There is no better way to play than on a vacation! And as I am sure you are well aware at this point, my family and I love to travel. The daily grind can be so stressful there is something so healthy about stopping the mundane routine and spending time away from home whether you are 30 miles or 3000 miles away. It’s honestly my way of self-care and I love sharing new experiences and places with my children. So Welkome to our playcation!
We are are so blessed to live in Southern California where we have so much at our fingertips and some of the most desirable weather in the world. Although we would love to do more travel out of state and around the world, we also love a staycation in the gorgeous city we call home!
My family jumps at the idea of getting out of the house on a weekend every chance we get! And we recently had the privilege to stay at The Welk Resorts, San Diego for a mini spring break getaway and it was glorious!! Anything and everything you want is on the property and once you arrive you won’t want or need to leave! But if you really wanted to, the beach, Safari Park, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, LEGOLAND, and even Disneyland are all less than an hour away! It’s the perfect San Diego Staycation!
When we first arrived we couldn’t wait to explore all 450 acres of grounds this luxury resort resides. But first, we checked into our 1,400 square foot two bedroom villa that sat up on a hill and overlooked the resort. Let me tell you, for a family, this is the villa to book when you visit! It is so spacious and there is abundant room for everyone! But there are many villa options available including one, two, and three bedroom floor plans!
With our two separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a laundry area, we felt right at home and had everything we could possibly need!
I’m not kidding – want a measuring cup? A frying pan? A Tupperware bowl to take a sandwich to the pool? Maybe some cleaning supplies? The villa comes with laundry detergent, sponges, silverware, glasses, bowls, and even some electronics like a blender, a toaster, and so much more! We made sure to pack some food from home so we could make some meals in the room like pancakes, hot dogs, and sandwiches. We also brought a bunch of snacks so we could have a movie night with popcorn!
And if you want to grill outside there are BBQ’s around the property and everything you’ll need for the grill in your villa!
My husband and I joked that we had our own wing and our children had their own wing – separated by a beautiful living and dining area – which was perfect since the kids go to bed so much earlier than we do! Plus the bathrooms were huge with two separate showers, which is so helpful for a family who all want to get ready at the same time! And I was even able to do some work at the office area in our bedroom while my husband read a book in the corner nook area!
I could go on and on about the villa, but let’s talk amenities. There are 5 pools at the resort. Yes, 5, because the report is so big! 🙂 One one of pools had a lap pool and the one located at the fitness center is adults only, so there are options for every guest!
And then there is a giant splash pad for kids, a water slide, and jacuzzi areas all around the property!
We wanted to make sure to reserve a cabana on the day we spent at the pool to make sure we had a quiet space to eat and rest in the shade. The cabana came with two lounge chairs, towels, water, snacks, and even popsicle vouchers! And since we have a toddler, we always travel with our portable highchair! It’s small, lightweight, and easy to take on the go!
There is also a top-of-the-line 6,000 square foot fitness center with yoga, spin classes, weights, a sauna, and even a two-story rock climbing wall!
The property also has a playground, tennis courts, a game room, and poolside ping pong tables!
And then, of course, there’s the golf! My husband had the opportunity to play a round of golf when we were there and he loved the 450 acre executive Fountains course! The resort also has a par three course called the Oaks.
One of my favorite parts of the resort was the Inspired for You daily activity book – which tells you dozens of daily activities and also some activities just for the certain days of the week. Some of the activities in the book are complimentary, like arts & crafts and some have a small charge, like yoga class. You can also do cupcake wars, dive in movies, fishing, and more! One of the activities we did as a family was the live music and s’mores at the giant fire pit after dinner!
We also liked to take morning walks around the resort. The grounds are so beautiful and peaceful, it was a great way to start the day. The views are simply spectacular! You could even pick up your daily paper while you were out and about!
Speaking of walking, we were able to walk to the fitness center, the pool. and the restaurants from our villa. But you can also drive your car to and from various places around the resort or the resort also offers a complimentary shuttle service as well.
So now let’s talk about the downtown village and the restaurants at the resort. The village is in the heart of the resort and houses the Welk Theatre, fire pits, shops, a market, a Starbucks, and the Canyon Grille restaurant.
The Welk Theatre features top-notch actors, musicians and performers in popular Broadway-style musicals such as Forever Plaid, Sweet Charity and Hello, Dolly! as well as musical performances, tribute bands, comedy shows, and illusionists. Right now, Menopause, The Musical will be playing until June 2nd but there are also other shows like The Long Run, an Eagles tribute band, that plays every Wednesday night through May 29th! You can see the full schedule and purchase tickets here!
But there is no need to leave the property if you need a quick caffeine fix or forgot to pack some groceries! The market has it all!
And in addition to the market, there are many other places to grab a quick bite on the property like a Pizza Hut Express or the 9th Hole Snack Shack!
But we decided to take a night off from cooking and dishes, because that’s what vacation is all about, and go out to dinner at the Canyon Grille! The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and even has a happy hour and kids menu!
I ordered the Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken, which was chicken stuffed with spinach, feta, sundried tomato, artichoke heart and oregano on top of mashed potato and citrus beurre blanc.
My husband ordered the Angel Hair Pasta a la Pesto that came with vegetable, shrimp, angel hair pasta, pesto, sundried tomato, and parmesan.
And the kids both ordered the macaroni and cheese!
And then we took the most delicious cheesecake back to the villa for a late night dessert!
We had the most amazing time and cannot thank Welk Resorts enough for creating life long memories for our family. If you are considering a Southern California staycation or traveling to San Diego this spring or summer, look no further than Welk Resorts! Trust me, you will thank me later!!! And if San Diego isn’t your travel destination this year, please consider one of their other resorts like Cabo San Lucas, Breckenridge, Branson, Lake Tahoe, or Palm Springs. We hope to go to their other resorts soon, too!
This post is sponsored by Welk Resorts but all photos and opinions are my own.
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