Sand Pebbles Resort

Sand Pebbles is a nice, simple, condo 'resort' ideally located on Hwy 1 in the artsy beach town of Solana Beach, CA. All the units have been updated with modest furniture, neutral carpeting and white wide-blade shutters. There is no A/C, but all units have fans (and wall heaters in every room). The resort has a nice, new, heated salt water pool and a new, larger spa. There are studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom townhouses and 2 bedroom "flats" (upstairs units and all on one level). The front desk staff is very helpful. My extended family has stayed in all of the unit types at one time or another - my favorite is the 'two-bedroom flat' (there are only 4). Everything you need is there. Some of the units overlook the pool area, while others overlook the other units; some face Hwy 1. There is public access via a set of stairs that lead you down a cliff to a beautiful sparsely populated beach below (it will get you in shape walking down and up these stairs)! There are beach umbrellas, boogie boards and beach chairs available to borrow. A short walkdown Hwy 1 is a walking bridge over the railroad that leads to the Cedros Design District with upscale shops (clothing, accessories, furniture), brewery, coffee houses, The Belly-Up night club for music, a dog accessory store and some various other "cool" places to roam - my favorite is a shop called "Solo" which is a collective of various 'cool' things to buy. On Sunday afternoons from 12-3, there is a Farmer's Market with varied cuisines by food vendors, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables as well as local crafts. California Pizza Kitchen and Rubios are just a building away from the resort. There is a walking path and sidewalk the entire length of Solana Beach, so you can rent bikes and ride to a lot of cool places along the town. The Hwy 1 bus can take you up and down the coast to other small beach towns like Del Mar, Encinitas, Leucadia and Cardiff-by-the-sea, Carlsbad and up to Oceanside. The Solana Beach Train Station is within easy walking distance; Amtrack and Coaster stop here. You can take Amtrack to Disneyland - no need to drive! and north to Los Angeles and points beyond via the Pacific Surfliner. The Coaster train runs from Santa Fe station (downtown) north to Oceanside and all the beach towns in between. Overall, The Sand Pebbles is a nice "place to stay and spread out" at a reasonable cost. Redweek weekly rental listings are about half of what a hotel in this area costs! Better yet - buy your own week at Sand Pebbles and come back every year!

Quiet resort steps across the street from a clean family friendly beach. Plenty of parking and easy access to San Diego and Los Angeles. Resort has a nice pool area and a large hot tub, both of which have recently been refurbished.