Staycation Ideas In San Diego

Just because the honeymoon’s over doesn’t mean the “honeymoon phase” has to be!  One awesome and affordable way to replicate the excitement and adventure of your honeymoon is to take a “staycation” in your local town! With the economy still struggling to get back up, more and more people are choosing to take “staycations” in San Diego, instead of spending $$$$ to go out-of-town. Not only is this a smart way to manage your budget, but it allows you and your husband/wife to spend quality time without the stress of paying for a good time.

Photo courtesy of Balboa Park

There are so many great spots and restaurants in downtown and the surrounding areas. Many people tend to just stick with the Gaslamp district, but just 5 minutes away, you can walk around areas like Hillcrest or visit Balboa Park and the world famous San Diego Zoo.

Photo courtesy of Hotel del Coronado

In Balboa Park there are always great events and museums to visit. Only minutes away from downtown is the beautiful Coronado Island, where you can choose to visit for a day to see beaches like Silver Strand State Beach or stay overnight at the landmark Hotel Del Coronado, which recently became Green Seal certified.

If you go 20 minutes north, you can stop by La Jolla Cove and grab lunch with a view at George’s at the Cove or inside the historic “pink lady,” La Valencia Hotel.

If you’re truly craving an out-of-town experience, you only need to drive an hour east or north to feel like you’re in a different city altogether. Drive up the 15-N and you can spend time at the renown golf and spa at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. To sweeten the deal, Rancho Bernardo Inn offers many specials and packages to make the most out of your weekend getaway and offers free shuttle services around town. Or you can stay at their sister resort, Temecula Creek Inn and enjoy a wine tasting journey through Temecula Valley. Their amenities include a 27-hole Championship golf course and located conveniently within minutes of 18 of Temecula’s finest wineries.

Further east of San Diego county, you can visit Julian, a small town that offers visitors a unique, country experience. Julian is a little taste of east coast rustic for the SD city slicker! Year round, the quaint city offers activities like apple picking in the fall, or the chance to build a snowman in the winter. The mountainous town is perfect for nature hikes if you’re feeling adventurous. If you take the 76-E, you can visit Cupid’s Castle Bed & Breakfast for a relaxing retreat and be a weekend princess! The owners of this local castle describe their location as “secluded in the middle of a lemon orchard… enchanting gardens will embrace you with its 400 year old oak trees, fairy grotto garden with little pond, chimes, fountains and flowers.” How wonderfully charming!

Photo courtesy of Cupid's Castle

North county San Diego is home to hotels such as The Grand Del Mar and L’Auberge–both luxurious resorts! During the summer you can don your prettiest hat and enjoy a day at the horse races at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and at night dine out at exquisite restaurants like Chart House in Cardiff by the Sea. Downtown Del Mar is the perfect low key, classy counterpart to the hustle and bustle of downtown San Diego.

It’s easy to fall into ruts or have the urge to travel somewhere far to mix things up, but we hope the suggestions we’ve offered will help keep the sense of romance and adventure going well beyond the first year. San Diego County is a huge city with many sites and attractions to offer, so start planning your staycation!

5 Star Venue: Pelican Hill Resort

A five star wedding indeed! That pretty much explains it all. Pelican Hill Resort, in Newport Beach is the perfect ocean view venue.  As soon as you arrive at this resort, a feeling of glamour and paradise fill the air. The staff are overly gracious, and resort employees immediately greet you and make you feel welcomed.  The views are delightful, peaceful, and absolutely breathe taking.  Since this venue only allows one wedding per day, all of focus will be on making you and your guests happy.

Lebanese Weddings – A Grand Affair

Weddings in Lebanon are truly elaborate on a scale unlike any other in grandeur, cost, and entertainment. The Middle Eastern culture and Lebanese specifically, believe there is no spending ceiling because there is no cost when it comes to celebration and entertaining their loved ones with music, dance, and copious amounts of food. These elements combine to create a spectacle of an affair and tend to be the reason why the party lasts till dawn!

 Celebrations go on for 3 days and simple or grand, a Lebanese wedding isn’t truly Lebanese without a ‘zaffeh’, the act of escorting the bride to her husband, in celebration of their holy marriage. Even the ‘zaffeh’ is a form of entertainment, celebration and dance because, on the third day, the groom is led by a group of dancers, as they play music, sing and dance on their way to the bride’s house.

Entertainment is an essential and important priority in Lebanese weddings. Music and dance are the hallmarks of celebration and fun in Lebanese families and culture.

 A Middle Eastern wedding celebration, is one where the dancer has a special place. Usually a belly dancer or singer will entertain the guests and more luxurious weddings will have more than one entertainer.

As you can clearly see, the Lebanese truly believe a wedding is a celebration and there is no costs to keeping guests entertained.

Traveling to Lebanon- Part 1

Lebanon is a great place to visit and an even better place to get married. Boasting a plethora of choices, you can wed in the mountains, beaches, city, and historical sights of a city drenched in time and beauty. Below is a mini travel and venue guide for marrying in Lebanon and remember, choosing a venue is dependant upon your taste and of course the weather!

Beach Weddings: There are many venues surrounding the Mediterranean Sea that capture the beauty of the water and the exotic locale. The beaches in Lebanon are breathtaking and stay warm from April until October and even sometimes November.

You can also enjoy a beautiful sunset wedding overlooking Al Rousheh a very historical spot in the beaches of Beirut.

Mountain Weddings: The mountains of Lebanon, like Faraya, boast gorgeous views and venues for a wedding and can be used in both the summer and winter months.

For those who envision a white wedding, the mountains of Lebanon are a gorgeous setting and full of natural beauty.

A Different Take: Other venues include: cathedrals, castles, and the gorgeous homes that portray the history, grandeur, and beauty of Lebanon all at once.

Night Weddings: For the couple who wants something a little more fun or a wedding at night, the city of Beirut boasts multiple venue choices.

A venue speaks volumes about a couples taste and style on their wedding day. For a destination wedding, Lebanon is one of the most historical places you can choose that gives you an abundance of choice when it comes to venues from the mountains with snow to the Mediterranean Sea and even castles!

TIPS TO TRAVELING ABROAD

When traveling abroad, it’s always good to know these couple of tips… be sure sure to wear socks on the plane and try to take short walks so your feet will not get swollen, and always take all of your prescription medications with you.  As for children, have them chew something when the plane is taking off or landing to try to avoid the pressure on their ears.

Read up about the country you are going to… Lebanon is called the Paris of the Middle East, so if you are up to fashion, you are in the right city.   Although, this time of year tends to be cold so dress warm. Be sure you have comfortable shoes, as there are a lot of sights to see and sometimes it is faster to walk than take a taxi or drive a car.

The nature in Lebanon is spectacular, lots of historical places to visit. I will talk about few of them in my next blog.