IN JULY 2019 we spent a week in Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. In 2020, we knew any summer vacation plans would look a lot different due to the pandemic, but we were determined to get some kind of “staycation” booked as sensibly and safely as possible.

With Hilton promoting its “CleanStay” initiative (with Lysol protection), I focused my search on their hotels (plus I’m a member of the Hilton Honors rewards program so could rack up some points!). I came across a nice-looking place in Carlsbad called The Cassara from their “Tapestry” collection of boutique properties and booked it for two nights.

The hotel has a resort feel to it, offering a variety of room categories; we chose a corner “suite” that had a king bed in the main living area and a separate bedroom with two twin beds. A seal on the door proclaimed that the room had been thoroughly cleaned.

Punctuating the drama is the majestic lobby and pair of pools (with hand sanitizing stations outside each gate). Lounge chairs are set up in socially distant groupings and the pool had lap lanes in the middle.

On the way to our corner suite, we caught a glimpse of Legoland thru the trees just across the road. 

On Night 1, we ordered dinner from a Veggie Grill that was literally a two-minute drive down the road and brought it back to the hotel so we could enjoy our nicely-appointed room for the remainder of the evening. We went to a nearby beach on Day 2 (about 10-minutes by car; *See guest blog sidebar by Miss Athena below).

A major plus that we took advantage of on Night 2: the Karl Strauss Brewery & Restaurant that sits adjacent to the hotel and a short stroll from our room — a no-brainer in jumping on the opportunity to enjoy our first dinner out in more than six months. Like many eateries in the age of coronavirus, KS has tables set up — in this case rustic high-tops and picnic bench seating — in the parking lot, with an ordering system that is equally hygiene-friendly: place your order and pay at the bar, display your number stand on the socially-distant table of your choice, where the food is delivered by a server. The nice part about this setup is your party can just leave when finished.

I had the beer sausages (grilled cheddar brat/chili-chicken link, fries, pickled onion, spicy honey-sriracha mustard, $13.95) paired with a nice IPA while the rest of the famiglia dined on grilled chicken sandwiches (BBQ $14.50, mesquite $13.95) and a Chicken Chop Shop salad (grilled mesquite chicken breast, avocado, beer-brined bacon, poblano peppers, mixed lettuce, tomato, corn tortilla strips, chili-ranch dressing, $16.95).

And one glitch: I had set up a digital key in the HH app but never received it so had to resolve the matter in person at the front desk, where I was informed that the hotel hadn’t yet synced our particular room category with the app – a minor snag, though still slightly annoying nonetheless considering one of the main reasons for booking a Hilton property was for the chain’s contactless room entry feature. But all’s well that ends well: the hotel GM put 2,000 bonus points into my HH rewards account for the inconvenience!

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BEACHY KEEN

By Miss A

As we pulled into the parking lot at Grandview Beach in Encinitas (San Diego County), I noticed it was very different than LA beaches. There were long wood steps down to the beach with palm trees standing next to the stairs. The view from the top was so pretty, the water was very blue and it was a beautiful day.

When we got down to the beach, there was very little sand space, mostly rocks and water. We set up our blanket and chairs sitting against a huge rock wall, the water almost touching our feet. I liked the different vibe, it was something new.

As usual my brothers and I went in the ocean, the water felt perfect because it was a hot day. Since there were so many different rocks on the wet sand around us, we picked out some that stood out and looked interesting. I had a fun day because I always enjoy going to the beach. It’s one of my favorite activities during the summer.