Encinitas has a different vibe than any of the beach towns north of San Diego – but what is it that makes it so captivating, so special? Many feel its because Encinitas is still lost in time back in the 1960s when California was a much simpler place with small roadside motels along Highway 101. Encinitas hotels didn’t exist back in the 60s, nor were there any Encinitas Bed and Breakfasts or hotels in Del Mar or the Cardiff Lodge.
Encinitas is home to romantic bed and breakfasts, Stone Steps Beach, The Roxy Restaurant where you can buy a glass of rum and an ice cream cone, cute boutiques, funky old hotels on the historic Pacific Coast Highway, Moonlight beach, the La Paloma theater (still featuring weekly surf movies) and romantic Encinitas bed and breakfasts. Encinitas is so laid back that it is often referred to as “San Diego’s Sleepy Surf Town.”
Business people and surfers alike stand in line in front of Roberto’s Taco Shop every day. The sidewalks along the Pacific Coast Highway (U.S. 101) in “downtown” are lined with outdoor restaurants and funky shops. Talk about laid back – tourists and kids can be seen any day walking barefoot through Encinitas in swim suits. You will find surfers from 5 states waxing down their surfboards (just like the Beach Boy’s sang in Surfin’ U.S.A.) for a session at Swami’s Surf Beach before they return to their Encinitas Bed and Breakfast or Carlsbad Inn.
Moonlight Beach is one of the finest San Diego beaches and is only a block from downtown Encinitas or an easy walk from the Inn At Moonlight Beach Bed and Breakfast Inn. You will not find a sandier, wider or more perfect beach to try your hand at surfing or body surfing, people-watch, work on reading that novel or simply relax. There is lots of parking, beach-gear rentals, great showers, a super playground and lovely lunch concession with healthy salads as well as burgers.
There is an intimate B&B in Encinitas, more romantic than any Cardiff Lodge or Encinitas hotels, situated overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Moonlight Beach. Ann Dunham is the hostess of this romantic San Diego Beach Bed and Breakfast, said to be more romantic than Del Mar Hotels and more lovely than the Carlsbad Bed and Breakfasts.
The four suites at the Inn At Moonlight Beach are decorated like the rooms you’d find in a French Seaside hotel or inn along the Mediterranean. Each suite has a private bath and refrigerator. What makes Ann’s Encinitas bed & breakfast really special is that she bakes delicious home-made, warm-from-the-oven pastries for breakfasts every morning.
Terry Hunefeld retired as CEO of a San Diego training corporation to follow his love of sailing the Pacific ocean to monitor ocean birds, whales and marine mammals. Hunefeld and his wife Ann Dunham own the Inn At Moonlight Beach in Encinitas near Del Mar and San Diego. For more information visit: Del Mar Beach Hotels or La Jolla B&Bs.
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