Winter California Style: Five Misconceptions!
California is a popular getaway for residents of Canada’s eastern provinces – especially in the winter! Ample sunshine and warm weather means year-round outdoor fun and exploration for travelers escaping cold and snow. There are still many misconceptions about winter in California, though: let’s dispel five of them right now!
MISCONCEPTION #1: “Sure, it’s California: but it’s still winter: you can’t really enjoy those great beaches.”
Jamaica Bay Inn on the shores of Marina del Rey, is the perfect place to escape the winter cold and enjoy some of the outdoor/warm weather activities available in California. A meandering garden path leads to Mother’s Beach and the marina where guests enjoy kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding and more year round. Enjoy the Inn’s “Marina Sunrise Breakfast Package:” American breakfast for two at the Vu Restaurant after a relaxing night in one of the stylish, West Indies-inspired guestrooms, from $169. www.jamaicabayinn.com
MISCONCEPTION #2:” I’ve always wanted to bike through California’s wine country – but not in the winter!”
Bikes and wine pair beautifully in Santa Barbara on the Urban Wine Trail, which is delightfully crowd-free in the winter season offering tasters plentiful one-on-one attention. Ten boutique wineries have tasting rooms within walking and biking distance from the downtown shopping district and scenic waterfront. Rent bikes, or hire a pedi cab to let someone do the pedaling for you. Wineries will deliver wine purchases to hotels at no charge for guests traveling on bike. www.urbanwinetrailsb.com
MISCONCEPTION #3: “I want to experience the funky, fun California I remember: I suppose it’s all gone now.”
How does beginning the day with yoga on the beach, to full-moon drumming on the beach suit you? Begin the day with a yoga-on-the-beach class. The Laguna Yoga Institute – Laguna Laugh Club integrates yogic breathing with laughter. This is a great stress reliever and a unique way to enjoy our beaches. www.lyinstitute.orgIf you’re lucky enough to be here during a full moon, join in the free community drum circle on the beach. It takes place during every full moon from 7 to 10 p.m. at Aliso State Park, complete with a bonfire. They’ll even provide the drum. www.lavidalaguna.com
What’s more “California” than surfing? At SoCal Surf School in Oceanside, each lesson begins with a 15 minute beach instruction explaining surf fundamentals like the “pop-up,” water safety and surf etiquette, so the student is more prepared and confident more confident before they enter the water. Most students are up and standing within the first 30 minutes, with the rest of the lesson focused on reading waves, direction etc. http://www.socalsurfschool.com/SoCal-Surf-Lessons.html
MISCONCEPTION #4: “My New Year’s resolution is to try a new, exciting sport in 2011: but I guess I’ll have to wait until summer.”
Not in California! Kite-surfing, a brand-new sport that combines aspects of surfing, snowboarding, wake-boarding and windsurfing, is a year-round adrenalin-charge in California: it’s like surfboarding, wakeboarding and flying, all in one. The Central Coast is dotted with prime spots: Pismo Beach, Mission Beach, san Simeon, Morro Bay and more, just waiting for you! http://www.californiakiteboarding.com/
Haven’t had your fill of the Pacific? La Vida Laguna provides expert surfing instruction for the beginner in either a one-on-one or group environment, as well as stand-up paddle boarding lessons. Rentals are available. www.lavidalaguna.com.
If ziplining is on your bucket list, the new zipline tour on Catalina Island is an exciting combination of thrills, and learning, for just $US 99. As you pause at each station along five consecutive zip lines at heights of 300 feet above the canyon floor at speeds pushing 45mph, hosts give a brief presentation on some of the unique aspects of Catalina Island. The 2-hour, ¾ mile experience, the only zipline in LA/Orange County, drops from 500 feet to 60 feet above sea level. A wide range of other adventures are available year-round, such as undersea tours in semi-submersible vessels, and off-road Canyon tours in a unique Mercedes Unimog. http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/tour_zipline.php
MISCONCEPTION #5: “I hate giving up golf in the winter, but I’m sure it’s too expensive to play in California then.”
World-renowned Palm Springs is legendary for both golf, and splendid winter weather. Outside activities include hiking, jeep tours, festivals, fairs, and much more. Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort‘s Stay and Play Packager offers the opportunity to choose from a variety of special packages, value to luxury: just click, and book! Packages start from $US 72 at the Quality Inn, with free high-speed wireless and in-room refrigerators, or $US 79.19, including continental breakfast at the newly remodeled Best Western Inn at Palm Springs, with the only spa, pool and deck open 24 hours. There are many other participating hotels to choose from: http://package.golfswitch.com/destinationList.asp?d=328
For more details on these and other outdoor winter pursuits in California, contact
Naureen Kazi, CTTC Publicist (212) 444-7162 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (212) 444-7162 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
For more information about California, log onto: www.VisitCalifornia.com