Off-season is sublime time to chill at Crystal Pier cottages in Pacific Beach

I was burned out.

Fried.

In desperate need of an escape.

I imagined myself at a secluded hideaway where I’d be soothed to sleep by sounds of the surf. I fantasized a place where my husband and I could stroll hand-in-hand along a sandy shore, a retreat where we could laze in lounge chairs on our private patio, sipping chilled chardonnay, contemplating shades of the sun as it slid into the Pacific.

I dreamed of privacy, but not isolation; I wanted to walk to dinner, inhaling salty sea breezes.

Then reality struck: Packing, baggage fees, surcharges, security lines,  jammed airplanes, middle seats, flight delays, cancellations, traffic, tipping, time zones  - and the fact that we had only two days off.

Suddenly, I remembered the cottages on Crystal Pier.

A couple of hours later, my sweetie and I were living the dream.

Ideal location

Instead of being pretzeled into coach seats on a crowded airplane, we sank into cushioned recliners on the patio of the Crystal Pier cottage we’d rented.  As the rhythmic sounds of waves breaking beneath us healed our citified, exhausted brains, we exhaled.

Crystal Pier and its cottages are ideally situated - just a short drive for San Diegans -  close to home, kids, even work.

Yet the place feels miles and miles away.

“I feel like I’m on an island someplace,” my husband said, as he poured champagne we’d brought from home.

I felt it, too — and a sense of slightly smug pleasure. In less than an hour, we’d traveled to a distant state of mind. With no real shift in geography, we’d achieved a 180-degree shift in attitude.

The cottages

The 23 white clapboard cottages on Crystal Pier fit the historic wooden structure like a glove.  With their sky-blue shutters and flower boxes brimming with hot pink geraniums, the neat rows of cottages are simply a perfect fit down both sides of the pier.

White tables and chairs, with blue cushions and umbrellas, deck patios. Miniature white picket fencing separates most cottages; higher fencing gives the six end units more privacy.

Inside, cottages have fully equipped kitchens, with microwaves, coffee makers, toasters, gas stoves and apartment-size refrigerators. Our one-bedroom cottage provided dishes to serve six.

Cottages have phones and TVs with DVD players - though I can’t imagine anyone turning on either of the latter. Far better entertainment can be viewed through the binoculars sitting on the coffee table.

Our cottage, unit C, near the far end of the south-facing row, was furnished in white wicker and bamboo, with white wooden window shutters and sky blue bedding in a sea shell motif.  A sliding glass door opened from the living area to our private patio. A screened door provided access from our bedroom to the patio. We had a white-water view from our queen bed.

The cottages sit behind a security gate that’s locked at sunset; guests have access with their room key.  We felt separate from the rest the world, lords of our exclusive domain.

Close to the boardwalk

Yet we were so close to the bustling nightlife along the Pacific Beach boardwalk.

If you decide to stroll the boardwalk, allow plenty of time to savor distractions: porpoise frolicking offshore, signs offering “free drinks to hot chicks,” an array of beach musicians, slick architecture, skateboarding bulldogs.

There are dozens of good restaurants within easy walking distance. We were tempted by many, but chose Armando’s Green Flash because we could get a table near a heat lamp on the outdoor patio - and because the restaurant offers a pound of Alaskan king crab legs for under $30.

It was the right choice. The crab legs were succulent - and we had leftovers for crab sandwiches the next day.

That night we slept with our cottage doors open. We inhaled the cool, damp salty sea air and savored the summery scent of smoky beach bonfires that wafted our way. We felt safe, protected, secluded as we were lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of surging surf.

A new day

The next morning we walked down the pier to Kono’s for breakfast.

Situated at the foot of Crystal Pier, Kono’s Surf Club Café is legendary for its good cheap eats and huge portions. There’s usually a line snaking from the order window around the block.  Having a cottage at Crystal Pier, made waiting almost painless - we sipped coffee we’d made in our kitchen and chatted with others in line, including several Crystal Pier cottage regulars.

“Sweet, so sweet,” said Pat McClure who’d flown from Decorah, Iowa, for a week in a cottage. “The first time I stayed here, I fell in love. I’ve been back every year since. When it’s time to leave this week, I’ll book for next year.  And when my husband retires, he can come with me.”

My husband isn’t retired either. He takes vacations very seriously - and usually grumps mightily as the finish line approaches. But not this time.

“We’re 10 minutes from home,” he said, grinning as we drove off the pier.  “No rental car to return. No lines at the airport. No waiting.  No sweat.”

Sweet, indeed.

If you go

Getting there: Crystal Pier is at 4500 Ocean Blvd.

Staying there: Summer rates, June 15 through Sept. 30, start at $300 for over-the-water cottages; there’s a three-night minimum stay. Winter rates start at $235 weekdays, $275 on weekends, with a two-night minimum stay. Guests can park one car per cottage on the pier. Smoking is prohibited. Details: www.crystalpier.com.

Dining there: To check out the menu at Armando’s Green Flash, go to www.greenflashrestaurant.com.

Kono’s is at the foot of Crystal Pier, at 704 Garnet Ave. Cash only.  Phone (858) 483-1669.

Tags: beach, Crystal Pier, getaway, ocean, Pacific Beach, SDNN, Uncategorized

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 11:23 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.