Travel: Never-Ending Summer in Carlsbad

I’m nestled comfortably into a window seat and watching the waves hurtle by, on an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner headed south to Oceanside, where I’ll catch a Coaster train to Carlsbad.

That was the original plan.

But too impatient to wait for the next ride, I hopped into an Uber at the Oceanside station to traverse the 1.5 mile ride to the Beach Terrace hotel.

The family-owned beach hotel, just north of San Diego, is a longtime family favorite of locals. And, contrary to what one might think, there are actually very few hotels situated directly on the beach in California. This isn’t Hawaii, folks.

The Beach Terrace sits right on the beach. I mean, right on the beach. The beach in front of the property stretches out maybe only 50 feet to the water, beginning just under my second floor balcony King Suite.

With its oceanfront Shorebreak Pool and poolside firepits, the 48-key hotel has large, comfortable rooms up to 700 square feet, where every evening, the sun appears to drop into your ocean front yard. Just. Right. Over. There.

The late June Monday evening offered the perfect weather for strolling into picturesque Carlsbad Village, for dinner. I passed the local train station on my way to State Street to dine at the Michelin-rated Campfire.

Owned by John Resnik and led by Executive Chef Eric Bost, Campfire offers an eclectic designer menu. To give you an idea, the categories are TrailHead, Kindling, The Fire, and Trail’s end. As Patagonia as it all sounds, the menu is far more sophisticated than its s’mores-like names might suggest.

It’s nothing you’ll be packing in your backpack, and we mean that in a good way.

Choosing from the seasonal summer menu, we began with the Ember Roasted prawn, with Aji Amarillo. We ordered that one twice.

Carrots followed–charred with preserved huckleberry, honeycomb, and fromage blanc with ”everything” spice. We then selected the ribeye–koji aged steak, served with fermented Fresno chimichurro.

And of course there are s’mores. But we had the cheesecake.

Back at the Beach Terrace, we sat out on the terrace looking out on the waves, and slept with the windows wide open, and the ocean in our bedroom.

The hotel also has a pretty yummy breakfast menu. We scarfed up smoked salmon on sourdough bread with cream cheese on each of our mornings, both served with fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a carafe of coffee.

And then we took a nap, before strolling that beach again, just down a few steps from our room.

On our second evening, we opted for a late afternoon/early evening dinner at the recommended Gonzo Ramen.

We began with their Tokyo-style fried chicken, and then devoured the rich, creamy broth filled with chashu pork, which was sinful and delicious.

No one ever has to suggest ramen to me twice. It’s one of my favorite go-to meals, and while ramen might bring back memories of hot salty something in a styrofoam cup in a college dorm room, ramen done right is a spiritual experience.

That’s what Gonzo Ramen provides, along with some loud rock and roll to dine with. It was the perfect moment.

Meanwhile, Gonzo was named as the #2 Ramen shop in Yelp’s Top 25 Ramen restaurant listings in 2024, and #20 in their list of the top 100 restaurants in the US, in 2023.

We watched another sunset as we strolled a mile or two along the beach, never turned on the TV, and slept like children in our King Suite at the Beach Terrace.

Every summer should begin this way.

If you opt for a train ride south yourself (the smartest way to take this vacation), the Carlsbad Good Ride is a free visitor transportation program designed for visitors to get to key destinations within Carlsbad such as the beach, Carlsbad Village, attractions, dining and shopping.

The Good Ride Service is provided by Circuit and is funded through a grant from the Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District. Check it out here:

https://visitcarlsbad.com/plan-your-trip/carlsbad-good-ride/.

Need to rock your Instagram? Here are just a few of the best places for that ultimate snap:

Carlsbad sign

https://images.app.goo.gl/78xECw1dnHLpnRxD9

https://www.carlsbad-village.com/

Village Faire/Twin Inns

https://www.shopvillagefaire.com/the-historic-twin-inn-built-in-1887/

Carlsbad beaches https://visitcarlsbad.com/beaches/

Terramar Beach (most photogenic) https://visitcarlsbad.com/beaches/terramar-beach/

Carlsbad Murals https://carlsbadcrawl.com/snyders-carlsbad-village-mural-map/

https://images.app.goo.gl/SnQSJ7LpLSSVKC95A

And while you’re here thinking about, there is also a 20% discount at the Beach Terrace Hotel if you make your fall reservations now.