Coronado Beach Resort

A Girlfriends’ Getaway Stays Local
By Wendy Lemlin

Sometimes you just need a break. Not a long vacation, but certainly more of a change of scenery than a “staycation”. Get away from the phone, get away from the computer, and get away from all the little chores around the house that nag to be done. In fact, get away from the kids and significant other, if applicable. We’re talking abdication of responsibility, here. Maybe take off with a friend or two and go somewhere that’s relaxing, but fun at the same time. You don’t even need to travel far, distance-wise, to be amazed at how a change of environment makes for a change in temperament.

If, like me, you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that other people vacation TO (in my case, San Diego, CA), planning a close-to-home girlfriends’ getaway is fraught with possibilities.

Me & Faith enjoying a glass of wine in our condo at the Coronado Beach Resort

My friend Faith and I recently indulged ourselves with a gal-pal gallivant. Although just minutes from home, our escape provided much needed revitalization, without the stress of travel arrangements and navigating unfamiliar territory.

To really feel like you’re stepping out of your everyday life, there’s nothing like a stay at a resort to put you in that “I’m-on-vacation” state of mind. Lounge around a pool, have a spa treatment (or two or three), play some tennis (or golf or whatever sport relaxes you), walk on the beach, dine at an elegant on-site restaurant, shop the boutiques, work out at the fitness center—-all at your fingertips. Comfortable, roomy accommodations with pillowtop beds and space to lounge around comfortably are also a prerequisite.

Faith & Me enjoying the view from the roof deck of the Coronado Beach Resort

We booked our girlfriend getaway through ResorTime.com, a company that specializes in renting out accommodations at timeshare resorts. Personally, I love the idea of staying in a condo-type lodging—for a rate that is usually much less than a generic hotel room, the units have more space, usually with a separate living room, creating a homey feeling, and a kitchen or kitchenette (which helps in saving the cost of eating every meal out, and makes a dinner splurge at an incredible restaurant all the more do-able).

In the seaside resort town of Coronado, just on the other side of San Diego Bay from my home in downtown San Diego, and literally a 15 minute drive away, Faith and I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing stay at the Coronado Beach Resort. Located in the heart of the town, the resort is within easy walking distance to wide sandy beaches, a myriad of restaurants, countless boutiques, and a biking/walking trail that stretches for over 15 miles.

Our 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath condo came equipped with kitchenette (where we promptly stored our wine, cheese, and chocolate —which as everyone knows, is essential for a successful girlfriend’s getaway!), as well as a living room with flat screen TV, VCR, and music system, where we could veg out while enjoying said wine and goodies.

Me at the Coronado Ferry Landing

We started our getaway with a bike ride (the resort provides bikes and beach towels) around the “island”. Coronado actually sits at the end of a long peninsula, but everyone refers to it as an island, and that actually enhances its resort-y feel. Unlike much of hilly San Diego, Coronado is flat and is a perfect venue for biking or blading, both around the town, and along the bike path that wends along both the eastern, Bay side, and the western, ocean side, continuing south along the 8 or so miles of the “Silver Strand”, the narrow strip of land that connects Coronado to Imperial Beach and the mainland. About half way down the strand sits the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, with whom the Coronado Beach Resort shares a reciprocal arrangement for use of its amenities. Faith and I stopped in to lounge by the heated pool and enjoy lunch at the resort’s Market Café, made even more yummy by the 30% discount we received as guests of Coronado Beach Resort.

Faith enjoying the incredible views at Candela’s on the Bay

Returning to our rooms, we had time to uncork the wine and and relax, before heading to dinner at Candela’s On the Bay, a Mexican/French fusion restaurant with ahh-inspiring views of the San Diego skyline, from its location at the Coronado ferry landing. My strawberry basil martini whispered “vacation” with every sip, as we began our meal by sharing a melt in the mouth appetizer of fresh seared scallops sautéed with Portobello mushrooms, onions, cilantro and jalapeno peppers in a white wine sauce. To cleanse the palate, we next went with a watercress salad with pears, bleu cheese and pistachios in a mango vinaigrette. My entrée of Camarones Cabo de Puertas tingled every taste bud, with jumbo shrimp flambéed in tequila served over a sashimi filet of ahi tuna with a dollop of avocado and drizzled with tamarindo sauce. Faith’s Manajar Vallarta was equally delicious—sea bass baked and served in a delightful grape cream sauce, with mashed potatoes, Portobello mushrooms and sautéed veggies. Although we thought we were too stuffed for dessert, we manged to make short work of the rich caramel crepes that the manager suggested we try.

Seared Scallops and Portobello Mushrooms at Candela’s on the Bay

As we took a short stroll along the harborfront in an effort to walk off some of the zillion delicious calories we had just happily consumed, a fireworks display across the Bay in San Diego marked the end of a very perfect day, and we contentedly returned to our condo for another glass of wine and some good old fashioned girl-talk.

The following day we made use of the resort’s gym and spent time enjoying the fantastic ocean view from the rooftop lounge area, from which we could ogle both Mexico (only about 15 miles away) and coastal San Diego. Then, always a prerequisite for a girlfriend’s getaway, it was time for shopping in Coronado’s boutiques, followed by a visit to the Coronado Historical Society’s museum where we had the pleasure of speaking with a descendant of one of Coronado’s oldest families. Our final activity entailed a stroll along the beautiful beaches, where the sand sparkles with flecks of fool’s gold and Mexico’s own Islas de los Coronados sit several miles offshore. And then it was time to make the easy 15 minute drive home, thoroughly relaxed and reinvigorated, by our getaway that was as much a state of mind as a change of locale.

If you go:

Rent a timeshare condo at over 300 locations through ResorTime.com 877-867-6506

Coronado Beach Resort Beach Resort & Hotel 1415 Orange Ave. Coronado, CA

Candela’s On The Bay 1201 First St. #115, Coronado candelas-coronado.com 619-435-4900

***

wendy lemlin has lived in all four corners of the country, including several places in between, but has enjoyed calling san diego home since 2004. a well-published writer, copywriter and photographer, she has enjoyed immersing herself in everything her new home has to offer, including a surprising amount of zydeco dancing. whether traveling to the far-flung parts of the globe, or the near-flung corners of her own backyard, wendy is constantly seeking out, and writing about, new experiences, often in the company of her favorite companion, sophie the wander-dog. for her part, sophie can’t believe that she actually gets to live someplace with so many dog parks, yappy hours and dog beaches! she might even learn to dance one of these days. learn more about wendy at her website: www.wendylemlin.com.