Need a Weekend Beach Trip!

The Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA is wonderful! It is right on the beach with a walking path all along the beach area. It has a pool and spa, not to mention a hot breakfast and happy hour snacks/drinks are built into the price. We love this get away!

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I know you want to stay at the beach, but....I gotta say for an inexpensive getaway I love going to Lake Arrowhead. They have a great summer concert series, a Rolling Stones tribute band and an 80s cover band Memorial Day weekend (free), shopping, you can swim at the lake in Crestline (great for little kids that might get knocked over by waves at the beach) and tons of restaurants. There is even a movie theater if you want.

P.S. Ventura Beaches are COLD!! Its worth it to travel south - We just got back from Carlsbad-the resort was nice, but not complete, the pool wasn't finished so we had to be taken to another resort to go swimming which was a total bummer.

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there is a little beach town Carpinteria - just 10 / 15 minutes south of Santa Barbara. The waves are gentle - voted 'safest beach". Small town feel - just one main street where you can grab a bite.

There are beach rentals - look thru VRBO, but mostly they ask for a week to week commitment during the high season. If it is weekend only, there is a best Western up the street. Do note if you stay in the Best Western - you will have to drive to the beach vs walk to the beach.

We have spent 3 summers there for a week when the kids were young. Love it - and are going back for a weekend this summer.

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Well, I WOULD say Santa Barbara is the best except for when you said you don't want to 'break the bank'. That being said reasonably priced hotels do exist in Santa Barbara, it just requires some serious shopping online maybe try hotels.com? There are a lot of beach activities, great restaurants, etc. If you'd like to go further we've also had nice weekends up in the San Simeon area near Hearst Castle? Hope you find something to enjoy!

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Hi D.;]

Last year my 4 other brothers and sisters wanted to do something special for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Like you we did want to break the bank and some of my siblings are better off than others.

We found the perfect solution for us! It is in ventura off of seaward. You should take a drive and check it out first. (We always try and do that to be better prepared before staying at new places)

I believe it is call "Inn at the Beach". It is at the end of seaward which dead ends into a cul-de-sac. Hence no through traffic to worry about. The hotel is old and 3 stories but very, very quaint. We went in the off season and I think it was between $180-$225 a room. But the rooms were big and some had refrigerators in them. All had balconies which looked out onto the ocean. So if it was to cold we hung in the rooms playing games, talking etc. but still had a great view. I would recommend the second or third floor for the ocen view. There is a sand band which blocks the first floor view but then again little kids use there boogie boards as sleds and slide down it. The balcony walls on the first floor are plexiglass so you don't feel closed in.

There are several really good restaurants right past the parking lot, italian (we had a big celebration dinner there, excellent). Mexican, a fish shack and also a really cute coffee shack which also has great ice cream.

You literally walk out of the hotel, turn a corner and then you are on the beach! We liked it also because we have older kids and could watch them from our rooms. They kids are always out there from sun up to sun down.

Anyways, you can check out their website and give them a visit. Hope you have fun. Oh yeah they also do a AAA discount too!

Have Fun!

S. Chase

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I don't know how much money you want to spend but there's the Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad down the street from Legoland. They have a kid's pool and the flower beds are on the hill in front of it.

Santa Barbara has a number of reasonable little hotels that are close to the beach, and there is plenty to do in town for little ones.

You also might consider Avila Beach just north of Pismo Beach (central coast) - Bay Luis Hotel (or something like that -- sorry, I can't remember the exact name.) is reasonable, plus there are boutique hotels in town also.

If you go south, things get pretty expensive, so Ventura, Santa Barbara, Central Coast are going to be more affordable options, but much less crowded and just as beautiful.

You also might consider camping... kids love it. It can be hard the 1st time b/c you don't know what to bring, but once you get the hang of it, it's a great cheap weekend get away.

Hi D.,

Some ideas for a beach trip are Ventura, Carpinteria, or Cambria. Carpinteria has camping, if you like doing that, plus the beach is great. Ventura has hotels and a fun shopping area. Cambria is just really cool. It has a shopping town, but the hotels are a little expensive, so I don't know if that would work for you, but I looooooove that place.

I guess those are just ideas of areas, not specific places to stay, but I hope that helps a little bit.

A. K

My favorite is Carpenteria. You do need to make reservations in advance though as it is a very popular beach

Cayucos is a sleepy beach town north of San Luis Obispo. There are many affordable hotels there too. It only has a few restaurants and they all close semi-early but it's a beautiful little town. If you need more action, Pismo is just south of that or Cambria is a little north. Cambria is closer to Paso Robles for wine-tasting but Cambria could be a little more expensive. Just google Cayucos. We like Cayucos Beach Inn b/c it accepts pets and is v. nice. Good luck!

I know just the place (depending on what you are looking for or how inexpensive you are looking to go)!!! My husband and I also love the beach but don't have a fortune to spend for getaways! Our favorite weekend getaway is Pismo Beach. There are a lot of little places there to stay, but one we found that was in a nice location with a beautiful view (can hear the water at night), pool/spa, and only a staircase away from the beach is the Kon Tiki Inn (http://www.kontikiinn.com/). It's not the Ritz but it is definitely a decent little place where you don't have to pay a fortune but are in a prime location. As I recall, our room was only $135/night which was an amazing deal for the view and location. You can even walk down the beach to the pier and main little town which has great places to eat and little shops to browse. One great thing is to go out early in the morning and walk the beach - it's known for it's sea shells and there are a ton to explore! It's also a pet friendly beach so it's a very family friendly environment. Best of luck finding your vacation destination! You'll have to let us know what you find! We're always looking for new little weekend getaway ideas that won't break the bank!

I think anywhere by a beach will be pricey. You may want to check out "less popular" beach cities like Oxnard (there's an Embassay Suites) or Hermosa Beach (there's another nice hotel there... can't remember the name...). But I do agree that the beach is the perfect weekend getaway!

Hi! We love Monterey. Beautiful, incredible scenery and you can visit the Aquarium which is a real treat. Take the PCH and you will be awed just from the drive alone!