A while back we made reservations to go camping at South Carlsbad State Beach to extend our second Legoland trip into a mini-vacation. We weren’t sure what the weather would be like in late February, but it turned out just fine.

D has become quite the expert on setting up our tent since he’s had so much practice.

We reserved a campsite overlooking the ocean. It was kind of expensive–$50, plus a reservation fee. But, cheaper than a hotel, right?

The view was nice, although obstructed by the necessary wire fence (there is a high, steep drop off to the beach). Over the fence, this was our view:

I think these are brown pelicans? Small groups passed directly overhead every few minutes.

This was camping lite because for dinner we went to a restaurant called El Caribe in Carlsbad.

We shared a salmon burrito and grilled shrimp burrito which came chock full of spinach and other vegetables. The food tasted very healthy and fresh. I particularly liked the shrimp burrito (k did too). D really liked the salsas from the bar. They added a nice layer of flavor, especially the sweet and spicy one.

For picky n, we ordered a kids’ cheese quesadilla.

Despite that face, he ate his food too. We also bought a milk at a cafe a couple doors down.

Back at the campsite, our dreams of s’mores were not to be because D was unable to get a fire going. We had bought the wood at the camp store, and it just didn’t seem to want to ignite. We’ll blame it on the wood. The kids still enjoyed their chocolate squares on graham crackers though.

Overall, I enjoyed staying at this campground. There were a lot of RVs and families, and everyone seemed very respectful. The bathrooms were the nicest I’ve come across as far as camping goes. The sound of the crashing waves lulled us to sleep (for 10 hours!) and also acted as a natural sound barrier so noise from our neighbors was minimal.