A seaside haven in the heart of Southern California, San Clemente Cove is celebrating 30 years of creating vacation memories. And not only is it the resort’s anniversary this year, but it’s the city of San Clemente’s also – 90 years since the city was incorporated in 1928!
It was in 1988 when Jim Watkins, a visionary within the timeshare industry and founder of Winners Circle Resorts International, fell in love with the quaint hillside land that lay just steps from the sand and historical San Clemente Pier. “What could be more special?” Jim asked when purchasing the plot and started development immediately. From the Spanish architecture, to the nearby ice cream shop, to the bars and restaurants on the pier, to the welcoming community, the city and resort became his favorites.
This home away from home in the Spanish Village by the Sea comes with breezy ocean front condos that have become a getaway for people in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties who continue to come back year after year. Owners and guests can begin their mornings on their private balcony and end their days with the soothing sound of the waves to lull them to sleep.
Located halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles, the nearby train provides easy and inexpensive access to San Clemente, and San Clemente Cove has become an asset to the community, helping create a richer economy and becoming a getaway for families who want to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life.
Owners and guests enjoy returning at the same time each year and continue to express their love for the resort, the location and also the Associates who have made their vacations so special. Among those associates is Cindy Campbell, San Clemente Cove’s General Manager for 17 years, who retired in 2017. She describes those years as a wonderful time where Owners and Associates became like a second family to her.
Fun Facts:
- In 1969, President Richard Nixon purchased a portion of an oceanfront estate in San Clemente. The estate was nicknamed the “Western White House” (a term for a President’s vacation home) and it’s where Nixon retreated to following his resignation, and began writing his memoirs.
- San Clemente was the setting for a reality television series on MTV that chronicled the life of professional skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, who lived there. The series ran from 2007 to 2008.
- The late Jean Vander Pyl, who was the voice of Wilma Flintstone, lived in San Clemente for many years.