Accommodations are an important part of any vacation. While sometimes they can be a headache, I promise you that if you choose to stay right in Redondo Beach the headache is non-existent. There are many places to choose from and something for everyone’s budget or needs.

Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach Hotel: This is a great choice if you are planning a vacation for your family or if you are planning a meeting. The hotel has a great location very close to the pier and beach. Guests can pamper themselves with a weekend stay in one of the hotel’s stunning guestrooms and a treatment at the European Day Spa. Energize with a workout at Gold’s Gym, free 24 hours a day. Book a sailboat or a whale-watching cruise. Discover South Bay surf and sand. Stroll or bike along miles of beachside trails; walk to over 15 ocean view dining spots; take a free shuttle to area shopping malls.

Enjoy great steaks, seafood, pizza, salads, and more in the casual, affordable Splash Bistro and Lounge featuring daily Sunset Dinner, the South Bay’s best Chef’s Table, weekend live piano, private parties and corporate events.

Portofino Hotel Yacht Club: If you are planning a romantic weekend for your special someone and really want to wow them make sure you don’t miss taking them here- even if you just stop by for drinks, dinner and a romantic walk in the sunset. The hotel offers breathtaking scenes – from sunsets and sailboats to dolphins and pelicans – are framed in the floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies of 163 rooms in this luxurious Los Angeles hotel.  Renovated just last year at $11 million, The Portofino is a stunning representative of all that a hotel can be.

One of Redondo Beach’s landmarks, the Portofino is steps from the Redondo Beach Pier and a 27-mile oceanfront path. Complimentary bicycles are available to cruise the beachfront from Palos Verdes to Malibu. Breakwater is a delightful waterside restaurant featuring coastal cuisine.

Best Western Redondo Beach Inn: If you are on a budget but still want quality this is a great choice for you. Located just a short walk to the beach, the Best Western Redondo Beach Inn offers quality rooms in an attractive, resort-like setting, with such amenities as heated pool, spa, sauna and exercise room.  Visitors can rent a bike at the front desk and cruise the 20-mile oceanside bike path, relax in a cozy, poolside restaurant or cool down with a frosty drink in the hotel’s intimate cocktail lounge. For a treat, reserve the two-room Spa Suite with a Jacuzzi, fireplace and wet bar. When it’s time to play, famous Redondo Beach is less than a 1⁄2 mile stroll from the hotel.

These are just a few to look into. In most cases I would say you probably aren’t going to spend that much time in your bedroom when you are going on a beach vacation but these places you really will want to make time to enjoy the amenities offered by these fabulous hotels.

I call out to Reid who comes over and examines the situation, chucks the handle in the trash and proceeds to carry my massive over stuffed carry-on through the world’s most obnoxious airport. So- needless to say I am on the search for the perfect piece of carry-on luggage.

This is my most important piece of luggage. It gets the most use. In about two years of heavy traveling (we are talking on average two roundtrip plane rides a month) I have checked luggage MAYBE one time and that was probably the flight attendant forcing me to check my carry-on because there was no more room in the overhead compartments (biggest pet peeve ever people!).  I have only used my big suitcases three times and two of those times were to move. Even if I go on long vacations I still only bring a carry-on because I have (somewhat) learned how to pack.

Anyways- this essential piece of luggage must have pockets galore, have the ability to be expandable, have wheels and a handle that won’t break, be a bright recognizable color, and duh be cute. I have about two weeks before I fly cross country (which happens twice next month- Myrtle Beach and Kentucky) so the search is on!!!! Any good recommendations?

Visiting San Diego was something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I had been there once as a kid but didn’t really remember what it was like or didn’t even have clear memories of the visit. So the excitement I felt was a bit of an understatement. We had some issues with our flight- we weren’t able to land in San Diego due to the wind and so we were re-routed to LAX for a couple of hours. Then when we finally managed to get into San Diego, but it was so late that the rental car company was closed. Arghhhh. While it was a rough start, the rest of our trip definitely made up for it.

One of the great things about San Diego is there is so much to do and so much to see. Of course you have SeaWorld which is always an awesome time and the San Diego Zoo however these places can be a little costly but for sure worthwhile. We first ventured to Coronado because we had heard great things about the city. It was cool and fun to see- the hotel is beautiful and looks like it would be a great place to stay and vacation. The beaches are beautiful as well.

Other things I would definitely recommend to do during your visit to San Diego would be to journey to Point Loma, which is a hilly peninsula in the pacific ocean. Point Loma in and of itself has a few things to explore, Old Point Loma Lighthouse is kind of fun and you can actually go in it and see how the keeper lived, a museum, some bunkers from World War two days and some really fun tidal pools that kids (and adults) would love. The view you get of San Diego is breathtaking- but as a warning there is walking uphill associated, although it’s pretty accessible by car. Plus its pretty cheap admittance- about $5 that covers parking and is good for a week.

Gas Lamp Quarter is gorgeous. I would recommend plan to eat at least one dinner in the Gas Lamp Quarter. The small restaurants are a little pricey but it’s romantic and the food is worth the money. We drove a little north and went to mission beach. We rented bikes and rode along the board walk (it was about $30 to rent two bikes for a couple of hours). It’s more of a surf beach that is a lot of fun. It also was gorgeous.

Old Town San Diego is also worth checking out- as is Balboa Park (where San Diego Zoo is located). Also the waterfront is a fun place to explore old ships, and learn about San Diego’s history. Ours was a short weekend trip where we crammed in as much as we could. I would recommend a week long vacation so as you could relax and maybe enjoy a Padres game, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo and all the great things San Diego has to offer.