Capitola Weekend Getaway at the Chaminade

Last weekend we were invited to go have a little family getaway
at the coast and experience Chaminade Resort in Capitola!
Even though the Santa Cruz / Capitola area is only an hour from us,
it’s so much nicer to actually spend the whole weekend there instead
of drive in traffic to the beach on a Saturday. We loved kicking off fall
together at this fun resort in the mountains looking down at the beach.
The Chaminade is hidden away just a few miles up from
the beach in the area of Soquel, above Capitola. My next
goal is to get to know all of these Santa Cruz areas better!
We took the prettiest tree-lined roads to get there because
there was bad traffic along the freeway, so it was a magical
entrance to drive up into the resort! We drove down Friday
after work and arrived to mountain & ocean views from up high.
The hidden away location made it feel like a real getaway from
the second we pulled off the road and wound our way up to it.
It’s quite the contrast from the busy Santa Cruz boardwalk!
Aside from the gorgeous setting and views, it’s also pretty eclectic with
something for everyone. Most of the place has a low-key and outdoorsy
feel with hiking trails on the property, tennis courts, volleyball,
a fun pool, and more making up the resort. It felt family-friendly
which was perfect for our first getaway as just us with baby girl!
^^ Baby Reagan travels in style with her little hotel bed :)
We brought the Dockatot which she loves hanging out in.
I only wish it was easier to pack, because we can only bring it on
road trips … too big to pack on flights! It’s perfect in hotels though.

Our college football game was on later that night, (Utes vs. USC!)
so we decided to hike the trail right on the property before the game.
Little goldie blonde eyelashes, snoozing on our hike ^^
Gotta love a hotel with its own hiking trails! 
We took a quick dip in the pool after the hike and before the game
(which we won in an amazing comeback over USC :)
Baby’s first dip in the pool! ^^
We took it slow first with some toe dips, but it was really
warm and she liked it — especially staring at the shiny water!
We had perfect weather with crisp fall nights and 75 degree days.
We warmed her up to the water in the bath using the
Otteroo! Has anyone heard of these things? They are
all the rage and allow babies (8 weeks and up) to float!
We are easing her into trying it, but hoping she’ll love it!
Hotel hanging with our favorite!
Cutest little football fan, doing tummy time while watching ^^
Sunset walks ^^
On our way to dinner!
BEST dinner views from Linwood’s ^^
We loved our meal here on the terrace looking over the best
view with baby sleeping in her stroller right nearby.
A grilled artichokes started things off perfectly…
Sautéed prawns with a rich cream sauce ^^
We both got salads for mains: teriyaki salmon for me, skirt steak for him.
Both so fresh and delicious and perfect!
(Any salad with an entire avocado in it gets a thumbs up from me)
Ending with chocolate layer cake + sticky toffee pudding was a grand idea.
The last morning of our stay we went into town for church,
then back for a yummy brunch before hitting the road!
Yes, please ^^
Goodbye for now, Chaminade!
Thanks for helping us say goodbye to summer and hello to fall!

xo