Board Games

There is no frenzy like the frenzy of kids inspecting a new motel room. It is as if they have conquered something, as if they rowed ashore half a mile away, then stormed this modest-size lodging, claiming it as their own. Within minutes, they have jumped on the beds, flushed the toilets and tried the TV, all the things sophisticated travelers usually do before settling in for a weekend at the beach.

“Nice place, Dad,” my teenage daughter says of the Ocean Inn, a 48-unit motel half a mile from the water.

And it is a nice place. Not fancy. Clean and functional, a good base camp for checking out beaches or sampling the renowned local skate park here in Encinitas, 25 miles north of San Diego.

“Is this OK?” I ask my wife.

“It’s fine,” she says, meaning she wouldn’t mind someplace a touch fancier.

“See, she loves it,” I tell the kids.

“Dad, there’s no pool,” the boy says, zeroing in on the one real flaw.

“Let’s go for a ride,” I say. Five minutes later, we’re cruising down the coastal highway checking out the attractions and noticing that we’re in the only vehicle that doesn’t have a surfboard on the roof.

Actually, we’ve come here to scout out the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Skatepark, one of Southern California’s premier spots for skateboarding and in-line skating. The enormous park covers just a small portion of Encinitas’ massive YMCA complex.

“Unbelievable,” raves a Web site that critiques the dozens of skate parks around Southern California.

From what we’ve heard, this park is to skateboarders what nearby Torrey Pines is to golfers: a top-of-the-line public course that draws from far around. And we’ve come 90 miles south to check it out.

But as we drive down the coast this Friday, it’s apparent that Encinitas is first of all a beach town, its economy built on surfing and sunburns, a city of about 57,000 without a lot of the pretense that surrounds some coastal cities like a tide pool. According to our chamber of commerce brochure, Encinitas boasts six miles of beautiful coastline, with a variety of activities: diving, surfing, fishing and sailboarding.

The first beach we pass on our late-afternoon ride is Moonlight State Beach, which apparently has the most diverse facilities, ranging from fire rings to volleyball nets. Next, we pass San Elijo State Beach, perhaps the longest stretch of beach, which is packed with campers on this warm Friday evening. Finally, we catch a glimpse of Del Mar racetrack (open through Sept. 9).

In a short time, it’s clear that there will be plenty to keep three kids and a couple of adults busy for the weekend. So we decide to plan our weekend over a decent meal at a decent hour, pulling into the Beach House, one of several busy seafood places right on the water.

“Thirty minutes,” the hostess tells us a little before 6, so we head upstairs to the bar to have a drink and admire the sunset. When we finally get a table--40 minutes later--we are starved for seafood. My wife orders the lobster linguine, which comes handsomely presented, garnished with endive and rice noodles and little lemon curls, which our youngest daughter proceeds to eat.

“That’s mostly for decoration,” I tell her.

“Tastes good,” she says, chewing on a lemon slice.

I order the seafood tortellini, a big portion of shrimp, scallops and pasta that I can’t finish. The place is a little pricey, at least by our standards. But the food is fine, and the meal gets our weekend off to a great start.

*

We’re up early the next day, and my 12-year-old son and I head for the skate park. As promised, the outdoor park is a skateboarder’s dream. It features a 23,000-square-foot street course with an array of quarterpipes, bank ramps, pyramids and manual/slider obstacles.

If you know what any of those are, this is the place for you.

The centerpiece, an 11-foot-high halfpipe, is good enough to draw skateboard king Tony Hawks on occasion. And on this sunny Saturday, the smooth Masonite ramps look like a kid’s fantasy land.

“Get here early,” the voice on the phone had warned.

So we get there 30 minutes early to fill out the medical and hold-harmless forms, plop down our 10 bucks and wait for the place to open. On weekends, the facility--open to skaters and skateboarders age 6 and up--runs from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 1 to 4:45 p.m. Helmets and pads are required (the park has a limited number of loaner pads). Bring your own boards or in-line skates.

But a few words of warning: The releases for those under 18 must be signed in person by a parent, or filled out ahead of time and notarized. This is nonnegotiable.

Now, this is not the place for beginners. Most skaters ranged in age from 9 to 15, and the quality of skating was moderate to high. (For the record, I saw only one girl skater the two days we were at the park, out of approximately 60 to 70 kids.) My son, who has been skateboarding for about a year, held his own, but I think he was impressed with how good most of the other kids were.

From a parent’s standpoint, the skate park is a pleasant surprise. The sprawling course is mostly wood, which cuts down on that awful rasping that skateboards usually make. And the park is kept under close supervision. No smoking. No gum. No bad language. Sure enough, in two hours of skating, only one skater gets hurt.

“It’s just a little blood,” my son says, shrugging off the scrape on his knee. “Can we come back tomorrow?”

In short, he’s nuts for the place.

When we return from the skate park, my wife and daughters, ages 7 and 15, take the car and head into San Diego’s Old Town, just 15 minutes south, for shopping and lunch. My son and I set off to grab a couple of tacos and hit the dozens of surf shops that are within walking distance of our motel. Neither of us surfs, but we’re looking for a bargain on a wet suit for Boogie boarding later.

By late afternoon, we have retreated to the beach. Our motel promised beach access. And although you can smell the ocean from the parking lot, it’s a half-mile hike to the public entrance to the beach. On a hot day, with chairs and coolers in tow, it’s a long haul.

“Where’s the beach?” the boy keeps asking.

In 10 minutes, we are finally there. We Boogie board for an hour on Grandview Beach, which slopes out gradually and is mostly rock free, ideal for children.

That night we head out for Mexican food. A friend has recommended Las Olas, a popular spot on restaurant row in Cardiff by the Sea. But the parking lot is full, and we decide to look elsewhere.

We wind up in a place called Taco Auctioneers (yes, that’s the real name), on San Elijo Avenue in Cardiff. It turns out to be the best discovery of the weekend. A lively place, perfect for families, it features an extensive menu of mostly authentic Mexican food at good prices. The kids love the place, mostly for the way the waiters clown around. And the food, which arrives quickly and in good portions, is excellent.

The next day, we plan to hit one of the area’s many gardens. Encinitas bills itself as the flower capital of the world, and there are tours and scenic hikes galore. Our kids’ thought is to do something else entirely because to a kid, nothing could be more torturous than 30 acres of scenic walks.

Needless to say, we hit the skate park for another good early round, and the beach, then grab a quick brunch at the Ocean House Cafe, a friendly place in northern Encinitas.

For brunch, one of the sophisticated travelers I’m with orders French toast and a chocolate shake. Then, midway through the meal, he buys a dill pickle from his little sister.

“Pickle for a nickel?” she says, holding up the sliver of dill.

“How about a dime?” the boy says, which is the sign of a sophisticated traveler, never taking the first offer.

“Deal,” the little girl says.

And that’s the kind of place Encinitas seems to be: a good deal, big on bargains, with lots to offer children and other sophisticated travelers.

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Budget for Five

Ocean Inn, 2 rooms, 2 nights: $384.00

Dinner, Beach House: 91.22

Ecke Skatepark (2 admissions): 20.00

Lunch (for 2), Karina’s Taco Shop: 9.25

Dinner, Taco Auctioneers: 56.65

Brunch, Ocean House Cafe: 32.38

Gas: 15.00

FINAL TAB: $608.50

Ocean Inn, 1444 N. Coast Highway 1, Leucadia, CA 92024; telephone (760) 436-1988. Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Skatepark, 200 Saxony Road, Encinitas, CA 92023; tel. (760) 942-9622.