Southern California is like a second home to us.  We seem to visit this big bustling city once or twice a year to get together with family or to enjoy a mini getaway.  Back in April, we took a week-long road trip to San Diego split between Valley Center and Oceanside for spring break.  Even though, most of our time were spent just simply hanging out and cooking meals together*, we appreciated the change of scenery and still had a really good time.  I posted some pictures on Instagram, but I wanted to share a bit about our trip on the blog for anyone else looking to visit.

(*Please keep in mind, at the time of our trip Covid restrictions were still in place.  Because of this, many businesses were still closed or operated at 25% to 50% capacity.  That said, I will not be covering travel restrictions or guidelines, but I do want to encourage you to check regulations of the place you want to visit before making travel plans.)  

So, without further ado, here are some photos and a brief recap of the first half of our trip!

Sweatshirt | Jeans | Shoes | Sunglasses

Why We Chose Valley Center

After several months at home, we were all craving a getaway and a change of scenery.  But given the current situation with COVID-19, we knew when planning this trip that we wanted to go somewhere we could avoid having to get on an airplane.  One of the great things about living in California is that there are so many amazing beach or small towns within driving distance for a quick day or weekend trip.  San Diego and its surrounding cities are one of those places.  It was close enough to us that we could get there by a car and it ticked off the boxes in terms of things to do for each of us – sightseeing for me, beach for the little guy and winery for the hubby*.  

Where We Stayed

For this part of the trip, we stayed in a 3-bedroom house in Valley Center** that the hubby found on VRBO and we absolutely loved it! We felt right at home the moment we step foot inside.  It was quiet, spacious and had everything we needed.  The house is also about 15 minutes from the center of town, so it felt very private and in terms of COVID, safe.  We never saw another person on the property.  There are other houses around us, but honestly, we couldn’t really hear them.  What’s more, the house sits on a hillside overlooking breathtaking views of wildlife and rolling hills.  It’s definitely a great place to stay if you are looking to get some fresh air, or just R & R.  

(**Side note: Keep in mind that the house sits on a hillside and is on a private road.  The path to get there is steep and windy.  There are also no streetlights along the way, so you should plan accordingly if you plan to get there after sunset.) 

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What We Did*

Day 1

This day was mostly a travel day.  We left for Southern California after 10 am.  We spent our six-hour plus car ride snacking and talking.  Once we were near our destination, we made a quick trip to Ralphs to get ingredients for grilling later on as well as other necessities like milk, fruits, and water for the next few days.  After settling in, we explored the property a little bit and of course, make dinner.  Then, it was off to the hot tub for my guys while I stayed in to enjoy some silence and read.  That night, we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit our pillows.  

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Day 2

The next morning, we slept in and had a late start to the day. Sometimes it’s nice to not have a plan and to just go with the flow.  This day was exactly just that.  Since we didn’t have anything specific on our itinerary, we took advantage and decided to be lazy.  We ended the day by firing up the grill and hitting the hot tub to watch the sunset.

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Apron | Shirt | Leggings |Shoes | Sunglasses

Day 3

Day 3 was a repeat of Day 2.  

The only difference was we ran out of water.  So, we ventured out to go to the grocery store and grab food.  We opted to eat lunch at Taste of Siam for some Thai food.  This is a great spot for an easy bite and perfect for families.  The atmosphere is really casual and mostly looks like a coffee shop, but the food is outstanding. My travel companions had the Thai Basil Chicken and Pad Thai while I had the Panang Curry with Tofu.  

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Apart from that little adventure, the rest of our afternoon was spent back at the house, enjoying our final evening there.  We relaxed around the firepit and told ghost stories before calling it a night.  In the morning, it will be time to move on to our next destination – Oceanside.  

Are you traveling this summer?

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