Driving to Coronado on a Saturday morning in September is actually quite enjoyable from Orange County. Typically it will take about an 1 1/2 hours to get there. This was the case when we embarked on our latest family vacation with the Tavakolis (of Cancun Thanksgiving 2020 fame). Our family played carpool karaoke with an Amazon-bought bluetooth microphone the whole way down. The girls took turns singing Descendants songs, I did a little George Michael “One More Time” and Steve sang everything from Korean songs to country. Made for a very Instagram-able drive.
The Tavakolis had won 2 nights in a 2 bedroom villa at the famous Del Coronado hotel while attending the Miracles for Kids charity auction in 2020 and offered to share it with us. The Del was built in 1888 and is designated a National Historic Landmark. The hotel itself is in need of a facelift…peeling paint, dark interior, etc., but it is dripping with history and charm and location, location on the beach. The villas, where we stayed, were built about a decade ago and have full kitchens, 1-3 bedrooms and access to private pools and a restaurant. They are privately owned, but can be rented through http://www.hilton.com.
We stopped at the local Coronado Vons and stocked up on breakfast food, snacks and alcohol. Coronado’s town is beachy casual with quaint boutique shops, fabulous restaurants and a vacation vibe. Conveniently located 8.5 miles from the San Diego Airport and connected by a bridge to the city of San Diego…Coronado has a culture all it’s own. I highly recommend renting bikes at Holland’s http://www.hollandsbicycles.com and exploring the beach paths and town.
We spend a lot of time at the pool in a cabana this trip and infrequently ventured “off campus.” There are 7 restaurants at the hotel of varying prices and cuisine and includes a small marketplace. They are truly all worth trying, especially the sun deck with fire pits. While we relaxed on the deck, our kids did cartwheels and played tag with a bunch of other kids on the green belt next to us. It felt very safe and everyone was able to enjoy their own version of vacation! Just a quick warning…the very cute Beach & Taco Shack on the water only serves drinks starting at 7PM on Fri/Sat and 6PM on Sunday. We waited in a very long line thinking we’d grab dinner there one night with the kids and got to the front only to find the kitchen closed. There are a variety of activities available at the hotel as evidenced by the list below including beach spin classes…makes it easy to just stay on campus!
Manna and I went to the spa at the Del. The spa has a well curated shop full of loungewear…cozy, cute stuff! Not inexpensive. There is a private pool and an adequate women’s locker room. My massage was excellent and very relaxing.
The biggest selling point for the kids was the Coronado Sea Wall. They love climbing rocks! We saw a few sea urchins and crabs in the pooled water… It was relatively safe.
Heading home was slow going, but we left with good memories and sun tans, ready for the new school year to start.
We Don’t Sit Still 