Coastal Cities of California

We fell into this one like a charm; Chuck was doing his usual nocturnal searches on the internet and landed the club for a week for $200; need I say more? We had visited so many time shares in the past who tried to get us to buy in, but both of us were never terribly tempted. I would do only one thing differently and that is fly instead of drive.

The Southern California Beach Club is a little gem of shrimp colored studios, one- and two-bedroom suites that sit right on the ocean. And I mean, right on the ocean, so that if you are looking outside your balcony, your eyes will be drawn to the horizon and the restless movement of the water, the penguin like figures of the surfers and the pigeon gatherings on wet sand. Being on the second level is definitely an advantage because of the balcony situation; it's also closer to the library which is one level up. And the jacuzzi which never worked when I wanted to be in it.

The resort is of older construction, and does not attract the jet set, so to speak. But we were tickled just to have been able to get that week, and it was one of the most restful and rejuvenating we'd had in a long time.

We had the one-bedroom studio, which was well furnished and had just about anything you need in a kitchen except the food. You receive an in-room inventory list which has 40 or so items to include all silverware, flatware, dishes, pots, coffee maker, toaster and tea kettle, blender, and can opener. Bilingual (Spanish). There are other things for your convenience, like iron, extra pillows, blankets, coasters and table matas, and towels are changed twice a week, and housekeeping is done twice a week.

During orientation, we learned about beach activities and tours that are organized by the Club, including a visit to Mexico. Never got to try the boogie boards! Some of the activities have children in mind, as this is a very family oriented resort.

We had our welcome breakfast on Monday; at noon they were offering a flower pot painting activity for $3. Tuesday, you could participate in making a sand dollar and have Good Humor bars after lunch. For $4, you could partake of a lasagna dinner on the fourth floor, but with so many fabulous restaurants in the area, we skipped it. Thursday is the Farmer's Market experience, which is within walking distance if you feel vigorous. Free popcorn and a movie, usually rated PG or PG13 might be fun for the kiddies in the afternoon. Sign up is mandatory if you want to participate. Part of the amenities are dining discounts they give you for some of the local restaurants. Mary Kay Cosmetics also offers a free facial and makeover and a $10 gift certificate toward purchase of any MK cosmetics.

Zinc is a very attractive, al fresco, health-conscious eatery located in the heart of the Cedros Design District in Solana Beach. It's about a 20 minute drive from Oceanside and is well worth the trip. Don't even think that you'll be here for an hour or so; you might spend at least half a day in one design center. But you will get hungry, and to satisfy the urge, Zinc, and other eateries on So Cedros are more than happy to accommodate.

The aroma of freshly brewed beans drew me here, and I eyed the menu and took less than a minute to decide. I ordered two "Buffalo Mozzarella" sandwiches, which are served on baguettes with buffalo mozzarella, basil, tomato, and mayonnaise. I had a steaming latte and Chuck had soda. All for approximately $20.

The eating area is protected by some market umbrellas, but we both wanted the warmth of the sun and opted for a shadeless table near the sidewalk.

The food is extremely fresh and well prepared. Here are some of the other things offered by Zinc:

Personal-size pizzas, which they call pizzette, and which are topped with 8 or 10 different flavors; you can choose eggplant, pesto (basil, pine nuts, and goat cheese), for those of us on diets, there is no cheese-low fat vegetable pizza with seasoned tomato spread and baked veggies, the Southwestern which looked good, but sounded a bit loaded for that early in the day. You can also have potato and arugula, which is a novel idea, which are mixed with white cheddar, chili, and vinaigrette. The kid's pizza is just mozzarella cheese and costs $5.25. A bargain by today's standards.

$6.95 will buy you a Soup and Salad Plate served with french roll and gouda cheese. All the sandwiches are meatless including the Zinc Burger which is a vegetarian patty; or you can have the Brie, or Egg Salad.

Iced drinks include tea, coffee, espresso blends, yoghurt smoothies, lemonade spiked with mint and ginger, and juices. Hot beverages are the usual hot teas, chai, coffees, espressos, and blends, and soy milk, of which I've grown very fond lately.

They can help you kill your diet with their brownies, fruit tarts, cookies and rice puddings.

Zinc has three locations; the other two are in Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar.

If you're going to the Greek Paradise restaurant for lunch, chances are that you won't need a reservation. However, when they are having the belly dancer or a special theme night, I recommend you call ahead because the restaurant is actually quite small. We had dinner here one evening, without reservations actually. We had been out most of the day, and this restaurant is about a 3 minute drive from the resort.

The Greek Paradise has all the signs of being a family operated business, with Mama doing the cooking, daughter serving, and Papa being gregarious with the regulars when they come in. The menu is simple, but does not overlook the essentials. As a matter of fact, if you are planning to visit the area, you can enjoy a discount coupon for the restaurant.

One of the most enjoyable ways to have Greek food is to take advantage of their mezedes. This is the Greek version of tapas, and if you have a mixed platter, you will not only satisfy your hunger, but your palate will be grateful, as there will not be a single assault of a particular food. You will get dolmas, which are vine leaves stuffed with a rice mixture and rolled, and cooked very slowly for many hours. The Egyptian version of this food includes chopped meat, pine nuts, and lots of lemon. The plate will also have spanakopita (filo dough formed in triangles and filled with spinach/cheese, usually Greek feta, marinated black olives, and chunks of feta), tzaziki (yoghurt with onions and cucumbers, not unlike the Indian Raita), and melitzanosalata (pureed eggplant with sauce and spices, a fabulous substitute for babaganoush, which I adore). You can dip your pita bread and go to heaven with that. Also to die for, and great as a dip, is the taramasalata, which is caviar mousse or fish roe, which is lightly seasoned with lemon and delicious. You can sample this if you have a good international grocery in your area. It comes in small 8 oz. jars.

It is also customary, in Greek restaurants, to get a plate full of fresh vegetables, like celery sticks, carrots, radish, scallions, cucumbers as a free appetizer before the meal. However, if you are having mezedes, don't expect to get this as well.

Syrupy baklava is available for dessert, as well as kataifi with sweet cream. Too rich but definitely recommended, if you've never had any. Make sure to have plenty of water around to wash down the honey.

Very pleasant experience.

Talk about a cultural bazaar! I knew nothing about it, much less about Solana Beach, but I learn fast and despite my best efforts, could not avoid spending three hours in the Leaping Lotus. Only those folks who have experienced this area, and are nuts about cultural expressions, will understand.

You need to make a quick decision as to whether you want to spend your time looking at cutting edge designs, in which case you can visit "Muttropolis" which was created by the McCulley Group. It's about dogs. Or you can knock yourself senseless, as we did, trying to cover the multitude of retail operations who carry antiques, artisan's wares from around the world, or you can just go up and down the sidewalk on Cedros Avenue, and note the venues where you'd like to spend more time.

Unfortunately, we tried the latter, but neither one of us has enough discipline to keep walking. The names of the shops can be deceiving at times; for instance, Birdcage is not at all what I envisioned it to be -- it's more of a home decor place with luxurious linens, European ceramics, pillows, lamps. If you like pine cones and wreaths and that sort of stuff, Birdcage will appeal to you. Then there was Frangipani, which could have been a perfume store, but turned out to be an "everything Hawaiian" shop. It was fun, since we had just returned from Honolulu not long ago. If you don't yet own a sarong, this is a good place to get one as they have ample varieties.

Most of our time was divided between the Leaping Lotus and the Antique Warehouse. Sometimes, we would just split up and re-une a couple of hours later. What is very exciting about the "LL" (leaping lotus) is that it’s huge; it’s housed on two floors and is home to 95 separate vendors who are required to not carry redundant merchandise. We agonized over the African masks, and finally came home with one who had a slight cut on his/her lip. We saw the renowned "Belly Up" nightclub from the outside, but it was too early for anything significant. I heard they know how to party in there.

Whether it’s serious shopping you are after, or a very entertaining day, the Cedros Design District is a collaborative effort whose result is outstanding.

This pier has been built no less than five times, and it wasn't always in this location. It enjoys the repute of being the longest pier on the West Coast. No matter what time of day we walked here, there was always a multitude of people, walking, gazing at the indefatigable surfers, fishing, eating, talking to the birds and each other. At the very end of the pier lies Ruby's Restaurant which is a story onto itself.

We were surprised to see names etched on the horizontal wooden planks all the way from beginning to end. We learned that they were the names of all the citizens who helped restore the pier in the late 1980's by either donating money or effort. Midway through the pier, is a small retail store selling fishing supplies and drinks, etc.

The pier had its modest beginnings in 1888 when it was just an ordinary metal plank which was transformed into a 1200 foot length which would be gradually destroyed over the next couple of years. Three more valiant tries were made using the original and then iron pilings, when once again, nature's wrath had its way with it in 1902. Soon after rebuilt it would lose up to half of its length until the sixth time in 1987, where it remains as it was until today.

One of the vivid memories of our time on the pier was this incredible tri-color pelican who was putting on a show for all who cared to watch. It was interesting to follow his movements, for he felt there was not enough attention, he would freeze on his perch and patiently wait until all eyes were turned on him. Then he would swoop down and come around the pier and land perfectly from where he had taken off. Another pelican at the end of the pier, was not so lucky; he appeared to be hurt and unable to fly. He was dark and gloomy and he appeared cold. How does one rescue a pelican? I'm always tempted to take home all sorts of helpless creatures.

Since you don't need a permit here to fish, everyone was trying his/her luck. An enormous algae formation had attached itself onto one of the pilings, and from my standpoint, it was positively artistic. See the photo below, and think it over.

Posted alongside of the rails were signs that said "no gaffing for mussels". We were both very amused with this word, as neither one of us had heard of it before.

You can spend hours on this pier just looking at the horizon, or to either side to watch the waves unfurl on the beach. There were not many bathers, but the surfers were out in full force most of the time. It does get a bit chilly, so bring a shawl or light jacket.

Carlsbad saved the day for me! I am sure that people visit this city for much more than French pastry, but I must tell you that I drove Chuck literally buggy because I could not find croissants anywhere in Oceanside, Encinitas, Leucadia, and I absolutely refused to go all the way to San Diego for a bakery. How was this possible? Let me tell you first about this place, then we'll talk a little bit about the things that people really want to see in Carlsbad.

I am a strong believer that if you ask, you are bound to get a correct answer from someone; Chuck on the other hand, prefers not to ask, but relies on his instinct. Needless to say, when the instinct is wearing thin, we pull over and ask. It was a gloriously sunny morning, and this made the search somewhat tolerable. We were not getting very reliable information, but as we circled around Carlsbad, I got a glimpse of some "très chic" boutiques, art galleries --in short, things I'd get out of the car for, but not this morning.

Carlsbad Village Drive is like a strip mall in the back of nowhere, and forgive my candor, but it also looks like nothing. It has no color, no "come here" appeal in any of its shops. However, we had finally found the hangout of one Olivier Baudier, who is the French pastry chef, along with Eric Briens. From the outside, it didn't look particularly inviting, but once inside, the aroma was fatal. I knew I'd get my croissants and (who guessed?) maybe some of those marvelous fruit tarts that glared behind the glass refrigerator. Not only were there croissants, but those elusive "brioches" which are hard to find in some bakeries. Pain au chocolat is available, but I skipped on that; eclairs also on hand with vanilla or chocolate creme inside. Baguettes in every which size, flutes and dinner rolls. Ok, I was happy. Now we could move on.

Carlsbad, in my limited knowledge of the area, is known for its spas (as in the famous La Costa Resort) and Legoland, neither of which we visited. The downtown area is very lovely, and looks a bit like a French resort town by the sea. If you are seriously interested in vacationing here, please call the Convention & Visitors Bureau 1-800-227-5722 or +1-760-434-6093.

As a last minute thing, for lovers of flowers, the Flower Fields Marketplace is one of the nation's largest growers and caters to retail florists.

A place like Bamboo and Beyond is one that we visit without giving a second thought. Ever since our love affair began with Indonesia more than three years ago, we have not been able to not immerse ourselves into an emporium that will take us back, if only momentarily, to a piece of paradise that was Bali. The owner of the shop, coincidentally, also was a victim of the Indonesian charm, and exotic style. And she chooses her merchandises meticulously, as everything we saw and touched brought back a temple, a monument, an offering of some kind.

The shop is nestled at the far corner of a strip mall, one of many on South Coast Highway. You could miss it if you are not looking carefully. Actually, we had been to what looked like a flea market in Encinitas, and there were vendors of just about every kind of art, including a watercolorist who wanted to be eccentric. At the market, we were drawn by the Balinese temple shapes of the lanterns, and the bamboo tables; as we approached, the young woman who was minding the stall told us about the shop and its infinite variety of goods. On our return trip, we stopped in and browsed and talked to the owner for a long time.

Of particular interest are the carvings; some intricate, some not so. Most of the ones here were of mahogany; in Bali, they use different woods for different effects. Sandalwood is ubiquitous and so is dark cherry wood. There are light switch covers which are quite charming; furniture for outdoors such as bamboo dining sets with grass umbrellas; bars/stools; complete living room sets in miniature (we actually bought ours in Cannery Row); the prices were fair at the time, but I imagine since the difficulties arose with going to Bali freely, it must have gotten slightly more expensive.

If you are in these parts and want to meet the owner, Barbara Anderson, give a call ahead at 760-433-08424.