Keeping Calm and Cool in Carlsbad

Daily morning views, this one with a closer look of all those 'happy campers'!

Began the day with a casual yoga class hosted by Stacy Mccarthy of Yoga Namastacy onsite at the Cape Rey Carlsbad. This was originally planned for the outdoors but glad it got moved in – too cold brrrr! Local yoga studio prAna provided some comfy cool yoga gear for the trip too. Especially loved Stacy’s affirmations during the session and nice to have some personal instruction on variations of different poses again given my back issues.

Was not joking about the yum chicken sausage!

Followed up with a hearty breakfast at Chandler’s, the restaurant at Cape Rey Carlsbad. Much as I wanted to try some of their menu highlights, I’m really a pretty basic breakfast person. I will say though their chicken apple sausage was yum! Well-fed and off on another biking adventure, this time riding right into the village. Again I chose an electric bike from Pedego, am seriously considering buying one for myself. I love bike riding but restricted to riding on flat surfaces so having the electric option for slopes is a Godsend.

Yup, me in some of my prAna-wear and my Pedego ride, mighty pleased with my speeding over slopes antics.

Carlsbad is positively a walk and bike friendly city with entire stretches of pathways dedicated to foot and bike traffic. The ride into the village was beautiful – the ocean on one side and cute homes on the other. The recent rains had set the wildflowers in full bloom and surfers were out ready to get their action on for the weekend. Love it!
I cheated a bit more on this ride (!!) using the electric assistance quite a bit since there were slopes and the longer distance, so followed it up with a visit to Choice Superfood Bar & Juicery for a post ride juice. Their ‘spot’ is just a block seconds from the train tracks and right by the Carlsbad Visitors office - located in a container space and with an open garden area. Families were out on lunch break, kids and parents were hanging out, people were out with their dogs, folks were working sprawled out on the lawn – loved the relaxed local vibe as the weekend rolled in.

'Contained' on this space in the Village is Choice Juicery and they wellness concoctions, potions et al.

I rolled on out with a healthy mint concoction and La Costa Limo provided our ride back to the hotel, along with fabulous service getting us to and fro our activities the whole time. Especially yesterday, Jose of La Costa Limo was a repository of local lore and fabulous tales, sharing names of some of the celebrities he had driven around in the city and also the history of the area. No, I am not name-dropping here!

This choice corner had a nice seating area with that funky wall-art to boot

Also on the trip, had the privilege of meeting one of the youngest oldest people I have ever met – Frankie Lanie of the PR committee at Visit Carlsbad. I don’t know how old she is… 60? Maybe? But she had the energy of a 30-year-old at dinner, had so much to share, conversationalist par excellence, and simply the life of the arty - that coming from me, a 35-year-old who thought she was partying competition. I also must make special mention of Lacy Belle, Frankie’s doggy and easily one of the cutest toy poodles on the planet, even if my exposure to toy poodles isn’t much to write home about. It’s the people in these places that make every trip memorable!

The lawn at Choice juicer. You know folks love living here when they can enjoy their own 'play'grounds

Leaving you with Stacy’s loving kindness meditation that I’ve been reading every morning since – May you be filled with loving kindness, May you be well, May you be peaceful and at ease, May you be happy… ​​

When every day dusk is this darling...sigh...(don't mind the evil eye from the camper there!!)

*In collaboration with VisitCarlsbad. All opinions my own*