my next trip out! Thanks Beach Front Only properties!
I was a bit sceptical as I am a travel consultant and I know that “everyone’s” website looks great, but when you get there, it isn’t always what you expected! But Beachfront Only lived up to the expectations! Our condo was right on the beach and our grandchildren loved it!!! We really enjoyed our stay and found great places to eat, when we weren’t BBQing on the patio! I highly suggest their properties!
Wow, what a week! Initally, I booked our trip and intended to stay a the property located at 835 S. Pacific. However, after settling in and unpacking the groceries, we noticed a gas odor in the unit. We called and informed Beachfront Only we were instructed to vacate the unit ASAP (evidently, the service order earlier that week to fix the gas hadn’t been completed.) So, unfortunately, or shall I say forrtunately, we packed our bags and left. Well, there the four of us stood, (my husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and me) in a parking lot, by our rental car, thousands of miles from home and nowhere to stay. Uncertaintly as to where we’d be housed the rest of our vacation, we received a phone call from Beachfront Only staff member (Diwanda sp??) advising us to relocate to property approx. 4 blocks north ofwhere we were. When we arrived there, the owners had decided to stay, so obviously, we couldn’t. Things were going down hill, but we received another call from Diwanda (I apologize if this is wrong) and she asked that we go to 813 B S. Pacific. Well, need I say more? The property was amazing. All of us looked at each other and thought, can we really be staying in this luxorious condo? From the comfortable decor, to the jacuzzi on the patio, to the awesome patio furniture and personal grill and gorgious kitchen. Everything was absolutley awesome! We truly needed this Incredible get away. The privacy was truly amazing and the sunsets were a priceless bonus! Relaxation was exactly what the doctor orderd and that is what we did.
As far as helpful tools, the information binder on the island was a tremendously beneficial. We were able to easily obtain Sunday church services, visits to local stores, area restaurants and local attractions by utilizing this valuable book.
Food, other than cooking out on the patio, Anita’s was our favorite restaurant in Oceanside. Great authentic Mexican food….delicious!
Area attractions, since my mother-in-law doesn’t walk easily, so we drove all over the city and enjoyed the sites. However, my husband and I loved spending time walking the beach along the pacific. HIs first experience doing this.
Thank you for making our week so enjoyable. We hope to come back with more of the family sometime soon. The staff at Beachfront Only did an amazing job in coming to our resuce in our time of need and making sure we had a fabulous place to stay in Oceanside. We appreciated your hard work and compassion in seeing that all of us were taken care of. Kuddo’s to all of you! We hope to do business with you again.
God bless,
The Jordan’s
Two summers ago we stayed at 950 Neptune and wow, what a gorgeous house this was. The sunsets on the deck, over looking the the ocean up on the cliff were magnificent every single night. Let’s not forget to mention the putting green right off the deck. Gave us a chance to brush up before teeing off.
All the kids walked down to the beach and “chillaxed” the day away, skim boarding (they bought the board at the Progression Surf Shop down the hill), boogie boarding you name it. We frequented the local hispanic market down on Leucadia for all the food we didn’t bring with us.
The wives loved the Farmer’s Market and the men thoroughly enjoyed playing golf at Encinitas Ranch… Beautiful course. Would definitely play again if we had the chance.
All in all, to quote your Governor… “We’ll Be Back”
This property is no longer 396 Neptuen Ave, It is grandmas
beach house. It was the funnest time my 15 member family
has efer experienced. The property is located so central that it
takes 15 to 25 minutes to get to all the amusement parks.
Great view of the sunset, and great beach for gathering
sea shells for the grand kids. I recomend BeachFront Only
properties to anyone. In fact we have all ready booked for
next year.
John Houston
Hello, ladies! So you’re on vacation and you want to be pampered. Save some money and vist Monica at For the Love of Skin. (www.fortheloveofskin.com) You can recieve to top quality facial or body wrap! The highest end product Yonka Paris is used. All first time cilents will reveive 50% off! So, go get a $120 facial for half the cost. Then, take the $60 you saved and spend it on dinner on the ocean. For the Love of Skin provides services out of Envision Salon & Spa. Don’t worry, it will be the best facial you will have ever received! For the Love of Skin is located 5 miles inland from the Interstate 5 on Palomar Airport Rd!