CALIFORNIA COASTLINE JAUNT (part 2)

California Coastline Jaunt (part 2)
Leucadia, California, KS Tennis, Ken Sjoberg, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Leucadia Donut Shop, California Vacation trip
    The last morning we were in California, it was a very cold and merky day.  We had done so much running around, back and forth to Newport, Del Mar and Irvine…that I felt like I had no time to relax.  We rolled out of bed and decided to go find a beach, sit on a bench, let me drink coffee and just do nothing.
 
     We ended up in Leucadia, which is about 25 miles north of San Diego and actually part of Encinitas.  
 
Leucadia, California, KS Tennis, Ken Sjoberg, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Leucadia Donut Shop, California Vacation trip
    It is a great, old time beach town, with newer, modern areas sprinkled in.  Although real estate is less expensive there than it is in Laguna Beach, Newport or Del Mar…it still is shocking to see what $500,000 buys you.
 
     For the sake of comparison, the recent median sale price for homes in Encinitas was just under $800,000 recently, compared to that of Laguna Beach which is $1,800,000 at this juncture.
 
Leucadia, California, KS Tennis, Ken Sjoberg, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Leucadia Donut Shop, California Vacation trip
     I was promised coffee and donuts on the beach on this morning, and my tour guide delivered.  We came across Leucadia Donut Shop which was a fun and kooky place.  The walls were adorned with literally years of photos of customers. There was a line out the door. 
 
    We got our donuts after people watching at the small shop for a while.  A sweet dad stopping to get his small kids a treat before church, another dad with his kids…all still in their pajama pants.  After agreeing on the inappropriateness of pajama pants in public, we headed to the beach, to sit and visit and breathe.
 
 
Leucadia, California, KS Tennis, Ken Sjoberg, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Leucadia Donut Shop, California Vacation trip
      Sunday morning surfers were speckled around in their wetsuits.  Although Leucadia may not have been as fancy and high end as Laguna or Del Mar, it was so cozy and relaxing that it was one of the best parts of the trip and I see why people are fortunate to call it home.
 
     If only I’d of had my wet suit with me!
-SDS
-November 26, 2013
-SDS
Share this post!

California Coastline Jaunt (Part 1)

California Coastline Jaunt
(part 1)
La Jolla Sea Lions, California Road Trip, bblogger, fblogger, travel, California, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, San Diego, Carlsbad
 
     We have both always wanted to live in California.  The weather makes each day so much more pleasant.  The air seems to go deeper into your body as you inhale.  The air, however, is very expensive in California, therefore at this juncture, we will be happy to live where we are, and visit the California air whenever we can.
 
     Last year’s trip, was one in which we flew in to San Francisco, and toured the coast south, as seen in the  California Road Trip  series of blog posts.
 
 
 
     We flew into San Diego to check out some tennis facilities and have meetings, and then drove north up the coastline, through La Jolla, Encinitas, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and many stops along the way. 
 
Ken Sjoberg, KS Tennis, fblogger, Luxor Living and Style, blog, California, La Jolla sea lions
 
 
     We stopped in La Jolla after a meeting, and took a few hours to enjoy the sea lion park area. You can get pretty close, and it’s fun watching them sun bathe and chill out. It smells like a zoo, but oh well. The beauty of nature was worth it.
Ken Sjoberg, KS Tennis, Spring Texas tennis lessons, fblogger, bblogger, Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Luxor Living and Style, sea lions, California Road Trip,
     We found a cute place to sit outside and eat wonderful Mexican food.  It also had a great view of the ocean from the outdoor seating area.  
 
     Jose’s Courtroom  had really good food and was a great place to relax and enjoy the view.
 
grand Pacific Palisades hotel, bblogger, blogpost, Luxor Living and Style, California, Spring Texas tennis lessons, press trip
 
 
 
 
     After more tinkering around, we ended up driving further north to Carlsbad, where our hotel was.  Grand Pacific Palisades  was a wonderful place to stay, since we were planning on meeting friends further north, in Newport and south in Del Mar during our stay.  
 
 
Stephanie Dawn Soberg, Ken Sjoberg, KS Tennis, The Woodlands Tennis lessons, Luxor Leasing and real estate, makeup artist, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Pacific Palisades Hotel
    I booked this trip through Orbitz.com which I’d never used before.  The funny thing, is that I’d originally booked a cute little beach front place, because the photos were so great.  After booking, only then did it occur to me to begin looking on the web for user reviews.  These days, customers can go online and post their own photos of how things really looked, so I got scared about my choice.
 
Stephanie Dawn Soberg, Ken Sjoberg, KS Tennis, The Woodlands Tennis lessons, Luxor Leasing and real estate, makeup artist, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Pacific Palisades Hotel
 
 
    I’d called the hotel,to inquire about which room we would be staying in.  The person on the phone asked “the reason for our stay” at which point I’d mentioned I was doing a blog post on the O.C., and we had other business as well.  He told me he wasn’t sure what room we would have yet.
 
    The next day, I get an email from Orbitz, asking me to call them.  It seems, the manager of the hotel, canceled my reservations, and did not want me staying there.  Orbitz was embarrassed, but very accommodating, in helping me find a better place to stay, which is how we ended up with the fabulous Grand Pacific Palisades.  My Orbitz rep said he was probably just scared of a negative review.  After that, I checked out the hotel again, and found that this manager had quite a few negative reviews on his personal behavior towards guests, so it was fortunate this happened. 
 
      Actually, I don’t give negative reviews on anything.  If someone sends me a product and I find it o be inferior…then I say nothing.  I just will not promote something that isn’t good.
 
Stephanie Dawn Soberg, Ken Sjoberg, KS Tennis, The Woodlands Tennis lessons, Luxor Leasing and real estate, makeup artist, Luxor Living and Style Blog, Pacific Palisades Hotel
     That being said…Orbitz.com was wonderful to work with after that happened.  
 
     Back to the trip…that night was Halloween, so after enjoying time together watching the sunset on the terrace, we had dinner at the hotel, and turned in early so we could get up the next morning to enjoy our day….(part 2 in the next blog post!)
-SDS
-November 24, 2013
Share this post!

CALIFORNIA GLAM-ESTATE HOT-PICKS: NEWPORT COAST, CA

(vol 4)
Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
 
 
 
 
     Whenever we are fortunate enough to travel, I love going to see real estate in different areas.  This is for a lot of reasons. Basically, I adore landscaping done well, architecture and seeing what a dollar gets you in different parts of America.
 
     There are many beautiful homes and condos in Newport Beach. The current median home price, of those for sale is around $3,750,000 in the area.  This one is listed at an asking rice of $4,595,000.
Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
     Some of the homes that were listed closer to $1,000,000 just did not have architecture that spoke to me, if you will.
 
     This one has a great Tuscan look on the outside, amazing ocean views and plenty of great outdoor areas to sit and enjoy the amazing weather.
 
bathroom decor ideas,Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
    Spaces like the cozy, arched bathroom above, adds a lot to the feel of the property.  I also enjoy viewing these homes, because it can inspire you to incorporate a look into your own place.  The colors on the walls above, would add a rich touch to any bathroom.
 
Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
     The open views to the outdoor fireplace are amazing, as is this entire layout.  Furnishings are minimal, with a perfect blend of old world and contemporary for an ageless look and feel.
 
Ocean View, Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
    Although the dining area focus is on the ocean view, I’d still be tempted to throw up some rich decor pieces on the table and some type of flowing curtains that would not hinder the view.
 
Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
     Again, the flow of the home can be seen more easily above. 
 
Newport Coast, California, new home, glam home decor, decor ideas, real estate, Luxor Leasing and real estate, Houston Texas, Apartment Locator
      Then there’s this view. BAM! This would be an amazing place to live life. The air feels so rich, and actually you will need to be…for an ocean view such as this one along the California coastline!
 
 
 
 
-SDS
-November 5, 2013
Share this post!