California Trip Part 3 - Seal Beach and Beach House Info

The plan on Sunday morning was to wake up, find a church to visit and then hit the road to San Diego.  Instead, we ended up sleeping in as late as possible and checking out at 11:00 a.m. on the dot. hahaha  The level of physically exhausted we were was embarrassing. ;)  

We packed up and headed to Seal Beach where we walked the boardwalk...

... watched the ocean for a bit...

... and then popped into a few shops.

The town was DARLING!

We grabbed lunch at The Hangout...

... and it was SO GOOD!

Their onion rings have been featured on The Food Network and they didn't disappoint!

After lunch we drove the rest of the way to San Diego and got to our beach rental in Ocean Beach.  We didn't pick Ocean Beach for any particular reason but we picked the particular rental because of THE VIEW!  What I found out in planning the trip is that there are a ton of different neighborhoods, beach areas, etc. and they all kind of have their own "vibe".  Our priority was being on the water (because if you're going to go to the beach you want to be able to hear the waves!) and the super relaxed feel of Ocean Beach was icing on the cake.

This is the view from the entry door...

Can you even?!?!?!  That's the ocean from every single window...

... including the kitchen sink.

We prefer a house/condo over a hotel because we don't love eating out all the time on vacation.  Surprisingly enough, that was my kids only complaint about our NYC trip last year - they missed "normal food". hahahaha

The kitchen was fully stocked with all the cooking/baking essentials including #allthethings like foil, saran wrap, sandwich bags, etc.  It was PERFECT!!!  There was a grocery store about 10 minutes away and we stocked the kitchen with stuff for sandwiches, fruit, drinks, refrigerated cinnamon rolls, eggs, cookies, popcorn, etc.  We also stopped by Costco and grabbed a couple of those oven-ready dinners (like the enchilada casserole, alfredo pasta, etc.).  Traveling with teenage/preteenage boys is NO JOKE (they are ALWAYS hungry) and this was the best way to keep everyone fed and happy.  We definitely added in some ice cream shop runs, lunches out, etc. but having a full kitchen and the ability to eat at home is what works best for us. 

We had the doors/windows open whenever we were there and NOTHING beats the sound of the ocean!

There was a fairly large bathroom (definitely appreciated the two sinks) with a great shower and the ONLY thing I wish the unit had was a second toilet because sharing one bathroom with boys isn't always ideal - but not a deal breaker or really a problem at all ;)

There was a bedroom with a queen bed (there's a dresser across from the bed that's not in the picture)....

... and a larger bedroom with a king-size bed that was, without a doubt, the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.  It was ridiculous.  The room itself was HUGE and could easily accomodate a pack and play (which I believe was in the closet) or even a toddler bed.  There was also a large closet.

The family room couch was a sleeper and every night that we were there we'd watch a movie out here and Griffin and Mason would fall asleep out here and then Luke would take the room that had the queen size bed.  They had a whole "rotation" worked out but, without fail, Mason and G fell asleep during the movie and then Luke took the bed. hahaha

The stairs that G is on lead up to the door and then the patio that wrapped all the way around.  There were several other units in the building but, honestly, it was super quiet the entire time.  Our unit also had a washer/dryer which is a plus for us - enables us to pack lighter and come home with clean clothes... nothing better.

You can click HERE to see the VRBO listing!  

(It looks like the max capacity is 4, but that must have changed since our booking - if you're interested in booking shoot me an email and I'll put you in direct contact with the host)

We settled in pretty quickly and everyone wanted to hang on the deck...

The rental had games, books and binoculars which my kids couldn't get enough of!

Other points about the condo - it had a garage which was a HUGE bonus.  We didn't realize before we got there how important it would be to have a garage but parking literally everywhere was a hot mess so we were SO GLAD to have a designated spot.

The owners were great and had the house stocked with beach towels and the garage had beach chairs, sand toys, umbrellas, etc.  I really can't say enough great things!

If you have any questions about where we stayed don't hesitate to reach out via email or in the comments!

HAPPY Tuesday, friends!