Archive for the 'Pismo Beach' Category
A nifty hotel deal for 50-and-over crowd in Central California
November 4, 2009 5:57am
OK, so you’re still 12 years away from drawing Social Security and 15 years from getting Medicare. Aren’t there any perks for turning 50? Well yes, and we’re not talking about getting an invite in the mail to join AARP or receiving snarky birthday cards with over-the-hill jokes. The over-50 set can score reduced room rates and more this winter at five inns in San Luis Obispo County in Central California.
Deal: If you or someone in your party is 50 or older, you’re eligible for the “Nifty Fifty” special at five inns run by Boutique Hotel Collection: Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo, the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, Inn at Morro Bay in Morro Bay, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach and SeaVenture Resort in Pismo Beach.
The details of the deal differ from inn to inn. But generally, you’ll get discounts on your room, food and items from the gift shop. Room rates vary by location, and not all rooms may be included in the deal, which is subject to availability and other restrictions.
Pacifica Hotels: 25% off, plus bring a toy for a bigger discount
October 29, 2009 5:51am
For a getaway up or down the coast, or in popular destinations inland, you might look into a stay with Pacifica Hotels. The company, largely rooted in California but with locations in Florida and Hawaii as well, has a great promotion going for late fall and early winter. See below for the scoop.
Deal: Under its current online winter promotion, receive 25% off regular rates at Pacifica Hotels properties over the next couple of months. Plus, if you bring along a new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more, you get an additional $10 per night off your bill at checkout. The hotel participates in the Toys for Tots program, so your gift will go to children in need.
The deal is good only in California, where Pacifica runs hotels in in Sonoma, San Francisco, Cambria, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Marina del Rey, Redondo Beach, Laguna Beach and San Diego, among other locations. [Corrected at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 29: An earlier version of this post did not make it clear that this deal is good only at Pacifica hotels in California, not in Florida or Hawaii.] Read the rest of this entry »
Central Calif.: $100 credit or fourth night free at Dolphin Bay Resort
September 6, 2009 5:58am
The Central California coast, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, offers a wonderful array of rugged beaches, laid-back towns and eyefuls of beauty, whether you’re on the road, the trail or the waves.
If you’re looking for spacious, upscale and well-equipped accommodations, then Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa, just a couple miles up the coast from Pismo Beach, is the place to find them, according to many happy TripAdvisor travelers. And the resort is offering a couple of appealing deals this fall.
Deals: The oceanfront resort, off of Highway 1 in Shell Beach, is —among its various promotions—offering guests these options: $100 resort credit per night for certain rooms, or a fourth night free for any room type. You can’t do both in one go, unfortunately.
The resort credit is applicable for bookings of ocean-view or oceanfront rooms. You can use your credit at Lido Restaurant or at La Bonne Vie Spa, both on-site.
But if you’re staying at least four nights, you don’t need an ocean-view unit and you aren’t likely to partake of the aforementioned spa and restaurant every day, you’ll save more by taking advantage of the “Fourth Night Free” special. Read the rest of this entry »
Higher fees at California state parks start today: Where to find details
August 17, 2009 5:34pm
Starting today, Aug. 17, it will cost you more to visit and camp at many California state parks. In some cases, the cost has doubled.
The increases stem from California’s budget crises, which has put the state billions of dollars in debt. “In these dire economic times, we can longer afford to keep our fees at their current levels,” State Parks Director Ruth Coleman said last week in announcing the fee hikes.
Officials waited until today to release a park-by-park rundown of the new fees for day use and camping. Among Southern California parks affected, with sample fees:
> Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Parking went from $6 per day year-round to $5 to $8, depending on the season. Borrego Palm Canyon developed campsites with hookups were $24 to $29 per night, depending on season; now $35 year-round.
12 books of Christmas: ‘Route 66 Backroads’
December 21, 2008 6:00am
Whenever I crank up my 1912 Columbia Grafonola, my mother asks why I’d want to play that old windup phonograph when digital music is so much clearer. She’s right, but there’s just something authentic about hearing it on the original.
It’s the same principle with Route 66.
Sure, the interstate will get you there faster, but driving the Mother Road gets you closer to history. If you know someone who’s enchanted with the double six, “Route 66 Backroads,” by Jim Hinckley with photos by Kerrick James, Rick Bowers and Nora Mays Bowers, may be just the ticket (Voyageur Press, $24.99).
Pismo Beach: Labor Day family deal at the Cliffs Resort
August 19, 2008 10:04am
Last year, I was in Pismo Beach, California, during Labor Day weekend, and it proved a fun getaway — just a few hours drive north of Los Angeles yet psychologically far enough to feel like a vacation. It being a holiday, much of the beach was rife with sandcastles and suntans, and the line for Splash Cafe (the place in town for clam chowder) was discouragingly long at all hours.
But if you want family-friendly fun and don’t demand tranquility (good luck finding it that weekend anyway), this casual Central Coast beach town can be a fine place to spend a few festive days.
Deal: The Cliffs Resort’s Labor Day package includes the following for $779 (pre-tax): three nights accommodations; breakfast buffet for four people each morning; and four BBQ lunches throughout the weekend (two lunches included on Saturday and two on Sunday). Read the rest of this entry »
Your vote: Best nude beach in California?
July 15, 2008 10:33am
Although the Trail 6 area of San Onofre State Beach may be losing its status as a naturist hangout since the 1970s, there are several other strips of sand along our coast that they also frequent.
Here is your chance to weigh in. Take our poll and tell us which is the best clothing-optional beach in California. And please use the comments section below to tell us why.
>> Click here for a photo gallery of all the beaches (*sorry, no nudity) <<
– Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times]
*Updated: Added note at 3:53 p.m. based on reader feedback
Monarch butterfly reserves in Mexico and California
July 10, 2008 11:43am
The Monarch butterflies’ beautiful setting-sun-like orange and black hues make them some of the best-recognized insects. One of the best places to see them in full flutter is at Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
The site, officially known as El Santuario de la Mariposa Monarca (Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary), was just added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are also several California homes for the monarchs. See below for more information. Note that the best time to see these butterflies on North America’s West Coast is in the fall and winter.
Big Sur Basin Complex fire update from evacuated Ventana Inn resident
July 7, 2008 9:41am
Laura Elliott has been living in Big Sur, at the Ventana Inn & Spa, since January of this year. She’s also been blogging and taking lots of Big Sur and Basin Complex fire photos, some of which are excerpted below from her most recent updates posted here.
Laura has evacuated but e-mails that she may be allowed to return to Big Sur and the Ventana Inn as early as this coming week. Stay tuned for more on-the-ground updates from Laura; check the Ventana Inn website for official opening and closing updates.
[Ventana Inn, Big Sur]
[Big deer at the Cottage, outside the Ventana Inn & Spa]
