Carlsbad California is a charming, chic community on the ocean just north of California’s most beautiful city, San Diego, in what locals call “North County,” a community of picturesque beach towns along the Pacific coastline.

The North County San Diego communities include Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia and Carlsbad. Each neighborhood boasts splendid views and sunsets and cooling ocean breezes.

Legoland is a big attraction for families visiting Carlsbad. The park is alive with color and is a very pleasant theme parks for parents – as well as the kids! The lines are short compared to Disneyland and the atmosphere is comparatively relaxed for a theme park. The landscaping is lovely and parents appreciate the healthy caf with great choices.

Carlsbad has phenomenal beaches. Carlsbad State Beach extends along the ocean from its southern boundary with Encinitas all the way to downtown Carlsbad. The beach is wide and sandy with walkways along the bluff tops for romantic sunset walks and people watching. A couple miles south is South Carlsbad State Beach (Ponto Beach) which is very popular with surfers. Ponto has a state campground on the bluffs overlooking the ocean.

A popular attraction is the Flower Fields, open in the spring from March through May where you can walk through acres of vibrantly colored fields of flowers along the Pacific Ocean.

There are dozens of lodging choices in Carlsbad. The big chains are all represented, including Motel 6, Hilton, Days Inn, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Marriott and Regal 8. More information about Carlsbad bed and breakfasts.

Many vacation time-share condos serve as Carlsbad vacation rentals. These more upscale accommodations are luxurious and can be quite expensive.

A famous Carlsbad resort is the La Costa Resort and Spa. As soon as guests enter the gates of La Costa, they’re impressed with the beauty and relaxing charm of this one-of-a-kind Southern California resort.

La Costa is rated among the best resorts in the United States by Cond Nast because it offers a world class spa, an extraordinary championship golf course, sophistication and unequalled personalized service.

Of all the Carlsbad B&Bs the only one that is (1) cute, (2) romantic with (3) views of the ocean for (4) under $170 a night is the Inn at Moonlight Beach. More romantic than other Carlsbad area bed and breakfasts, the Inn At Moonlight Beach features lovely ocean views with rooms for under $149.