CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA

Carlsbad, California will always have a special place in my heart and the surrounding areas. I partially grew up here and I have a lot of fond memories with family, friends, places, food and so much more. Even though my family doesn’t live here anymore and I haven’t visited in about 5 years or so, I will always want to go back and visit. Luckily I still have extended family and some old friends that live there.

I was actually born in Oceanside and lived in Vista during my younger years. My family moved from California to Nevada. We lived in Nevada for 7 years and moved back to California and I lived in Carlsbad with my family until I got married. I graduated from Carlsbad High School and enjoyed my after high school life for about 4 years. Lots and lots of memories.

But instead of boring you went my backstory a little, let me tell you what Carlsbad has to offer. To keep this post short and sweet, I made a list of my top suggestions for you here. Which includes restaurants, attractions, shopping and beach points in Carlsbad or the surrounding area.

Carlsbad is a nice beachy town. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of attractions there besides Legoland. This town is known for the beaches and the beach style life and town. This town has a ton and I mean a ton of restaurant options to choose from. From Indian cuisine to sandwiches. Or Mexican cuisine to pizza.

The best beaches that I would often go to was Warm Water Jetty Beach, Tamarack  State Beach, RDC Public Beach Access aka Hecklinger Beach, Buccaneer Beach, Oceanside Harbor and North Ponto Beach. I included some others in my file that I’ve also been too but just didn’t do as much.

Warm Water Jetty Beach is known for of course the warm water. I remember one time the water was so warm to was like swimming in a swimming pool on a hot summer day. It was great. Oceanside Harbor has some great bonfire pits and restaurants. Tamarack and Buccaneer Beach can get pretty crowded fast. If you go during the peak season be sure to leave early to get a parking space. North Ponto Beach has limited parking as well but its not as crowded. Lastly, Hecklinger Beach is kind of a spot that only the locals know. I actually learned about this area from my dad and when he used to surf and go to the beach when he was younger.

Looking back I remember hanging out by the beach and doing a lot of bonfires, eating at new places with friends and of course doing the normal teenager stuff: going to the movies, walking around the mall, hanging out at friends house, lots of dancing (I’m not much of a dancer haha).

It was hard to narrow down to only a limited amount of places to add to the list. I sure you will enjoy any eatery around that area or any beach will be great to go to. If you’re looking a a beach environment area then Carlsbad is it. The weather is great 90% of the time, its about 30 minutes from San Diego and 1-1 1/2 hours to Disneyland. Its a great place to spend a couple days and relax and hang out.