Crystal Cove Cottages

I usually blog about daytrips , outings and events. Today I wanted to blog about a place some of you may or may not know about- Crystal Cove Cottages in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach. The cottages are state owned and offer you an opportunity to stay in a beachfront bungalow at a very reasonable rate from one to seven nights. Think of it as camping on the beach in style. In fact to reserve a spot in Crystal Cove you must use the reservation system used by all California campgrounds and parks- Reserve America.

The cottages are extremely popular and you can rent them on the first day of the month at 8am. You can sign on to the system and start trying at 7:50. If you want to make sure to snag one a night or two make sure to browse through the website for the cottages and let the agent know the one you are interested in. You can also call and see if there are cancellations for perhaps a last minute outing or book a cancellation online through Reserve America. You make a reservation 6 months in advanced. For example if you were to book a cottage on Mar 1st , you would be booking for your stay in September.

The Cottages are newly restored and are either Individual or Dorm-style Cottages Crystal Cove Beach Cottages offer gorgeous ocean views, charming historic details, and a glimpse of a uniquely Southern Californian beach community from a bygone era. Located in the heart of Crystal Cove State Park's 3.5 miles of pristine coastline, the Historic District first developed as a South Seas movie set due to its seclusion and tropical aura. The community thrived and became beloved for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and picturesque landscape, and in 1979, the Crystal Cove Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can stay in one of 11 Individual or 3 Dorm-style Cottages. Located directly on the beach or overlooking it from a bluff top, each cottage has been painstakingly restored and furnished to recreate Crystal Cove's unique historic beach culture and ambiance. Reservations are available year-round.

I know that we are facing some tough economic times and the thought of renting a beach home or vacation sounds like a far fetched dream for many- but thanks to Crystal Cove you can afford a beachfront retreat for around the same price as spending a night at your local Marriott. Rentals are around $180.00 for a flat rate of 4 people. This does not include children 4 and under. There is an additional charge for more than 4 people over the age of 4.

I'm planning on renting a little cottage for one night.. I hope you can also and spend an unforgettable day or days at the beach.

For additional information click here and for reservations click here

Reserve America

Reservations 1-800-444-7275

Customer Service 1-800-695-2269

Tote a Tot

If you are planning on flying with an infant or toddler and plan on bringing along a carseat you must get your hands on a Tote a Tot. I know you are wondering what's a Tote a Tot and why do I need one so badly?? Here's the scoop on the Tote a Tot- It allows you to transport your child, a piece of rolling luggage, a carseat and a diper bag all in one hand. It's basically a snap on attachment that allows you to connect your carseat to your rolling luggage. It's fantastic - we bought one and I highly recommend it if you plan to travel with your little ones. The attachment is easy to install- It took me less than two minutes. The best part is that it comes with a built in diaper bag and it's easy to store. For more info go to www.toteatot.com.

Hawaii: Part 1 - The Dole Plantation

One of our first outings while on vacation in Oahu last month was a visit to the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Wahiawa. We packed the two kiddos in our rental truck (it was the same price as a compact but with more room!) and headed north for our little adventure. It's a beautiful and scenic 40 minute drive from Waikiki on Kamehameha hwy. My two year old had a great time enjoying the beautiful rainbows we saw along the way.


It's a great place to visit, especially if you have little ones. The first thing we did once we arrived was head to the Pineapple Express. It's a 20 minute train ride that takes you on a narrated tour of the plantation. The kiddos were in love and so was I. It was a fun little train ride and the views were amazing. We learned all about pineapples and how they are grown. The tour was a lot of fun and it's a must do if you visit the plantation.

Once we managed to pull the kids away from the train we moved on to the plantation's free garden tour. It's a self guided tour of the gardens which showcase the different types of crops that are grown in the North Shore of Oahu. We had a great time on the tours but really when you visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation what you really want to do is eat some yummy pineapple. We stopped at their snack shop and had a tasty Dole whip, some fresh cut pineapple and a pineapple float. We were in pineapple heaven!!! We had such a great time and if you are heading to Oahu with your little ones make sure that you make this one of your pit stops. You won't regret it!!!

World Famous Pinapple Split

Dole Plantation-64-1550 Kamehameha Highway, Wahiawa, HI 96786
Visitors Center/Plantation Garden Tour - 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Pineapple Express 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily

Visiting Dole Plantation is free.
Pineapple Express Train	Adults - $7.75, Children - $5.75
Plantation Garden Tour	Adults - $4.00, Children - $3.25

Oh, almost forgot- children under 4 are FREE!!!!

AAA

Okay if you are planning on doing some or most of the activities listed here then may I offer a suggestion. If you do not have a AAA membership- get one.If you already have one take full advantage of it. Most of the places that I visit offer a AAA membership discount. I would say that usually 9 out of 10 places do. I ask everywhere I visit. What's the worst that could happen? They say no- but most of the time it's yes and I save a couple of bucks. Did you know that places like Souplantation offer a discount- they offer a 10% discount . Their membership comes with great perks. Of course they are great to have when you are stuck in a ditch somewhere and need a tow truck to drag you out, however their services go beyond your car's mishaps. For starters their complimentary magazine Westways is regionally geared and is packed full of travel tips, day trips and great travel articles. You can also visit your local office and pick up a variety of maps and guides. This summer pick up their summer guide which is plentiful of info and discounts. I hope I've convinced you to use your membership or if you aren't a member yet at least think about it. Finally if I still have not convinced you let me leave you with a quick story- imagine that you are driving out to your OB visit and you are running late. You are low on gas and you are oh 38 weeks along. You have to run to the bathroom and figure you have to get to the doc's as quickly as possible. All is great until you run out of gas 10 blocks before you get there. This is where AAA becomes the best investment. They promptly came and I didn't have to waddle my way for 5 blocks with a gas container. Just something to consider...

My idols

Rick Steves

Huell Howser

These men are my idols. Rick Steves and Huell Howser are rock stars to me. We used Rick's book when we traveled to Italy and he gave us some wonderful tips. If you are planning to head off to Europe, his books are a must.

Huell is quirky and great. His show California's Gold is one of my favorites. He might love California more than I do. Check out his show on PBS. You will surely be entertained!!