Ok, I’m the oldest generation trying to rally myself or my family for a beach vacation. Woah! I’m trying to bring both younger kids and older parents on this vacation. What should we all do?
First, breathe. We’ve got you. We’ve got plenty of single-floor properties, plenty of ocean-view properties, plenty of options. We can help you make quick and clear decisions on which fit your needs.
We design for elder getaways and intergenerational gatherings alike, and live them directly ourselves. Brenda and Georgia both have personal experience hosting their own mothers in their 80’s, so if you have a specific question don’t hesitate to write to us (858) 252-7791, admin@beachhausrentals.com.
This blog focuses on older guests. For multigeneration, we’ll be developing material for little guest guides too.
What can we do in North County San Diego, as elders?
It’s not surprising that folks choose to retire to San Diego, with dry and temperate climates year round. First off, enjoy the properties: fresh air, cross-breezes, a break weird refrigerant air conditioning, super thoughtful landscaping from our long-time landscape designer Miriam, tended to each week.
Our perfect weekend would include
- A few trips to the beach, maybe for Moonlight beach’s summer concert series
- A golden hour beach photography session from Georgia Gregory Photography
- A few meals we cooked ourselves, perhaps with our Saturday Farmer’s Market in Del Mar and Sunday in Encinitas. We’d go early to avoid crowds.
- An in-house meal we didn’t cook ourselves, so we can focus on enjoying time together. We can happily connect you to a few chefs we have worked with. It’s wonderful that grandparents can rest and kids can go to bed early, with the focus on sharing time together rather than navigating restaurants.
- A stroll through downtown Encinitas or Cedros Design District, to get a funky (and/or functional) treasure to remember your trip by
- A bit of culture, through playing in the water, visiting a restaurant, or spending time at our favorite music and theater venues
Then, check out the beaches.
Which beaches are best for elders?
If your elders are more interested in looking at the beach, we’ve got places for that. But otherwise you all can go to the beach. We had a family reunion with a few folks well into their 80’s, and simply strolled over from the 26th street Bungalow and 25th street Family Compound, our original BeachHaus duplexes 2 flat blocks from the beach. Our great uncle from UC Davis could walk out along Blue Beach Access Mats, which provide smoother access from the street and deeper onto the beach. Our great aunt from Austin–on the edge of transitioning into a wheelchair–enjoyed the manual floating wheelchairs that allowed her to get onto the beach for the first time in a long time and sit with us as we played beach games and the grandkids practiced surfing.
What if some of us don’t walk well?
Our three favorite strategies are: choose firmer sand, make use of San Diego’s amazing accessibility mats and free wheelchairs, or pick great ocean views!
Does lower tide really help make it easier to walk?
Well, receding tides (after high tide, before low tide) are the best! You want to go to the beach as the tide is going out. Walk at lowering tide for firmer sand, that the outbound waves have naturally smoothed out. Canes and hiking poles perform much better on firmer surface, and it will take less energy to move forward and balance!
Here’s our favorite tide chart. Playing with it, reading it, and navigating it will have you feeling like a local!
Look for beach access mats, which make the ground firmer and more level. SanDiego.org has a great piece on beach access mats.
Even if you don’t use a wheelchair in everyday life, consider using one with pride as you stay active and get out on the beach! More ‘dune-buggy’ powered wheelchairs are very sturdy and comfortable.
Ok, but which beaches can we go to for wheelchairs?
We are very proud of–and grateful for–the California Coastal Commission's funding for wheelchair access on beaches throughout the state. You can always find the latest information on the State Beach Wheelchair directory, but here’s the summary at the time of writing. If you’re here in the summer, these could pair nicely with
- Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego. Chair located at the South Beach Kiosk. For more information, click here, or call (858) 755-2063.
- Del Mar City Beach, Del Mar. Chairs are located at the lifeguard headquarters at 17th st, on a first-come, first-served basis. Two chairs available. For more information call (858) 755-1556.
- San Elijo State Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea. A beach wheelchair is available via a self-service check out storage cabinet at nearby Cardiff State Beach. Contact park staff at the San Elijo State Beach campground entrance kiosk to complete the release of liability form and obtain the combination code to the storage cabinet, or call (760) 753-5091 for more information. For more information, click here.
- Moonlight Beach, Encinitas. Chairs are available at the lifeguard tower at a first-come, first-served basis, 7 days a week from 8am-5pm. For more information call (760) 633-2740 or click here.
- South Carlsbad State Beach, Carlsbad. The route from the South Ponto Day Use Area to the beach is accessible. A beach wheelchair is available via a self-service check out storage cabinet. Contact park staff at the campground entrance kiosk to complete the release of liability form and obtain the combination code to the storage cabinet, or call (760) 438-3143. For information more click here.
- Oceanside City Beach, Oceanside. 5 chairs available. Call ahead or go to 301 The Strand North, Oceanside CA 92054 or 1304 North Pacific Street, Oceanside CA 92054 to check out a chair. Chairs must be returned 30 mins before closing time. For more information call (760) 435-4018.
This is too much! But I still want us to all be able to enjoy the ocean.
We got you. Of course you could stay at Tutu’s for single-floor access to beautiful ocean views over one of the best surf breaks in California. It’s actually named for the property owner’s grandmom! Or for an easy single-story restaurant, Poseidon's in Del Mar has a perfect deck that’s right on the beach.
Why did y’all write this blog?
We care deeply about multigenerational joy. It’s what brings and keeps our families together. It’s what keeps our work meaningful. Emphasizing the beauty and power of travel at all ages helps us feel like we’re making a difference. It’s not just the instagram influencers at the beach, age 21-35. It’s all of us. We all get to define what good vacations and beautiful lives look like. So we love making it just a little easier, between blogs and design and working in one of the most beautiful, accessible places on earth.
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At BeachHaus, we write to help host you in our beloved properties across North County, San Diego. We write to help bring your perfect vacation to life. We write to deepen our own joy and gratitude for this beautiful place. We write to extend our work as a kind, caring voice in women-led hospitality. Write to us too, if you like: admin@beachhausrentals,com or text (858) 25-7791. We'll write back promptly, typically between 8:00 am and 8:00 PM Pacific time.