I've read about Laguna del Sol and look forward to your review.

Posted by: @ttinnwa

I've read about Laguna del Sol and look forward to your review.

The website explains it, mostly. One of the patrons there called it California's premier nudist resort, considering all the amenities and infrastructure, and he's probably right. Granted, my visit was in the off-season, with additional restrictions due to COVID control, so I didn't get a chance to partake of everything they usually provide. The staff was friendly, and the patrons I met seem to consist mainly of long-time customers who have developed some close personal associations. For me, though, since I wasn't in that category, I found people not to be as gregarious as I've found them at campsites. Hardly anybody asked me who I was, where I was from, what brought me there, and so on. Mark you, they weren't exactly unfriendly, but I had a feeling that I had to be a familiar face to be accepted. A surprising number of them were people who lived on-site in mobile homes. (These are mostly metal pre-fabricated houses that are towed to a "trailer park" and never moved thereafter, not to be confused with "motor homes" which are large recreational vehicles that are designed to be on the go all the time... and there were plenty of those as well.)

Anyway, I'm used to rougher accommodations that a luxury (or near-luxury) resort, so I found myself a bit out of place there. I might go back if I was with friends, but not alone. I prefer a more rustic environment. But if what you're looking for is lots of sun, archery, many pools and hot tubs and saunas (in season and post-COVID), LdS might be what you're looking for.

I stopped there for a night on my bike ride across America. I'd planned to stay for two but, frankly, I just didn't like it. It was too big, too gaudy. There were golf-cart races round the roads, for instance. I have nothing against golf-cart races but not when and where I want a more quiet time. Other than that, it's fine. It's big and it's commercial but that's not to say you won't like it

@leoYou didn't say what time of year you visited it. I hear it's usually pretty crowded in the summer, and twice a year they have special events that draw up to three thousand people. Too much of a crowd scene for me, I'm afraid. Anyway, here's a URL for the web site: https://www.lagunadelsol.com/  

Update. When I went there for two days last weekend, the resort was pretty much open. The only area that wasn't was the restaurant, which hadn't been able to replace the staff they lost when the pandemic hit. So they were serving hot dogs and hamburgers on the restaurant's patio, and had a couple of bars that served beverages. But the gym and all the pools were open, and kayaks and paddleboats were at the disposal of the guests. Attendance was strong, and there were a lot of reunions of old friends.

@woodsman21, good to know! So, 2nd visit was better, overall?

Yes. It's a very nice resort, and worth seeking out if you're in the area. What I liked about it most was their tolerance for unaccompanied men, unlike many resorts here in the US. When I was last there, the ratio of men to women was about three or four to one, and there didn't seem to be any friction.

We’ve only been there twice, but the second time was for one of the aforementioned special events (Nudestock). They have several bands perform on their outdoor stage from Thursday through Sunday and the place truly is packed. We sat next to the owner Suzanne Schell for a couple of the bands and mentioned that we had flown cross country to celebrate our 15th anniversary. The day before heading to California we had renewed our wedding vows and had dressed our Greyhound in a bow tie to be our “best man”. Suzanne loved that story. We met her again a couple of years later at the muster drill for one of the Bare Necessities nude cruises and she remembered us despite only seeing her that one time. If it weren’t such a long flight and several time zones away we would go more often. Instead we have found that Cypress Cove and Lake Como in Florida are of similar size and just as commercial, but I guess we like that sort of place.

@woodsman21"You didn't say what time of year you visited it."

It would have been late August, from memory. Crowded or not, it was just too big and unwieldy for me, though others may well like it.

@leoThat would have been peak season, all right. And they may have had some sort of special event going.

Their two biggest events are Naked Man (Burning Man theme) in early August and Nudestock (Woodstock music festival) in mid September. End of August might have been gearing up for Labor Day weekend, though. We really enjoyed it there even with the very large Nudestock crowd, but we can fly to London faster than Sacramento so we now go to the Florida resorts instead.

I just came back from Nudestock, and had a good time there. Lots of music (including many live bands doing excellent covers), lots of dancing, quite a few vendors, lots of swimming, and I even did a little archery to test a rebuilt shoulder. As usual, I camped with friends. 

I guess I should add that the restaurant there was still limited service, although the full bar was open. They're still having trouble hiring help due to the pandemic.