Earlier this month, I shared all about what we wore to Temecula and Carlsbad. Today, I am back again to share the rest of our trip. But, given we pretty much do the same things when traveling, I went back and forth on whether, I wanted to write a post about our time in Southern California last July.  We did visit and try some new-to-us places we ended up loving so, for memory documenting reasons, here’s our travel diary with all the fun highlights from the few days we were in Temecula and Carlsbad.

Let’s get into it!

Where we stayed

During our trip, we stayed at two different hotels*.

For the first two nights of our trip, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. It’s a clean, simple hotel that had everything we need for our short stay including a continental breakfast. Our room was spacious, well-laid out, and comfortable as the beds were soft. In addition, the property also has an outdoor pool and a fitness center.

What we did

Day 1 – Travel Day

This day was mostly a travel day.  

Depending on traffic, Southern California is about five to six hours away from where we live.  That said, once we got into town, we went straight to our hotel to unload and get settled in. After unpacking, we headed to Palm Thai Restaurant to eat.

To start, we ordered their spring egg rolls. As for our main meal, I ordered the Pad Thai with shrimp while my two companions ordered the broccoli beef and basil chicken. Truthfully, I didn’t think the food was as good as some of the other Thai places we’ve been to. I found it a little underwhelming and the flavor was amiss. But, on the other hand, the service was good, the prices were reasonable, and the portion sizes were generous. Given that, I am not opposed to giving it another chance!

After that, we then trekked back to our hotel room to unwind from our food coma and long drive. #everymanforhimself 

Day 2 – Winery Day

The next day, we had plans to go to Temecula to visit a couple different wineries to celebrate our 14^th year wedding anniversary.  We didn’t have anything specific on our itinerary and just wanted to relax and go with the flow.  One of our stops was at Wilson Creek Winery.  So, while the hubby beelined to the tasting counter, our son and I explored their shop.  You can easily spend a good amount of time here just walking around.  There were so many amazing things to see in there like these metal sculptures and fun knick-knacks.  I mean, look! #cuteright

From there, we ventured outside of the tasting room to explore other parts of their property.  Since we visited on a Monday there wasn’t much of a crowd and was able to check out their barrel room.  Of course, I didn’t take any pictures so was I even there?! #bloggerfail

But, apart from the picturesque surroundings, Wilson Creek also has an on-site restaurant.  During our visit, we chose to eat lunch at their restaurant, Creekside Grille and ordered a variety of food from their menu.  We started off with their flatbread.  As for our entrees, I got the strawberry avocado wedge salad with salmon while my two companions ordered the mushroom piccata pasta with steak and Creekside hamburger.  Everything we had was amazing and enjoyed every bite!

And if that wasn’t enough, you cannot visit Wilson Creek Winery without a glass of their famous almond sparkling wine.  By now you know that it’s few and far between that I drink any alcoholic beverage.  But on rare or special occasions I love me some bubbly! We had a glass of the almond and coconut sparkling wine.  While I liked both, my favorite is the almond flavored! It’s so good, refreshing, and perfect for any occasion.  

Afterward, we then took a drive to Miramonte Winery per the hubby’s request.  We spent the rest of the day in their courtyard area, and it was the perfect way to just relax.

Day 3 – Beach Day

On Tuesday, we left for Carlsbad and this time, we stayed at the Cassara Hotel by Hilton*.  Though, this hotel is on the older side, it’s kept up well and the grounds are clean.  It has two resort size pools, family splash pad, a fitness center and there are also plenty of areas to sit and relax.  I especially loved the two egg chair swings in the front lobby! 

As for our room, we had an incredibly spacious room on the 2^nd floor with two beds, TV, a sitting area, bathroom and even a balcony.  On top of that, it had a great location and was walking distance to Legoland and Karl Strauss Brewing – more on both below!  

So, after getting everything settled and changed into our beach attire, it was time for sun, sand, and sea! 

The beach is a short drive away from our hotel.  When we got there, it was a bit crowded, but we were still able to find a spot to park ourselves.  It was the perfect way to spend one afternoon, and we easily spent 4+ hours relaxing and people watching.

After our beach shenanigans, we made our way back over to the hotel to get cleaned up.  For dinner, we decided to check out Karl Strauss Brewing Company, which was a hop and skip away from Cassara.  I am happy to report that they did not disappoint! The atmosphere is laid back and this place has some seriously good food.  

To start, we shared a plate of crispy brussels sprouts and beer pretzels.  Both were delicious! For our main entrée, I got the ginger salmon.  My dish was light but had a nice flavor and hit the spot.  My two companions opted for fish and chips and chicken tacos.  They both said they really enjoyed it.  In fact, we loved Karl Strauss Brewing that we ended up eating there for the duration of our trip! 

Post-dinner, we decided to head back to the hotel, and we finished out the day super low key by lounging in the room.  

Day 4 – Legoland

We kicked off Wednesday with a visit to Legoland and my oh my, what a treat it was! Inside or outside, there was no shortage of unique Lego designs, structures, or sculptures.  But more than that, Legoland is a place created with kids and families in mind.  With 60 different rides and attractions, there’s something for everyone.  Also, since we visited on a weekday, it wasn’t very crowded.  So, we were able to see most of their theme park rides and attractions without having a lot of people around.  Speaking of which, in case you are planning a visit, make sure to check out my Legoland Photo Diary post where I mention a few helpful tips. 

After 8+ hours of roaming around Legoland, we were ready to say goodbye. Our tummies were grumbling so, off we went to Karl Strauss Brewing Company for dinner.  This time, we filled up on hummus, crispy brussels sprouts, and grilled chicken tacos.  For dessert, we had their cali mud slide.  Everything was oh-so-yummy, and I am seriously drooling just thinking about it.  

Following our amazing meal, we went back to our hotel room, immediately changed into our comfy clothes, and spent another hour or two getting some R & R before turning in for the night.  

Day 5 – Pool Day & Fireworks

That brings us to our last full day in Carlsbad.

Sometimes it’s nice to not have a plan and to just go with the flow.  This day was exactly just that.  While we did manage to leave the hotel for an hour or two to grab dinner, I admit that we spent most of the day alternating between the pool and our room.  

That said, for dinner, we moseyed our way back to Karl Strauss Breweing Company and started off with their boneless chicken wings and wait for it…the crispy brussels sprouts!

As, for our main course, the hubs got their ginger salmon, while our son and I opted for their hamburgers. After all, it was the 4th of July and there’s no better way to celebrate this fabulous holiday than with this iconic meal! #dontyouagree

We ended the day by watching the 4^th of July fireworks from one of the balconies at hotel closest to Legoland.   

And that’s a wrap!

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my travel page for more tips and vacation ideas!

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you).  

**Additionally, some items linked above are not the exact item shown because it is either old or sold out, but I linked similar items for those that are unavailable.