“No, we don’t have time!” is a refrain that echoes through my family’s days more than I’d like to admit — when the girls want one more outfit change before we’re out the door, when they beg for one more book at bedtime or when the idea for a vacation pops up.
What parent of young children enrolled in karate, piano lessons and theater — and a house overrun by dishes and laundry — has time to take off for 48 hours, no matter how badly their kids want to just jump into a pool and eat French fries? This would be, of course, a perfectly reasonable request from a child — or an adult, for that matter.
When my family of four got an opportunity to escape to the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa during a rare open weekend between my youngest daughter’s third birthday and my dad’s 80th, I worked hard to quiet the refrain — “No, we don’t have time!” — and found a way to say, “Yes.”
My husband and daughters, however, required very little convincing. They were right, of course: We all needed the reset.
Settling in at the resort
“This place is amaaazing,” exclaimed Naomi, our 7-year-old, as ran excitedly from room to room within our suite, opening every closet and curtain. “I wish we lived here!”
The resort has 600 rooms and suites across its 400-acre property, plus two pools, seven onsite restaurants and cafes, a 24-hour fitness center, luxury spa and gift shops. Our bedroom balcony overlooked the resort’s new North Course, a links-style golf course that tempted my golf enthusiast husband. (“Just a reason to return,” he says).
Hungry and stir-crazy from the 95-mile drive south from L.A., everyone was ready for dinner. I was a little apprehensive walking through the grand lobby to Bar Traza, the hotel’s Spanish-inspired eatery. But when we were seated with kids’ menus and crayons (universal code for “Your kids are welcome here”), I knew I’d be relaxed enough to order from the Olympics-themed cocktail menu. Our server, Ramiro, took our order and picked up the dropped crayons without missing a beat.
Bellies full, we retreated to our room where, unsurprisingly, our girls passed out in record time. Unfortunately, my husband and I did, too, despite my ambitious plans for a round of cribbage and wine on the balcony.
Flexibility is your friend on vacay
A rare full night’s rest did mean plenty of energy to tackle the next day. After breakfast at Omni La Costa’s marketplace, my husband took Naomi to the pool and I took Juna, our 3-year-old, to The Lullabar, a nail salon with a café and onsite child care. How genius is that?
Ting, a newlywed from Oceanside, did my manicure while Jill, a recent empty nester, took care of my pedicure. All three of us are in various stages of life: Ting is contemplating starting a family but wisely wants to enjoy child-free time with her husband; Jill is adjusting to life without seeing her daughter daily and I am in the thick of it all with young children. Right on cue, one of the caregivers entered the salon, holding my little tear-stained, barefoot girl.
“I’m so sorry. We tried everything,” she began. I immediately felt embarrassed, like I had failed because my kid is too attached. Well, it was worth a shot, I thought. I guess my appointment is over.
“Is that OK if she joins you?” the caregiver asked.
I felt so relieved! “Of course!” I said as Juna ran over to snuggle next to me in the big salon chair. No one batted an eye. It was as if a child joining her mother during a pampering session was the most ordinary thing in the world.
I settled back into my chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
Exploring Carlsbad Village
For lunch, we headed to Carlsbad Village, the town’s walkable downtown area of shops, bars and restaurants so family-friendly it made my husband seriously consider moving here.
We sat down at Sushi Taisho, a husband-and-wife-owned Japanese fusion restaurant with vibrant green booths, a patio and neon sign above the sushi bar: “Seas the Day.” I seized my day and enjoyed fresh sushi and tempura while Juna napped on my lap. She woke up just in time for dessert from GelatoLove and gymnastics in the fountain courtyard at the Village Faire Shopping Center.
Although our girls could play forever, we adults needed a pick-me-up, so we headed to Kids & Coffee, a beautiful indoor playground and café with quality coffee and my husband’s favorite: matcha. Local husband-and-wife duo and parents Vivian and Ken first got the idea for their hybrid play space café during the pandemic. Like so many of us, they felt trapped in a small condo with young kids, desperate for a safe place to relax and roam free.
“This is my third baby,” Vivian said. From the extra toddler clothes and diapers in the bathrooms to the sensory-friendly “comfort room” to the Montessori-inspired classrooms, you can see how much love and care was put into creating a space that feels good for both parents and kids. As I sat there sipping my honey-lavender latte and chatting with Vivian while our girls played, I asked that question a lot of moms get: “How do you do it all?” But I really wanted to know!
“I think being optimistic is key to being a mom — and an entrepreneur,” she answered. “If you can’t change your reality, you can change your perspective.”
Final adventures
We started our final day in Carlsbad with our own mini reset: My husband and I got two glorious hours to ourselves while Naomi and Juna made butterfly crafts and plant seeds at Hazel’s Gardening Club, part of Omni La Costa’s onsite family activities.
Once we reunited, we said farewell to the resort and headed to Legoland, about seven miles away.
Our girls haven’t discovered the joys of Lego builds yet, but they are ocean obsessed. We ran straight to Sea Life Carlsbad Aquarium inside the park. The aquarium features more than 350 different species, interactive exhibits and knowledgeable aquarists ready to tell you about their favorite marine creatures. My girls were all about the jellyfish.
We had one final stop before making our way home: Carlsbad Strawberry Company. These delicious berries made for the perfect car snack. I knew we were driving back to the same dish-piled sink, laundry and overpacked schedules, but with a renewed perspective: Time together is always time well spent.
Nina Harada is an artist, writer, mom and Digital Editor of L.A. Parent.
