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Health & Fitness

How I Spent My (Pre) Summer Staycation

Why "Staycations" spent nearby or even right here in Sierra Madre can be great vacations.

The sun is setting now, the waves relentless and thundering. Surfers with longboards are wading in frigid water hoping for the perfect wave, pelicans flying overhead in formation similar to the pilots next door at Camp Pendleton, and early bird tourists are making their way down the long pier towards Ruby’s diner.

I am watching this show from the beachfront deck of a dear friend’s home, and like so many others who have stayed closer to home these past two years, I, too am enjoying what has been coined as a ‘Staycation’.  No airport queues, passport problems or culture shock for me this time, just a two hour drive away and though gasoline is costly, I’m going anyway.

My Mom once lived in the town next door called Encinitas, near Carlsbad, but she really preferred it when she lived in Oceanside, where I am now. One time I asked her: ‘Why Oceanside?” She pointed out that while Carlsbad is certainly more ‘gentrified’, and it does boast some nice beach parks, it lacked something vital to her beachcombing spirit:  long miles of groomed sand beach, all accessible from one’s home or apartment. It was a treat to just walk down the steps of her place to the sand. No pebbles. No parking issues.  

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I’ve noticed too that the grittier parts of this town are being spruced up like a facelift on an aging but beloved Hollywood actress. There are plenty of ‘vintage’ haunts to enjoy in Oceanside from historic Highway 101 Café to Robert’s Cottages where we vacationed in the late 1960’s. I remember seeing the Coppertone Ad on a giant billboard: a picture of a small blond toddler, whose bathing suit bottoms were being tugged at by a doggie, revealing her tan line with the town’s motto exclaiming: “Tan Your Hide in Oceanside!”

Today this picture might be considered a P.R. faux pas, being politically incorrect. But back then it was all innocence and I squealed with excitement when I saw the billboard, knowing that the ‘endless summer’ was about to begin! No more school, plenty of playtime at the beach, Dad lifting me above the waves, Mom helping us kids make s’mores in the fire pit, since we burned  our marshmallows more often than not .  This California girl didn’t give two hoots which town we were in – it was our Vacation- and it’s the same Pacific waters whether you are in Carmel or Chula Vista.

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This does not mean I that I prefer Oceanside over say, Bora Bora. I have enjoyed my more exotic holidays such as snorkeling with the Stingrays in Grand Cayman or sailing Windstar in Moorea’s famous lagoon with Bali Hai as my backdrop. I’ve lived in Hawaii and hiked Kauai’s treacherous Kalaulau trail to Hanakapi’ai beach.

I’ve also sent my clients to all points of our planet – designing custom made, intricate journeys through Europe, South America  and the U.S.A., booking their trips to Antartica, Alaska or Africa.

Recently, some of my more intrepid vacationers have booked Staycations. Because sometimes economically or emotionally, it just makes sense to put these big trips on a back burner and opt for a Staycation instead.

One Labor Day weekend, we were on the deck of our mountainside Sierra Madre Canyon cottage and my husband remarked: ‘It’s so quiet! I think everyone has left town, let’s stay put and have a little vacation right here at home.’  

That evening we listened to the hoot owl, got caught up on our reading, drank wine and watched in wonder as the shooting stars streaked across the sky. It was one of our more memorable times and we didn’t even have to drive anywhere.

So while I am enjoying myself beachcombing along stretches of uncrowded shoreline, a Staycation is really about having a mini break that gives our mind and body a respite from a frenetic work week, and it can be had with a short drive away to the ocean, or a few days at home. Just unplug the electronics, light the candles, put the music on, or go for a walk in our hillsides.

After all, we consider ourselves lucky to live life right here in one of the best spots in the world: the mountain village of Sierra Madre, California.

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