Multicultural Marketing Meets West Coast Living: My Carlsbad, CA Trip
- Morgan Jaffe
- Nov 3
- 3 min read
Multicultural Marketing Conference + Mini Vacation
I recently spent a week in Carlsbad, California for the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) Multicultural & Inclusive Marketing Conference. If you’ve read my other posts, you already know multicultural marketing is my passion so when I saw there was finally an in-person conference, I had to go. Since my company didn’t cover the trip (hoping next year!), I turned it into a mini vacation and brought my partner along. The conference was three days, and we added three free days to explore.
We stayed at an Airbnb in Carlsbad, it was two blocks from the beach, dog-friendly, and walking distance to downtown shops and restaurants. Highly recommend the location!
We also rented a car, which made getting around super easy.
Day 1: Arrival & Recharge
We landed Saturday morning, grabbed our rental car, picked up groceries, checked into the Airbnb, and immediately hit the wall of travel exhaustion. Ordered takeout, enjoyed the outdoor space, and kept it low-key, which was much needed!
Day 2: Beach, Coffee, Hike, and Sunset Dinner
I started the beautiful Sunday morning with Milo (our dog) on the beach, such a peaceful walk. Once Josh woke up, we grabbed coffee and headed to Calavera Hills for a hike. Afterward, we had breakfast at Le Papagayo (tbh don't recommend).
We actually spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the patio, enjoying the weather.
Dinner was at Vigilucci’s Seafood & Steakhouse, recommended by a colleague who lives in Carlsbad, and wow… she did not miss. Oceanfront views + sunset + incredible food = perfect night. Highly recommend.
Days 3–5: Multicultural Marketing Conference Time
For the next three days (Mon–Wed), I attended the ANA Multicultural & Inclusive Marketing Conference. I learned so much, met incredible people I've only known through virtual committee meetings, and finally got to connect with peers in person.
One of the highlights was the Multicultural Marketing Excellence Awards, I was actually selected as a juror this year, so seeing the brands/campaigns that won was extra exciting.
After the final conference session on Wednesday, we spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach.That night, we took Milo to Del Mar Dog Beach, about 20 minutes away from Carlsbad and it was STUNNING. Golden cliffs, the prettiest sunset, tons of happy dogs. Highly recommend if you’re a dog person (or just like pretty scenery).
We picked up takeout from Chin’s Szechwan in Del Mar and drove through the downtown area it was super cute, would highly recommend to get dinner or explore the town there!
Day 6: La Jolla Day Trip
We drove to La Jolla, where Josh had been before, so he played tour guide. We saw the sea lions, walked the trails, and explored the town.
Lunch was at Café Elysa and I 10/10 recommend. Fresh food, healthy options, and really good coffee. I also grabbed my souvenir here, tons of shopping to do there!
That night we packed up because.... plot twist, we had to fly home one day early due to a work emergency. We still squeezed in one last long sunset beach walk with Milo before picking up dinner from Veggie Grill / Next Level (really good healthy option).
We went to bed early because our flight was at 6 a.m....hello 3 a.m. wake-up.
Final Thoughts
Even though we cut the trip short (my last day I was going to explore San Diego), Carlsbad was awesome! It is such a relaxed beach town, great food, super dog-friendly, and close to San Diego & La Jolla for easy day trips. I will definitely be back… and next time, I’m adding a full San Diego itinerary.
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