This is the second year in a row that I’ve taken the kids to the Omni La Costa Hotel in Carlsbad, California. We come during the last few weeks of summer, and it’s kind of the last hoorah before the school grind starts. This is especially bittersweet, because I think this is the last time Maxi will be going before she starts college. Carlsbad is a little under an hour drive from our house, and it’s absolutely beautiful–surrounded by gorgeous green mountains with perpetually mild weather. It’s also home to a huge outlet store and Legoland.

This is a four-star hotel, which makes it pretty pricey, but we go in the middle of the week to help keep the costs down. But because it’s mid-week, Mike can’t go. It’s always tough when The Hubster doesn’t come along to help wrangle the kids, so I love the Omni for several reasons:

The have a kid’s club, which allows you a little break for a few hours so that you can relax and walk yourself down from the ledge when your brood has you teetering on the edge of insanity.

The have an amazing water slide for older kids and adults. They also have a mini slide for babies and smaller children, plus a water play area.

The rooms are big. Like, really big, and most come with patios, so everyone can stretch out a bit so we all don’t feel like sardines in a tin can.

They provide a ton of activities for adults and kids. Yesterday was crafts, face painting and ballon art. Today mommy’s taking a barre exercise class. They also have a world-class, award winning spa.

Most of all, I love that my family can come here and feel comfortable just hanging out. The North San Diego County resort brings a diverse crop of tourists of virtually all races, so everyone feels really comfortable. It’s not unusual to see mixed families like ours enjoying the property.

Not to mention there’s a golf course and acres of gardens.

Take a look at what we’ve done so far…