SUMMER LIVING : Vacations in...

If the thought of camping hits you like a case of indigestion, you might consider a more comfortable mode of vacationing close to home. North County has a wide range of weekend getaway possibilities in local hotels, resorts, spas and bed and breakfast inns where the only trail you’ll have to blaze is from your room to the dining table.

Here is a brief sample of some available options:

Bed and Breakfast

Rates at better B&Bs; run from about $75 per night. Rates normally include either continental or full breakfast. Some bed and breakfasts are in private homes, others are really small inns. Rooms vary widely, so ask what your room will feature. For example, The Inncline at 121 North Vulcan in Encinitas (944-0318) starts at $75 for a room but runs up to $150 per night for the “penthouse boudoir” with an 8-foot hot tub. Pelican Cove in Carlsbad at 320 Walnut Ave. (434-5995) offers private baths, private entrances and fireplaces.

Julian is a B&B; haven. The Julian B&B; Guild sets standards for its 11 members. Guild members offer rooms, often in homes, for rates ranging from $75 to $120 per night. For more information call 765-1555 or 765-0707 for computer voice mail.

Hotels and Resorts

Some North County hotels and resorts offer special weekend packages with deep discounts, so be sure to ask about options.

For example, L’Auberge del Mar at 1540 Camino Del Mar (259-1515) offers weekend packages starting from $135 per couple each night for its “back to the beach” package to $430 per couple a night for its hot air balloon package.

The La Costa resort at 2100 Costa Del Mar Road in Carlsbad (438-9111) has weekend packages for golfers, tennis players or fitness nuts ranging from $300 to $425 per night for a room.

Golf packages also are available from the Rancho Bernardo Inn at 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive (487-1611), the Temecula Creek Inn at 44501 Rainbow Canyon Road in Temecula (714-676-5631) and Pala Mesa at 2001 Old Highway 395 in Fallbrook (800-722-4700).

In Rancho Santa Fe, the Rancho Valencia Resort at 5921 Valencia Circle (756-1123) offers some heavy-duty pampering. The Romantic Getaway package costs $595 per couple for a one-night stay and includes Champagne, candlelight dinner, half-hour massage and more. The Epicurean Escape is a three-day, two-night package for $795 per couple including three meals a day, court time for tennis and more. All taxes and tips are included for both packages.

Other getaways

There are many other accommodations in the area that cater to those who prefer room service to working up a dusty sweat.

For more information, contact the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau at 236-1212 and ask for the San Diego accommodations guide. The guide features a section dedicated to North County hotels, motels and restaurants.

Information also is available from visitors bureaus, including those in Carlsbad, 434-6093; Escondido, 745-4741 (or 1-800 848-3336 for an electronic information guide); Oceanside, 721-1101; San Marcos, 744-1270; and Vista, 726-1122.