Find Hidden Treasures Along San Diego’s North Coast

I’m not sure if I have ever encountered a resort with its own signature scent, but the sweet-smelling kai jasmine aroma that permeates the common areas of the Park Hyatt Aviara is only one of the many sensory experiences awaiting its guests. Finding the hilltop resort is only part of the discovery that awaits. Winding upward past impressive estates leads to a hidden paradise that offers sweeping lagoon and ocean vistas. Located on 250 acres drenched in lush landscaping and populated by singing birds is the resort’s centerpiece—the Arnold Palmer-designed golf course that serves as the prestigious home of the annual LPGA Kia Classic, as well as a world-class tennis facility that has been voted one of the nation’s “Top 50.”

The resort also offers the luxurious 15,000-square-foot Aviara Spa with 20 treatment rooms (including deluxe couples’ suites), several dining options from a new lobby marketplace to fine dining, and two pools—one for the adults with a tucked away Jacuzzi and bar and one for families that offers summer dive-in movies, casual dining and water splash play areas.

Although there are many prestigious Park Hyatt designated resorts in Europe and Asia, there are only five in the United States, with Aviara reining as the only Park Hyatt in the western states. The stringent requirements demand the top echelon of service and amenities which is felt throughout your stay, from shoes shined to personal escort to your room on check-in. Your personal shuttle is waiting to take you to dinner at the resort’s Argyle, a steak house with decadent choices from the type of grilling rub to sauce, to dine while watching the sun set over the 18^th green. The resort’s shuttle is also waiting to take beach-goers to family-friendly Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, a hassle-free way to enjoy the beauty of the San Diego coast without vying for parking with summer beach goers.

Finding more treasures

While you could very well make the Park Hyatt Aviara your only vacation destination, venturing out close by will uncover additional rewards. Northern San Diego’s charming beachside communities straddling the coast from Oceanside to La Jolla may represent the laid-back beach and ocean lifestyle of the past the best. Instead of strip malls and cookie cutter developments, you will discover funky beach-inspired shops, locals’ cafes and coffee shops, plus miles and miles of sandy beaches. It’s all here from cultural treasures to surfboards. What unites them all is this historic ribbon of road as well as the surf-hugging Coaster train and the train-track bordering Coastal Rail Trail, a 12-foot-wide, 33-mile trail that has become a haven for joggers and bicyclists and a recreational destination in itself.

Solana Beach expedition

Nearby Solana Beach captures the authentic, unique allure of the coast. Highly walkable and hike-able, Solana Beach fills its 3 ½ square miles with everything you might want along the historic highway.  The Cedros Design District, home to Aaron Chang’s surf art gallery, is a two-block shopping mecca of brightly painted industrial buildings hosting more than 85 unique shops from art galleries and home décor to spas, cafés and even wine tasting. (Images courtesy of Visit Solana Beach)

The Carruth Winery along this shopping thoroughfare is an unassuming and surprising urban wine tasting stop. Named the “Cellar on Cedros,” the small warehouse-style space does the entire wine experience minus growing the grapes, from crushing to bottling, within the tasting space. Settle in, watch the process and enjoy a glass or a bottle.

To explore, grab a beach cruiser and take a leisurely pedal along the Coastal Rail Trail, which connects Solana Beach to the neighboring cities of Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside. Cruise past the city’s interesting collection of public artwork along the way.

Some call it a myth, but locals know the green flash post-Solana Beach sunset is the real deal. Pick up a burrito from the Roberto’s Mexican Food then make your way to Fletcher Cove Park or Tide Beach Park for a front-row seat to one of the most stunning sunsets you’ll ever see.

Enchanting Encinitas

Another close by side trip is Encinitas, known for both its stellar surf and flowing fields of flowers. Encinitas is one of the most funky beach communities along this stretch of coast with popular beaches including family-friendly Moonlight and Swami’s Beach—the inspiration for the Beach Boys’ hit, “Surfin’ USA.” Interesting shops and cafes lodged in artsy cottages give downtown Encinitas its laid-back, nostalgic character. While here, checkout the still-operating La Paloma Theater that has a history reaching back to the 1920s. Encinitas is also home to the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden that hosts some of the most exotic plants in the world, including the largest bamboo collection in the United States.

After a movie or day of exploring, plan dinner or drinks at hospitable Solace & the Moonlight Lounge situated in Pacific Station, a LEED-certified mixed use project in the heart of downtown Encinitas. Near Moonlight Beach, the rustic multi-level restaurant with magical vistas offers creative American cuisine.  Oyster lovers will want to get in on “Dollar Oysters” from 3 to 6 p.m. daily.

Colorful Carlsbad

 Growers’ flower fields ablaze in color and a quaint European village with boutiques and bistros await visitors in the idyllic beach town. Nestled on prime coastal property, the city has become well known in recent years for family-friendly LEGOLAND, but its natural beauty highlighted by miles of sandy beaches, hiking trails, some of nature’s freshest organic harvests and three lagoons filled with migrating wildlife has always drawn visitors who seek the less traveled coast.

Not far from Carlsbad’s flower fields is a unique museum find dedicated to the intriguing history of music. The Museum of Making Music, a division of the NAMM Foundation, is hidden in a sleek commercial center at NAMM headquarters. The unique museum’s exhibits depict the hard work, challenges and inspiration of those who have made music through the ages. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. (Images by Kathy Strong)

Wandering the village boutiques and stopping for a bite or drink along the way is another off-the-sand pleasure in Carlsbad. Stop by lunch in one of the most unusual new eateries here—Campfire. If the name conjures tents and roasting s’mores over an open campfire, then you have the idea behind the innovative and rustic restaurant with teepee on the patio and a much more gourmet idea of the marshmallow chocolate treat. Adjacent to Campfire is a recently opened sister tasting room for Carruth Cellars in Solana Beach. The open-air, intimate area is perfect for a glass of wine to toast your outing.