A Fall Trip to Carlsbad, California, Where Even the Surf Shop Is Haunted

But first: I must leave the airport terminal. I cross traffic outside baggage claim. As I head to my Uber, wheeling my carry-on luggage to the curb, the bright afternoon sunlight temporarily blinds me. It’s 80 degrees. I look up, not a cloud in the sky, so different from the gray skies I left back in New England, where the leaves are just starting to turn all shades of red and yellow.

I remind myself that I am now in Southern California — land of flip-flops and surfers, where the heat and harsh glare slow everyone down. I rummage through my purse and find my tortoiseshell sunglasses, just as my Uber driver pulls up. Pedro is all smiles and seems genuinely happy to see me. The trip is quick, a straight shot north on Interstate 5. There is not much of that infamous California traffic this early afternoon.

Less than 45 minutes later, I arrive at the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort, a white boutique hotel on the edge of Carlsbad Village — known as “the village by the sea” — and just a block from the beach. It’s my first time in Southern California, and I am eager to get in the water, both to swim in the pool and dip my toes in the Pacific. If I have any agenda, this is it.

The Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort: October in a swimsuit

Photo: Jennifer Mattson

On one side, the hotel sits high above the Pacific Ocean; on the other side, it empties into Carlsbad’s village. It has 193 units, including rooms, suites, studios, and condominiums spread across three different buildings.

I drop my bags in my room, throw on a black one-piece bathing suit, rub on some sunscreen, and head for the outdoor pool. It’s not too busy, though there are a number of young parents and small children walking, standing on the hotel green, and sunbathing in the main courtyard area by the pool where I jump in. I start swimming backstroke, sunglasses firmly covering my eyes, as a 6-year-old girl with blonde pigtails watches me, smiles, and then throws her little body backward, mimicking my moves.

As a solo traveler, I am here to experience Carlsbad as part of a group of like-minded individual travelers, but I am quickly struck by just how many young families are here.

I soon learn that Carlsbad’s popularity is partially due to its proximity to both San Diego (40 minutes) and Los Angeles (1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic), as well as its safe, easy-to-navigate downtown. It’s flat and filled with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, clothing boutiques, home stores, and, to my delight, lots of people.

The very next day, I see a skateboarder, one foot on the ground, the other on his board, waiting for a red light to turn green.

Photo: Jason Finn/Shutterstock

After my swim, I throw on a T-shirt and shorts over my bathing suit, slip on my sneakers, and walk across the pool area toward the horizon. Directly across the street is Carlsbad State Beach, down a steep set of stairs that leads onto a wide sandy beach and the ocean. I am wearing my sneakers, like a tourist. A few kids are in the water, and small groups of couples and fellow solo travelers are walking, some with dogs, all barefoot. No flip-flops or shoes in their hands, just barefoot. I decide when in Rome and take off my shoes. I spend the next hour walking down the never-ending beach as far as my eyes can see, wading deeper and deeper in with glee, until my shorts are completely soaked.

That evening, I am in for a special treat — dinner al fresco at Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, across the street from the ocean, where I try California cuisine, fresh fish, and a salad with edible flowers as the sun sets a spectacular, deep orange. I am surrounded by the smell of fresh herbs and see them growing just a few feet away in the chef’s garden.

Later that night, back at my room at the inn, my standard double queen is more than large enough for one person. With soothing yellow walls and big white wooden shutters, it has a beachy feel. My favorite part is the bed, which I sink into, the bedding soft enough to knock me out for eight hours straight.

Carlsbad Village: Gluten-free donuts and a haunted food tour

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I wake up refreshed — good thing because I have a sound bath scheduled at Happy Blue Marble yoga studio. But before that: coffee at The Goods, one of the rare places where, as someone gluten-free, I can get my caffeine fix and eat donuts. Made with locally sourced ingredients, these artisanal donuts include a variety of gluten-free, vegan options. (Try the gluten-free classic Tahitian vanilla glaze or the gluten-free vegan seasonal berry.)

Coming from the East Coast, I am struck by how many gluten-free and vegan choices Carlsbad has to offer, and how seriously all the restaurants take allergies. Two of my favorite restaurants are Campfire for dinner (try the vegan s’mores) and Wildland, the coolest, open-spaced concept restaurant with an outdoor cafe/bakery area that opens into a large indoor bar and restaurant. This is the best people-watching and Sunday brunch spot in Carlsbad. (Try the breakfast plate, which I pair with one of the homemade non-alcoholic drinks: the Rosata, a mix of grapefruit, rhubarb, and strawberry.)

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Just weeks before Halloween, there are plenty of spooky things to do. Carlsbad Food Tours offers fun, educational, year-round walking tours on Carlsbad’s rich history with plenty of tastings. “Haunted Carlsbad” is my first of many introductions to the town’s spooky side. I learn about the ghosts and mysterious legends hidden within Carlsbad’s oldest streets and buildings, including one Victorian mansion with a ghost, now home to a surfboard shop. Our tour includes a Mediterranean platter, stops at some of downtown’s many colorful murals, an unforgettable rib taco and margarita from Fresco Cocina, and a closing taste of Carlsbad’s signature fruit, the strawberry, in the form of sorbetto and gelato.

That evening, we go to a haunted corn maze in a Carlsbad field outside town with overgrown corn husks, where I scream my head off when multiple scary figures start to chase me through the maze with chainsaws that look and sound very real. Between the three-hour food tour and the maze, I rack up more than 10,000 steps that day.

Omni La Costa and LEGOLAND California: Old Hollywood digs and one last scream

Photo: Jennifer Mattson

My remaining two days are dedicated to relaxation. I check into the Omni La Costa Resort, just a 15-minute drive from downtown. A 400-acre Spanish Mission-style property that completed a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2024, it is known for its world-famous, championship golf courses, and eight pools (count them), plus 600 rooms, suites, and villas.

I spend much of my time enjoying the property and my large junior suite, which feels like Old Hollywood glamour (celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Johnny Carson were known to frequent the property before it landed on the Historic Hotels of America list in 2014). The oversized bathroom has both a jacuzzi tub and a glass-enclosed shower, as well as its own closet and a large vanity where I can do my makeup. The suite itself includes a sitting area with a couch; is decorated in a classic, light pink decor; and opens onto an outdoor porch. The garden pool is just steps away.

Photo: Jennifer Mattson

Only on my last day do I leave the property to visit LEGOLAND California, which is about a 10-minute drive. It’s a gift to my younger self, who played with LEGOs with abandon. One highlight is a behind-the-scenes tour of the LEGOLAND model shop, where Master Model Builder Scott Kempton shares how he makes the park displays. He is working on a few trucks for the Miniland USA exhibition, which is my favorite part of the park: it has a LEGO replica of New York City, Vegas, and even Carlsbad.

The park is a wonder at any age, though most of the other people on my ghost cruise boat are below the age of 5. I still enjoy it thoroughly, as the boat slowly makes its way past landmarks built of LEGO: first, the Statue of Liberty, then Paris’s Eiffel Tower, and finally, past a reproduction of Mount Rushmore.

In keeping with the Halloween theme, I decide to brave it on the newest rollercoaster, located at the LEGO Galaxy land area. The Galacticoaster, which just opened this year, is the most popular ride in that land. On the indoor spaceship ride, which has a 36-inch height requirement for kids (so roughly for 3-year-olds), I again scream my head off — it was genuinely fast — while the young kid next to me cried.

Getting to Carlsbad

Photo: Oak City Drone/Shutterstock

Carlsbad is about a 45-minute drive from SAN, and, like most things in Southern California, easily accessible by car. If you are coming from Los Angeles, it’s about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, or more, depending on traffic.

If you prefer a little adventure and want to skip the traffic, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train travels directly to Oceanside Station, where you can connect locally to Carlsbad (or arrive directly at Carlsbad-Poinsettia or Carlsbad Village, depending on the specific connection/stop). The ride typically takes about 1 hour 54 minutes to 2 hours 39 minutes.