The Surf Ride Adventure Lounge not only brings the retailer’s curated collection of top beachwear brands to Carlsbad, this one-stop surf shop provides everything from private surf lessons, to guided group surf excursions and even coastal helicopter tours.

Guests — and locals alike — can rent surf boards and book one-on-one or group surf lessons with pro instructors. You can even capture your surf lesson with a complimentary GoPro camera rental and take-home video keepsake that Surf Ride will download for you. If you’re new to GoPro, don’t worry. They’re GoPro experts and will even give you editing tips!

For guests and locals looking to up the ante on adventure this summer, at the Surf Ride Adventure Lounge you can also book a breathtaking tour of the North County coast with Waverider Helicopter Tours. Cape Rey will even shuttle you to and from the helipad.

Of course Surf Ride’s longstanding relationships in the surf industry also means Adventure Lounge shoppers get premium access to a curated mix of the best retail brands, including Hurley, Carlsbad-based RAEN, Volcom, and many more, alongside an assortment of Surf Ride custom products. From sunglasses, hats and beach bags, to the latest surf apparel — the new Carlsbad Surf Ride has all the beach essentials covered.

Surf Ride Adventure Lounge — located at Cape Rey Carlsbad, a Hilton Resort, 1 Ponto Road Carlsbad, CA 92011 — is open seven days a week. All Surf Ride instructors are CPR and First Aid Certified. Lessons are available for ages 7 and up. Please check www.caperey.com/adventurelounge for updates.

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That’s so passé!

Just come stay at one of the top-notch resorts and spas in Carlsbad, California, and you can forget about thousands of miles of hopping from motel to motel. Everything you want to enjoy is nearby!

Carlsbad’s location makes it the perfect vacation hub-city for daily, short road trips to some of the best vacation spots in Southern California – San Diego, Temecula and Los Angeles. Of course we can’t list all the awesome things you can do in these popular SoCal cities, but here are some top choices to help you narrow it down.

Carlsbad
Start out your stay with buying a park hopper pass and saving on entrances to LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE Aquarium and LEGOLAND Water Park. Right now, you can buy 1 day and get 4 free! You don’t have to worry about wearing yourself out by trying to enjoy all of the rides, ocean adventures and splash zones in one short day – now you’ll have five for the same price.

Five gorgeous beaches, each with its own unique appeal, are just a few minutes’ drive from California’s best choices for theme parks and amusement parks in Carlsbad. Whatever you’re looking for – relaxation, swimming, SCUBA, surf, fishing – you’re sure to find a beach or two that meets your needs. As a bonus, a number of hotels are easily within walking distance.

Los Angeles
So much to see in the LA area – and all within an hour or two from Carlsbad. You can start with Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim. If that’s not your cup of tea, take the day to roam Rodeo Drive for some of California’s best shopping, or people watch in Venice Beach or Hollywood – you never know when you might run into your favorite star!

Or check out the theatre, music and museums all around LA. If you’re a foodie, experience dineL.A. Restaurant Week July 13 – 26. They have so many delectable choices, their ‘week’ is lengthened to 14 days!

No matter what you enjoy throughout the day, you’ll still have time to make it back to Carlsbad by bedtime to get all rested up for the next day!

San Diego
Just a 45-minute drive away is America’s Finest City – San Diego. You can enjoy the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Safari Park and Balboa Park – all definite must-sees. San Diego is quickly becoming a food mecca so be sure to sample the delicious local cuisine. Of course, San Diego is lined by some of the most gorgeous beaches that you can experience either by swimming, kayaking, windsurfing or by boat tour.

Having one of the largest concentrations of military in the nation, you can tour the historic USS Midway or awe-inspiring Fort Rosecrans – the Arlington of the West.

No matter what time you leave San Diego, you’ll still be back to Carlsbad to crawl into bed – amazed by everything you experienced that day.

Temecula
Less than an hour away are Southern California’s popular vineyards and wineries in Temecula. Many offer guided tours – including transportation – while you sip and sample your way through wine country.

For more family-friendly activities, Temecula has dozens of options for outdoor fun – horseback riding or biking. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the area by lifting up in a hot air balloon and checking out the sights from 5,000 feet.

There is so much to see and to experience in Southern California, but it’s always comforting to return to Carlsbad at the end of a long day. And if you time it right, you can catch the sun before it dips into the Pacific. Nothing is more calming than watching the sunset beachside, from your hotel room.

Nothing’s better, except for dreaming up what you’ll do the next day, touring around Southern California with an amazing vacation hub like Carlsbad, California!

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The Carlsbad Flower Fields are sort of like Forrest’s box of chocolates, in that we never know how beautiful the fields will be until the flowers actually bloom. The 50 acres of giant rananculus flowers boldly announce that spring has arrived, and turns a barren hillside into a virtual botanical garden. The 50 acre swath of red, orange, yellow, green and purple blooms have attracted visitors to Carlsbad for 50 years.  Mr. Edwin Frazee was responsible for bringing The Flower Fields to Carlsbad due to mild climate and perfect soil. The field of flowers was not intended to be the beloved attraction that it has evolved into. It was and still is to this day, a working, flower farm that ships the dried bulbs it produces worldwide. From the beginning, the flowers that grew from the bulbs were so beautiful that people, travelling on Highway 101 by the Pacific Ocean, would stop to enjoy the flowers and take photographs to share. Ultimately, this created a temporary tourist attraction that has grown and attracts over 125,000 visitors every spring. 

Other beautiful and fragrant happenings at The Flower Fields are the Sweet Pea Maze, the All-American Rose Walk of Fame and a miniature rose garden. Kids of all ages love the antique tractor wagon ride and Carlsbad Mining Company (who wouldn’t want to pan for semi-precious stones?!). Weekends are rockin’ at the fields with musical entertainment of all kinds. 

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And make sure to take a close look at the Coastal Helix. You’ll notice that abstract images of our beautiful city of Carlsbad are woven into the steel lacework of this amazing sculpture. Some of my friends make an appearance within the structure – pelican, whale, crab, and more! Check out this surfer detail designed into the sculpture:

Now if only it was a seagull surfing…

See you at the roundabout! Tell me what you think of our city’s latest addition in the comments section below.

Learn more about the Costal Helix.

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