If you ever . . .

If you ever happen to take a drive down Highway 1 in Southern California, you are going to want to make a little stop in the coastal town, Encinitas. It is a nice little neighborhood filled with sunkissed women and children, wet suit clad surfers, and cute boutiques to boot.

Here are a few of my fave places:

For amazing local handmade goods, stop by the mom & daughter shop M*O*M
This amazing little store occupies the cutest garage space I have ever seen. I love the fact that it is an active studio/shop space. The goods are cute and these ladies are experts at repurposing all their scraps. They also have amazing clothes for kids.

Looking for a divine smoothie? Well, Swami's Cafe is the place to go. You can sit down on their deck on a warm summer day and have brunch or pop on in and grab their Nirvana Nectar bee pollen dusted smoothie and take it to the beach. So fresh and so delish!

No worries if your smoothie doesn't take you to another transcendental state. Just cross the street and take stroll through the (semi) public Self Realization Fellowship Hermitage & Meditation Gardens. Beautiful, serene, and amazing cliff side views. You are sure to feel at peace. It is open limited hours to the public, including certain weekends.

Sometimes I see the unmistakable yellow Lou's Records stickers on cars in the Bay Area and I get so excited! Lou's is one of those rare record shops still in business. If you are inclined to buy vinyl or feeling the need to stage a revolt against Itunes, then stop by this store. You are sure to find what you are looking for and then some. New and used merchandise offered.

Other great spots:

Home Store -Vintage, consignment clothing store for men & women

La Paloma Theater- Classic theater that's been around since 1928!

Angelo's Burgers-Greasy, greasy food that is sure to give you heartburn. Yummy onion rings.

The Beach!