Carlsbad Travel Guide
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Following the shore north of Del Mar, the pretty communities of Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad provide many reasons to linger on the California coast. They have good swimming and surfing beaches; a mile-long, two-tiered beach walk that is accessible for travelers with disabilities; lagoons perfect for walks or bird-watching; small-town atmosphere; an abundance of antiques and gift shops; and a seasonal display of the region's most beautiful flowers.
Carlsbad is the biggest of the communities and offers the most in the way of visitor attractions and amenities. The arrival of the railroad in the 1880s heralded the emergence of Carlsbad as a destination, and the historic depot, built around 1887, still stands in the heart of town. Having seen service as a Wells Fargo stagecoach station, telegraph station, post office, and general store, the depot closed in 1960; it's been reincarnated as the Visitor Information Center.
Carlsbad's name was originally Frazier's Station until the mineral content of its water was found to be almost identical to that of a popular resort, Karlsbad, in Czechoslovakia. During the early part of the last century, the Carlsbad Mineral Springs Hotel capitalized on the water's curative properties, and Carlsbad drew many health-minded visitors. One memorable sales pitch, employing all the hyperbole typical of that era, asked, "What more powerful inducements can be offered than Mineral Wells of Wonderful Medicinal Virtues; Magnificent Marine and Mountain Scenery; a Climate of Perpetual Summer; and Balmy Breezes from the Calm Pacific?" The European connection evoked an old-world sentiment in town, and many parts of Carlsbad still resemble a quaint village. In 1999, Danish toymaker LEGO opened a gigantic theme park; it now competes with San Diego's animal parks for the tourist dollar.
