San Diego, California is no stranger to celebrity. The attractions offered by the city’s collection of eclectic neighborhoods – as well as the comprehensive county of San Diego itself – have beckoned many a tourist over the years. Whether visiting the eateries and going shopping in the Gas Lamp District, learning about San Diego’s history in family-friendly Old Town or perusing the used bookstores and vintage clothing shops in Hillcrest, San Diego has something for every family member and every lifestyle.

But if you are looking for an impressive getaway set apart from the usual madding crowd, stake a claim outside the city center! For a matchless sense of serenity, immerse yourself in the beauty of La Jolla, California by booking your stay with The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines, which has been consecutively awarded the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award since 2002, as well as being named the “World’s Best Hotel” by Sunset Magazine, is located roughly 15-20 minutes north of San Diego’s city center. The Lodge is also located about 30-40 minutes south of Carlsbad, California (Legoland). This means that families traveling with children can experience the family-friendly attractions of San Diego in either direction while returning from the day’s activities to experience the distinguished luxury that has made The Lodge so renowned.

Situated on the stunning cliffs above the Torrey Pines State Beach, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is truly a Pacific Coast breath of fresh air. Overlooking the 18th hole of the world-famous Torrey Pines Golf Course, the resort offers 170 rooms, including 8 suites, that all harken back to the true beauty and architectural ingenuity of the famed Craftsman-style Era.

This early 1900s style of architectural design is most notably defined by its emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, expansive areas of space and a laudable respect for the natural landscape. And these design aspects are recognizable at once as guests, after being greeted by doormen in kilted Scottish attire, are then greeted inside The Lodge by the impressive post-and-beam construction of open-spaced rooms, where large windows allow light into the public spaces and create a natural integration of the resort’s space with the visible golf course beyond the Torrey Pine trees and well-manicured gardens, with the Pacific Ocean idling beautifully on the horizon.  

Guest rooms at The Lodge range in size from 520 square feet to more than 1,500 square feet and mirror the rest of the resort with impeccable Craftsman-style design. Whether you book a stay in one of the regal suites, most of which overlook the 18th green of the Torrey Pines Golf Course, or have reserved one of the Palisade, Reserve or Signature rooms, all of the guest rooms include custom-styled furnishings comprised of fine wood, elegant fabrics and luxurious leather. In addition to the pure comfort of cotton linens and quilted duvets, the granite and marble décor of the bathrooms enhance the overall sensation of exclusive comfort. The meticulous amount of care shown in each and every detail of the rooms and suites at The Lodge is a daily testament to the resort staff’s tireless dedication.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines also features the in-room amenities and necessities that both business and leisure travelers have come to expect, including complimentary high-speed wireless internet access, data hookups, spacious working areas, Bose stereo systems, mini bars, safes, and 24 hour room service.  

The resort offers various golf packages so that guests can be certain that, when booking one of The Lodge’s stately rooms, your tee time(s) will also be reserved in advance. That’s right: by simply choosing one of the select packages, guests can play on the same course that hosts the Farmers Invitational PGA Tour event, and that hosted the US Open in 2008. Guests can also receive personalized service from the resort’s Golf Services Department, and the golf packages can also be combined with spa treatments as well! 

At this award-winning resort, each discerning guest is immersed in a genuine refinement of the senses: the sights of the Pacific Ocean from immaculately appointed rooms and beautiful, spacious terraces that afford resort guests views of the pristine golf course, pool area and croquet lawn; the tastes and smells – the culinary craftsmanship – from the resort’s signature restaurants, including The Grill at The Lodge and the award-winning A.R. Valentien.

The early-birds rise for the 7am complimentary coffee in the A.R. Valentien Lounge, while those more inclined to enjoy the Egyptian cotton linens for a few more hours can simply head over to The Grill at The Lodge for a casual dining experience. The Grill is open for breakfast from 6am-11am daily. Try to sit outside on the patio which faces the Torrey Pines Golf Course clubhouse and enjoy a warm pot of coffee near the practice putting greens. The steel-cut oats with dried berries and brown sugar with a fresh fruit platter are deliciously healthy. Or you can try the Egg Bread French Toast (a house specialty), or even a more traditional breakfast of Eggs Benedict or Huevos Rancheros all while watching the golf course buzz with morning activity.

For a sensational dining experience, be sure to book a reservation at The Lodge’s top-rated signature restaurant, A.R. Valentien. The timbered room of the restaurant overlooks the 18th hole of the Torrey Pines Golf Course and offers outside seating with heat lamps as well. The elegant décor of the restaurant includes original artwork by A.R. Valentien himself, the namesake California artist who worked in the 1900s with watercolors, oils and ceramics. 

If dining at the restaurant for lunch, see if you can try the Roasted Swordfish and Cracked Coriander with wilted Malabar spinach, shaved onions, preserved lemon and yogurt with raw tomato mustard oil sauce; and for dinner, try the Liberty Duck Breast and Confit Leg with frisee, arugula, roasted grapes, pickled red onions, shaved radish, toasted hazelnuts, and sherry honey vinaigrette. These opulent dishes, also paired with the perfect glass or bottle of wine, will delight your palette and senses with remarkably crafted works of edible art!

Another of the prestigious services provided by the resort is the exclusive Spa at Torrey Pines, which offers unique spa treatments that pay homage to the coastal environment and the timeless integration of land, sea and air. 

The spa focuses on treatments utilizing marine and botanical based products to reflect the spa’s coastal locale and its location near the cherished Torrey Pines State Reserve. Everything from nail and skin care to massages, exfoliations, water therapies, masks, and wraps are offered. For reservations, please call 858.453.4420.

With such award-winning attention to detail, it is easy to see how The Lodge at Torrey Pines continues to amass industry accolades and genuine praise from its guests. For a West Coast experience like none other, be sure to book a stay at The Lodge at Torrey Pines!

The post The Matchless Serenity of The Lodge at Torrey Pines appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Portland, Oregon has gone through its share of changes. Much like San Francisco and the Beat Generation of the 60s and 70s, there is a notion surrounding Portland – a perception – often depicted in the extreme with shows like “Portlandia,” where tired, yearning masses of the young and restless seem find their way to the burgeoning shores of the city and live out their laissez-faire lifestyles.

Though this portrayal is admittedly exaggerated, yet comedic nonetheless, what it lacks is the fact that before the indie scene and the hipsters, before the pub crawls and wine vacations and spa packages, there was the simple love of place and dedication to heritage, to history.

There are locals like Dave J. Spacek, the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Mark Spencer Hotel, that grew up in Portland and can remember when the West End district, where the hotel is located, was little more than a district of warehouses.

But just as the warehouses have now been converted into energy efficient lofts and work spaces, so too does The Mark Spencer Hotel, located at 409 SW 11^th Ave., continue to promote the progressive ideals of the city by ensuring that the city’s resources are preserved for future generations.

For example, the hotel is a Green Seal certified property and active in recycling,  even down to the corks from the evening wine reception held nightly in the hotel atrium.  

The hotel is also known as the Hotel to the Arts in that it supports both well-known and fledgling theaters, including the … this support helps to ensure the continued access to culture and the arts for both Portlanders and the tourists who flock to the sights and sounds of Portland with their children, visiting such places as the celebrated Voodoo Doughnuts.

Speaking with Dave over coffee – a steaming cup of Kobo’s, a local company whose deliciously aromatic coffee is offered by the hotel at its complimentary breakfast and throughout the day as well – I agree that Voodoo Doughnuts  is indeed a great attraction and well worth the visit, and having tasted their Bacon Maple Bar doughnut (raised yeast doughnut topped with maple and bacon) the morning before, I now have an unhealthy love relationship with the famous donut shop. 

Indeed, just a few weeks ago, I noticed that a friend of mine who recently moved to Portland had posted pictures of his children enjoying the sheer sugar rush of Voodoo Doughnuts’ unique and flavorful donuts, which also include an assortment of vegan doughnuts as well. Keep in mind that Voodoo Doughnuts is CASH ONLY.  

What I also learn, however, is that if I want to taste a bit of Portland like the locals, there are a few places worth trying that are off the beaten path of most tourist itineraries, such as Blue Star Donuts at 1237 SW Washington Street. 

In fact, after a few more “local” tips, I have my entire day planned. Blue Star Donuts for a “lite” breakfast, where I enjoy a savory donut ring of basil, blueberry and bourbon, as well as a decadently delicious dulce de leche donut.

I then head over to Lardo’s brick and mortar establishment at 1205 SW Washington Street on the West Side (Lardo’s on the East Side is the famous food cart). At Lardo, I indulge my tastes in the Double Burger, a juicy and flavorful favorite with cascade natural beef, porkstrami, cheddar, lettuce, and the restaurant’s famous Lardo sauce. This amazing combination of flavors is accompanied by a side of Lardo fries, topped with fried herbs and parmesan. And to wash it all down, a cold and delicious local brew.

After Lardo’s sensual display of culinary can-do, I manage to make my way over to another recommendation: Ruby Jewels, the beautifully designed ice cream shop seen on the Food Network and toted by Oprah as her favorite place for ice cream sandwiches. Even with these celebrity nods to the North Portland shop’s sensual creations, the ice cream is still handmade daily in the shop’s kitchen and continues to source its ingredients from sustainable, local businesses

Ruby Jewel’s has a selection of ice cream and ice cream sandwiches that you can choose from, and if you’d like something altogether different, you can customize your sandwich by choosing both the type of cookie and the ice cream flavor. I treated myself to the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie sandwich with honey lavender ice cream, which is a perfect treat for the senses and a welcome reward for such a hot day. 

A welcome treat for children is Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts, Portland’s largest toy store since 1977. The store is actually located on the corner of SW 9^th Avenue and Washington Street, and can easily be added to any itinerary that already includes any of the above-mentioned places on Washington Street, such as Lardo’s or Blue Star Donuts.

Hotel guests can also feel like a local by experiencing the various amenities that The Mark Spencer Hotel offers, such as their bevy of promotions and accommodation packages.                                  

One of the most popular packages is the Powell’s Bookworm Package. In addition to overnight accommodations, continental breakfast, wireless internet access, weekday newspaper (NY Times), afternoon tea and cookies, and an evening wine reception, the package includes a $50 gift card to Powell’s City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world and within walking distance from the hotel.

As the New York Times itself has noted of Powell’s Books, “the children’s section, like everything here, is phenomenally well stocked.” Powell’s Books, then, and as an extension of Portland, is such a vital asset in helping to provide educational entertainment for families that happen to be traveling with children.

Further highlighting its vast array of children’s literature, Powell’s offers activities in its stores that give children something fun and educational to do during the busy summer months with a program series known as Kids’ Storytime. Held every Wednesday and Saturday at Powell’s City of Books, the flagship store on 1005 W Burnside St., as well as other select store locations in Oregon (there are six locations in total, including one at PDX airport and another in neighboring Beaverton), the events allow children to also be a part of the Powell’s experience.

For more information on what Portland has to offer to families with children, be sure to visit Portland’s own event website, which is dedicated to planning year-round events specifically with children in mind.

In addition to the Powell’s Bookworm Package, The Mark Spencer Hotel also offers packages as unique as: the OMSI Mummies of the World Package, which includes 2 VIP tickets to the exhibit and 2 all-day Streetcar passes; the Romantic Spa Package, which includes a couple’s massage at Spa Sasse; and the Cycle Portland Package with discounts on bicycle tours and bike rentals.

Various other packages include tickets and passes to such exciting venues as the Portland Art Museum, the Artist Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage Theatre and the Portland Baroque Orchestra. 

All of the hotel’s packages are so compelling in that they add an opulent dimension of culture to the various amenities that each hotel room pampers its guests with, such as flat panel TVs, private baths, Simmons Beautyrest Black Diamond bed sets, Wi-Fi, and fully-equipped kitchenettes.

The Mark Spencer Hotel also plans to accentuate its identity as the premier Hotel to the Arts by designing each of its six floors with a specific art theme in mind, such as photography, writing/literature, drama, and sculpture. The floors, with their individual attention to the visual and performing arts will, in their entirety, further showcase the wonderful local talent and abundance of cultural offerings that both The Mark Spencer Hotel and the city of Portland have to offer each and every guest.

 With such attention to detail and with a strong sense of place both in the art community as well as in the Portland community, it’s easy to see why The Mark Spencer Hotel is truly redefining the way kid-friendly travel is perceived.

Cultural outlets for the entire family make for a trip that the entire family is sure to remember! So give Portland, Oregon a try – you and your family will be glad you did! 

The post Support Your Child’s Education with Family-Friendly Vacations: Portland, Oregon appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.