I bought a t-shirt about a decade ago that remains my very favorite t-shirt of all-time. It reads, “Carls-bad” on the front “and so am I” on the back.

It was a gift to myself after my very first visit to Carlsbad, CA with my boyfriend at the time and it, the shirt and the town, holds a very special place in my traveling crazed heart. I literally thought it was the funniest/most clever way to describe a town, and to this very day, I crack up just thinking about the ingenuity behind it.

Lucky for me, I was able to head back out to that same great beach town a few weeks ago for work and chose to stay at Carlsbad Seapointe, which is a great all-encompassing resort located directly across from one of the best beaches in all of California.

Carlsbad Seapointe provided incredibly spacious accommodations for my weeklong beach voyage (I mean WORK!), and it definitely has my vote for being one of the best-kept secrets in north San Diego County. The property has ample (and free!) parking for guests, complimentary coffee in the lobby, a family pool and an adult pool, is a perfect location just across the street from the beach including one of the best stretches of beach running I’ve ever experienced, along with so much more. The condo had a full kitchen, which has quickly become something I absolutely love when traveling as it helps me stay on target with my diet, and definitely keeps my expenses lower without having to eat out for every single meal. (Although, there is an In-n-Out Burger less than two miles away, so that didn’t help my diet.)

Carlsbad is one of those surfer beach towns with quite a few quaint accommodations to choose from, so you’re probably wondering how on earth I chose this property over all the others. Carlsbad Seapointe is one of the 19 great resorts owned and managed by Grand Pacific Resort Management (GPRM), which is one of the oldest, largest and most well-respected resort management, hotel management and vacation ownership companies around.

The best part about staying at one of the many luxurious GPRM properties (whether as a regular ole hotel guest or a timeshare/vacation owner across many locations) is that you can truly count on the same great service, culture, and team mentality across their entire brand. The resorts range from some of the most upscale and beautiful properties that can be seen in fancy magazines, to family-oriented resorts full of activities for the kids, to romantic getaways making it the ideal partner no matter what your travel needs may be. Although it had been 10 years since I visited Carlsbad, part of the reason I felt at home was because of the warm and friendly staff I’ve grown accustomed to from visiting other GPRM properties.

Grand Pacific Resort Management has an award winning reputation with resorts in Hawaii, Canada and all across the U.S, all with an incredible commitment to going green. They have truly made me rethink the old-school way of “timeshares.” Too bad my disposable income doesn’t quite allow for that just yet, but one day it will!

Staying in one location for more than just a few days at a time is a new concept for me, but I’m truly loving the comfortable and “home” feel I got at Carlsbad Seapointe and with GPRM and their respective teams. If you’re more of a lengthy traveler and looking to book a condominium or room for a day or two or even an entire week, you can also use ResorTime, which is also part of the GPRM family, as a great booking resource. It’s a website/booking engine with more than 1 million rooms each night, located all over the world and at great rates! It’s also a great resource if you know you want to go on a vacation and happen to be on a budget, as it pulls many HOT DEALS for you, and helps make the decision a little easier.

Ten years later, Carlsbad is just as bad (as in good) that I remembered from many years ago. I may not still be in love with that boyfriend I first went with, but I am still in love with that beautiful California town.

Jayme Lamm is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Houston focusing on travel writing and is in a full-court press writing her hugely opinionated sports column, The Blonde Side. Be sure to follow Jayme’s travel and sports adventures on Twitter @jaymelamm.