Travel

Set Sail With The SV Bella Luna

by The Editors on September 4, 2016

We’ve been following a Carlsbad acquaintance of ours on Instagram for the past few months as he and his wife, two kids, and their dogs did what many of us have dreamed, but never actually done: they sold their home in Carlsbad, bought a 42 foot Fountaine Pajot Catamaran, named it the SV Bella Luna, and shoved off to tour the world, or as Paul says, “to live a more simplified life, show our daughters the world and how other people live and to contribute to the communities we visit.”

We’ve been so inspired by the story that Paul, Diná, Bella, and Luna have been telling that we’re going to share their story here on Carlsbadistan. While their journey began months ago, we’re going to start right at the beginning with their first video. Stay tuned as we bring the rest of the story in weekly episodes. For more info on the family, click the link.

[Link: SV Bella Luna]

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Legoland Tickets At A Reasonable Price

by The Editors on March 22, 2016

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Tickets are now on sale for the one (partial) day each year when Legoland is arguably worth the price of admission. April 23, 2016 is Carlsbad Day at Legoland thanks to the Carlsbad Educational Foundation. This means that if you buy tickets in advance from the Carlsbad Education Foundation you can get a partial day (1 PM to 8 PM) entry to Legoland for $35. In addition, “a percentage of ticket sales” will help fund “enriching STEM programs” (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that the Carlsbad Unified School District is apparently unable to provide to the students of our fair city.

In other words, if you’d like to help the Carlsbad Educational Foundation help the students of a school district that can’t figure out how to provide the education Carlsbad kids deserve and visit an overpriced theme park for a reasonable price then please, Click here to purchase your tickets.

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Sylvia At New Village Arts Theatre

by The Editors on June 10, 2015

SylviaCarlsbad’s own New Village Arts Theatre presents the A.R. Gurney’s romantic comedy Sylvia. Here’s what it’s got going on:

When Greg adopts a dog named Sylvia, or rather is adopted by the street-smart mutt, Sylvia (played, alas, by a human) soon turns into a bone of contention for his wife Kate. . . In this romantic comedy by A.R. Gurney, the author of Love Letters, the long-married empty nesters have to dig their way out of an unexpected hole: Kate feels that she’s losing Greg to his adoring new best friend. This imaginative take on a midlife crisis leads to lots of laughs and thoughtful insights on love, marriage, jealousy and canines.

Dog people will likely love this one. Sylvia runs June 6 – June 28, 2015. The New Village Arts Theatre is located at 2787 State St, in Carlsbad, California. Click here to purchase tickets.

[Link: New Village Arts Theatre]

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Hilton Carlsbad Becomes Cape Rey

by The Editors on April 21, 2015

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What’s in a name? Sometimes everything. Maybe that’s why the hotel resort formerly known as the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort is changing it’s name to Cape Rey Carlsbad. Huh?

Beyond the name, the bulk of the rebranding effort will manifest in the experiential aspects of each guest’s stay. Creative itineraries, excursions and partnerships from the new “Leisure Services Team” introduce guests – both on property and off- to the tastes, places, products and personalities that speak to the surrounding beach lifestyle and provide the type of immersive hospitality the modern traveler craves. Employees act as property ambassadors, whose expertise in everything from surf spots to taco shops provides guests with a backstage pass to all things local and Southern California-cool.

Hey, a complete re-branding with great photography to back it up never hurt anyone. And if some local businesses benefit for the update, even better. For the official word from Cape Rey, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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Legoland Hotel Opens Friday April 5

by The Editors on April 4, 2013

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On Friday, April 5, 2013 the Legoland Hotel will officially kick opens its doors to the public and Legoland California General Manager Peter Ronchetti and Hotel General Manager Frank Idris will join a cast of characters at a ceremony officially opening the Hotel.

The three-story, 250 room hotel immerses guests in a creative LEGO® world and every room is themed after one of three popular LEGO toy lines in the Park: pirate, adventure or kingdom. Children have their own sleeping area in every room complete with bunk beds, a trundle bed and their own TV. A spectacular entrance is guarded by a smoke-breathing LEGO dragon created out of 400,000 LEGO bricks. Each room has at least eight LEGO models and theming can be found on the walls, carpeting and bedding. There are more than 3,500 LEGO models throughout the Hotel using more than three million LEGO bricks. Interactive features include a Castle Play area, a talking and spraying dragon on the patio, LEGO play pits in the reception area and a treasure hunt inside the rooms where younger guests search for clues then open a locked safe to find LEGO treasure! Guests staying at LEGOLAND Hotel have exclusive early access to LEGOLAND California.

It would appear that Legoland’s plan to grab every single tourist dollar that comes to Carlsbadistan is nearly complete. For the official word from Legoland, follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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Legoland Florida Drops Season Pass Price

by The Editors on February 21, 2013

D4S Legoland021713 10292129 8ColResidents of Florida not have it much better than we do when it comes to buying a season pass at their local Florida Legoland, according to a story in the Tampa Bay Times.

Legoland Florida has dropped the price of annual pass by $30 for Florida residents. The ticket, which has no black-out dates, now sells for $99 from the previous $129, which is what out-of-staters still have to pay. . . The pass, found on the Winter Haven theme park’s website, legoland.com, includes admission to its new water park and free parking. There are also special events at the park for Halloween, Christmas and Fourth of July.

Meanwhile, here in Carlsbadistan a season pass still costs $129 and DOES NOT include parking nor the water park. Thanks, Merlin. Way to stick it to the California locals.

[Link: Tampa Bay Times]

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Legoland Too Expensive Everywhere

by The Editors on December 8, 2011

Legoland MyTurns out we’re not the only one’s who think Legoland prices are outrageously expensive. The Malaysian Tourists Guides Council says the entrance fees to Asia’s first ever Legoland Malaysia theme park in Johor Baru are, surprise, “Too high for locals,” according to a story on The Star.

He said Legoland Malaysia should have a two-tier ticket system to cater to both locals and foreigners. . . “Other places of interest, like the cable car ride in Langkawi or the Istana Muzium here, have implemented such a system,” he told The Star yesterday.

Yeah. What he said. It appears that when the park opens “at the end of 2012” Legoland Malaysia’s prices will be almost worth considering for a Carlsbadistan family of four. At current exchange rates adults will pay about $44 a day visit the park, while here in Carlsbad it costs $72.

[Link: The Star]

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Carlsbad Woman Suing The TSA

by The Editors on December 13, 2010

Carlsbad’s Adrienne Durso is reportedly suing the TSA after she received a much too vigorous pat down at Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Sunport Airport, according to a story on KOB.com.

“Heavily concentrating on my breast area where I told her I had a mastectomy the year previous and in just seemed to go on and on,” said Durso. . . She says she felt humiliated as the extensive pat-down happened in front of her 17 year old son and hundreds of other travelers. . . “I felt as though I didn’t have any rights other than I had to stand there and let them do what they want to do to my body,” Durso continued.

The last straw was when a supervisor reportedly told Durso’s son that the reason he hadn’t gotten a similar pat down was because “you don’t have boobs.” We’re kind of hoping the TSA loses this one. The craziness must stop.

Click the link for the rest of the story.

[Link: KOB.com]

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Legoland Water Park Opens Friday

by The Editors on May 26, 2010

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Legoland California only presented their water park plans to the City of Carlsbad in September 2009 saying it would be open by summer and it appears that they’ve stayed right on track. Starting Friday, May 28, 2010 the world’s first Legoland Water Park will be open to the public from 10 AM to 5 PM each day (click here for full schedule).

Guests will explore eight areas of the 5.5 acre water wonderland including Orange Rush, a family tube slide where up to four people can ride together down a 312-foot long curving track on an 11-foot in diameter half pipe; Twin Chasers, two side-by-side enclosed red tube slides that stretch nearly 130 feet, Splash Out, an open body slide that invites guests to slide 240 feet and “splash out” into the water below; Joker Soaker, a fun interactive platform in the wade pool where kids can aim water cannons at each other as a LEGO jester model tells jokes and pours 350 gallons of water down upon them; a one-of-a-kind concept, Build-A-Raft River, where kids customize their own raft made of soft LEGO bricks before floating down a lazy river; Kid Creek, a lazy river built with younger kids in mind and DUPLO® Splash Safari, a water play area designed especially for toddlers with three small slides and interactive DUPLO creatures including an alligator, polar bear and an elephant.

But how much does it cost? Glad you asked. It’s only $77 for adults and $67 for kids 3 – 12. Huh? That’s right – the only way to visit the water park is to visit Legoland and pay extra for the slides. For locals with a season pass ($159 for adults, $129 for kids) it’s free. . . kinda.

[Link: Legoland Water Park]

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Visit Carlsbad’s 30 Second Spot

by The Editors on May 13, 2010

This 30-second TV spot from Visit Carlsbad is so lush and the colors so saturated that we hardly recognized our own Village. Funny how that works.

[Link: Visit Carlsbad]

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