Backyard Travels: Oceanside

For the first time that day, both of the Graham children were completely silent. As the sun slipped behind the pier and rested atop the ocean, the sky caught fire and covered our faces in flower-petal orange. Daylight slowly faded, and we all felt the urge to whisper, like a quiet, meaningful moment had passed among everyone sitting together, here on the beach.

That moment is a nightly ritual for folks who live and visit Oceanside, a quaint but bustling little gem of a town tucked just below the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. While the military presence is undeniable (you'll find lots of military surplus shops in town), the vibe here is distinctly "aloha."

The scenic centerpiece in town is the wooden 1,942-foot Oceanside Pier, which juts out into the Pacific to give landlubbers a far-reaching view of surfers Hanging 10 and dolphins passing through the waves. Hungry ocean-gazers and fisher folks can duck into Ruby's Diner to sip chocolate shakes as they soak up the views.

Sunsets and the more than three miles of beaches are prime and pristine in Ocanside, but there are other pursuits here, too. Families can hole up to rejuvenate after treks to nearby Disneyland, Legoland, the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Or better yet, just stay in town and relax. History buffs should download the Historic Photo Walk (www.msoceanside.com) brochure to find out where Bob Hope ate dinner (the 101 Café) and Barbara Mandrell graduated from high school.

Ready for an '80s flashback? Check out the original bungalow where Kelly McGillis wooed Tom Cruise in the 1986 movie, Top Gun. The property is part of a big chunk of land that has been slated for a new resort, but developers have plans to incorporate the little house into its designs. The city is even celebrating the 25th anniversary of the movie's release on Memorial Day Weekend with a screening on the beach and a celebrity volleyball tournament.

My kids loved the California Surf Museum (www.surfmuseum.org), a small but cheerfully operated nonprofit space dedicated to showcasing all aspects of the sport. The museum's recent "Women on Waves" exhibit made waves, and the new  "Transitional Thinking: A Short Story 1966-1972" will highlight how surfing's aesthetics meshed with the era's cultural climate. Admission is $3 for adults (free for kids younger than 12) and is free on "Aloha Tuesdays."

The trek a little farther inland to the Mission San Luis Rey (www.sanluisrey.org) delivers an entirely different slice of history. The stark-white "King of the Missions" was founded in 1798 and offers an architectural and cultural peek into California's rich history. Wander in to see this largest of the 21 California missions and scope out its unique wooden dome. Learn more by touring the museum, too (admission is $4 for adults).



Oceanside is located 100 miles south of Los Angeles and 38 miles north of downtown San Diego. For more information on Oceanside's attractions, eateries, hotels and events, visit http://visitoceanside.org.

Family Road Trip: Legoland

(This guest post comes courtesy of Michael Berick, L.A. Parent's ace calendar editor and dad-about-town.)

With an unexpected free weekend to play with, we recently decided to head south down Southern California's amusement park alley, past Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm (although not as south as the San Diego Zoo) and visit Legoland. While the Carlsbad-based park is closer to San Diego than Los Angeles, it can take less than two hours to get there (particularly if the I-5 traffic is cooperative).

The relatively new park on the Southern California scene (just over 10 years old), Legoland is not so enormous that you can't make it a single-day adventure. Lego lovers, however, can find enough to do to spend more time there. Deciding to make it more of festive weekend, we chose to stay at the Sheraton Resort & Spa. A lovely, family-friendly hotel that conveniently has its own entrance to Legoland, it also has a big pool and a helpful staff.

However, the point of the trip was Legoland. We entered the park when it opened at 10 a.m. and started to wander around. Not every attraction was open but there was certainly much to do. One of the first things that we did was tackle the Splash Battle in Pirate Shores area. It was a water ride where you shoot water at others and have water shot at you. Needless to say, we got soaked. In fact, it started a string of water-related rides, which also included the Aquazone (a water carousel-type ride where you try to avoid the blast of water that others can set off) and a Treasure Falls (watch out for the water spout near the ride's end).

Overall, the park holds a charming old-fashioned quality, which shouldn't be surprising since it is all about Legos. There are plenty of hands-on, but not high-tech, things to do. One cool thing is that you can work on Legos while you wait in lines or go to special building areas to make Lego creations.

Legoland has eight different zones (The Beginning, Imagination Zone, Duplo Village, Fun Town, Castle Hill, Pirate Shores and Miniland USA) that have their own fun activities. The park is laid out sort of like a circle and getting from one zone to another can be a little more confusing than you would think, but it isn't so large that you can't find where you are going.

One place for Lego-lovers to seek out is the Miniland USA, where there are wonderfully detailed miniature models of various American locations – like New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Other fun spots included the Driving School (there is a "school" for 3- to 5-year-olds and 6- to 13-year-olds) and the Land of Adventure's Lost Kingdom Adventure, where you ride and try to rack up point by hitting targets with a laser gun.

While the water park wasn't open (it reopens in March for the warmer months), we did visit the Sea Life Aquarium, which was a nice indoor break during the sunny afternoon. While not as elaborate as the Aquarium of the Pacific (or Monterey's Aquarium, for that matter), this aquarium houses a colorful array of marine life that you can view or even feel in touch pools. It's also interesting to see how they have integrated Lego creations into the aquarium setting.

Parents will notice that there are (not surprisingly) plenty of shopping opportunities for Lego fans; however, there is a good range of prices so you don't have to break the bank to come home with a memento. It's also nice to report that we had a rather tasty pizza lunch at the Ristorante Brickolini, which is a pleasant surprise at an amusement park.

We lucked out, too, when it came to finding a restaurant for dinner in Carlsbad. Looking for something local, we wound up at the Fish House Vera Cruz on Carlsbad Village Drive. We enjoyed some delicious fish kabobs. Staying true to its menu, the kidss meal choices were all fish items; however, the halibut kabob got a big thumbs up from our 8 year old (who was not known to be a halibut fan previously).

If you arrive on a not-so-busy day and don't try to hit every single attraction the park has to offer, you can make Legoland a really fun, one-day road trip. The park's activities seem most suited for kids ages 10 and younger; some spots are best for younger kids but not too much that is just for pre-teens.

If you have more time, however, you can explore more of the Carlsbad/Oceanside area. Shoppers will want to check out the local outlet mall, while music fans should make note of the Museum of Making Music. It is a small museum operated by NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants), but it houses an impressive collection of musical instruments.

LEGOLAND, various times, 1 Legoland Dr, Carlsbad. Admission: $69 adults, $59 children 3-12. www.legoland.com.

One Day In Monterey

L.A. Parent's Calendar Editor, Michael Berick, is extremely savvy when it comes to the kids' music and theater scene (and grownup stuff, too) and always seems one step ahead when it comes to finding cool things for kids and parents to do in the L.A. area. He traveled a little farther afield to bring us this guest post on a trip he took recently with his wife and 8-year-old daughter Julia to the scenic seaside town of Monterey. It made me want to make the trip!

On a recent trip back from visiting family in Northern California, we were able to carve out a day in Monterey. I had never been to the scenic coastal city before, and my main impression of it came from watching the music documentary Monterey Pop many moons ago.  The city, as it turns out, holds a lovely mix of modern and historic California (who knew, for instance, that the California’s first theater was started in an old Monterey tavern?).

The Portola Hotel and Spa hosted our stay in Monterey. Situated downtown within shouting distance of Fisherman’s Wharf, it is also convenient to the prime tourist destination, Cannery Row.  The spacious hotel welcomes guests in a very special, and extremely delicious, way – with a complimentary chocolate chip cookie. A truly tasty way to start our stay!

The hotel recently has started a new program for its young guests. The Portola Pirates program offers kids a chance to explore a bit of the hotel, learn a little history and get some treats. At check-in, children received a small treasure box stocked with pirate-themed goodies, including a “treasure map.”

My wife and I accompanied our 8-year-old daughter (the map really needs an adult’s supervision) as she hunted around the hotel’s lobby, restaurants and ground to answer the map’s short set of questions to lead us to a “treasure chest” in one of the restaurants (Peter B’s). While the box had been somewhat plundered of prizes when we got to it, my daughter didn’t seem to mind having enjoyed the investigative adventure and the treats she got in her small box (a rubber duck, pirate bandana, etc).

Not only did our comfy room come with a nice view, but there was also a “complimentary” seagull on our balcony greeting us. When the gull realized that we weren’t going to share our cookies, it flew off.

After settling in, we flew off, too, for our main tourist first destination – the fabled Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were able to get two-day pass tickets from the front desk so we didn’t have to wait in line. The hotel staff, overall, was extremely helpful and informative, giving us directions that greatly improved upon our Web-generated mapping.

The aquarium lived up to its billing. It is an impressive facility, with something that captivated all three of us. My wife found the jellyfish tanks truly spectacular. With simple backgrounds and effective lighting, the environment made these creatures luminescent. Similarly, I enjoyed the Sea Horse exhibit. Our daughter was drawn to the touch tanks and sea otters. There was more than enough to see in our initial 90-minute-plus visit, so it was good that we got two-day tickets.

Returning to the hotel, we dined at the main restaurant, Jacks. Although an upscale, white-tablecloth restaurant, it was very accommodating for children. As part of the Portola Pirates’ program, they have a new kids' menu offering eight different entrees (all with clever Buccaneer-themed names) for $4.99. My daughter, in an adventurous spirit, went off that menu and chose the special corn chowder with a calamari appetizer. My wife went with a trio of small plates, and I had a halibut. It was all quite tasty, and the pea soup that my wife and I both got was especially delicious (fresh made and not cream-based)

On Monday, we took advantage of having a little extra time and strolled down to the aquarium along the coastal Monterey Recreational Trail. It’s a pretty walk, and we got a great look at the harbor seals in the bay. In fact, it was a little too close-up as we got a good whiff of the fragrant mammals.

Monterey also has a convenient and free trolley that we took to Fisherman’s Wharf. The Wharf is mainly a place for tourists and is populated mainly with gift shops, restaurants and sight-seeing boats. While we didn’t have time for a water excursion, we did do a taste-trek of the various clam chowder samples hawked along the wharf. My wife joked that you could make a meal just from the samples but we chose to dine at our daughter’s favorite, Gilbert’s, to indulge in big bread bowls of chowder and more normal size shrimp cocktail.

We left Monterey with full bellies, good memories and more spots to check out next time. One day definitely was not long enough a visit. We didn’t even get to check out the hotel’s spa facilities. Families with young kids will probably want to investigate the Monterey Youth Museum, or go on a glass-bottom boat ride, while the literary-minded might want to venture over to Salinas for the Steinbeck Center.

The details: Monterey is about 300 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Find more information about lodging, attractions and events through the Monterey County Convention and Visitor Bureau.

Flutterby, Butterfly

OK, where's my summer vacation?

I'm trying not to be bitter, but it just seems as if everyone around me is kicking back on the beach or having fun on vacation. It's even tougher when you feel like everyone around you even looks relaxed and tan.

That's why I jumped at the chance last weekend to check out the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, a AAA Five-Diamond chill-out haven tucked onto a scenic stretch of Orange County coastline just north of Dana Point. It's an indulgence, for sure (room rates start at $675 per night), but families – many of whom are from California – flock there to take advantage of the relaxing Mediterranean vibe and family-oriented activities. I also came to check out one of the most unique activities I've ever experienced at a resort: the release of monarch butterflies.

Every Saturday evening in the summer through Labor Day, the St. Regis hosts a Butterfly Ritual designed to honor of the breeding grounds of the colorful insect. A white-gloved St. Regis Butler leads a procession through the lobby to the ocean view terrace, where he offers a toast (champagne for grownups and sparkling cider for kiddos) and shares the legend that if "you whisper your wish to the butterfly, your wish is kept secret from all but the spirits who listen and attend to our dreams."



The kids love it, and the butler makes sure all youngsters get to whisper their wishes and release a monarch.

After the butterflies were wistfully sent skyward, we wandered down to the fire pits in the resort's expansive lawn for story time and s'mores.

My wishes for a restful weekend were granted, too. I got a massage, and the resort's private beach club set us up with chairs and drinks while the kids played for hours in the surf, making friends and filling their bathing suits with sand. I had the option of yoga, time in the spa, live music at sunset, pool time, golf or tennis or a cardio beach workout (who are we kidding?).

Ultimately, I decided to stick with the plan of the butterflies, who begin their long journey here before heading south for the winter in the hopes of migrating here again.

S'mores, Tents and ... Wi-Fi?

I'll admit that I have a long list of difficult demands when I'm forced to go camping:

• a scorpion-free, flushable toilet that does not require a two-mile walk in the dark to get to it


• a shower that does not contain the word "solar" in its name


• plenty of bacon


• sandwiches that contain neither dirt nor bologna


• a bed that does not deflate in the middle of the night


• a 5 o'clock cocktail hour


• ambient nighttime temperatures that do not dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit


• absolutely no harmonicas


• absolutely no bears

I'll spare you the rest of my demands, but suffice to say that my husband Steve really just packs up the kids for his annual camping trek with our friends – and leaves me happily behind in the comforts of my quiet house and scorpion-free bathroom. But that's not to say he doesn't pack plenty of bacon and other fun camping stuff, like his guitar, outdoor toys for the kids, a hammock and a book. In fact, the SUV often looks like an overloaded jalopy, with fishing poles and duffle bags piled high in the back.

Sticks, creeks and dogs: So 2009.

What doesn't he take? His laptop.

You'd be shocked to learn (as I was) that the national trend across campgrounds in the U.S. is to offer Wi-Fi – yes, I said Wi-Fi – according to the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. And it's a trend that's being fed by the demand from campers to have communication (often where there's a lack of cell service), access to movies and yes, to update their Facebook status.

Really?

For me, even access to my beloved NetFlix, e-mail and Facebook would not make camping any more enticing to me. And my laptop would probably just get hurled at that bear who's trying to make off with my bacon.

But seriously, campers. Leave the laptops out of nature.

What do you think?