The suburban city of Carlsbad, California is located in northern San Diego County. Surrounded by mountains, lagoons and the Pacific Ocean, the city is situated on the Pacific Coast about 35 miles north of San Diego and about 60 miles south of Anaheim. Along with the cities of Vista and Oceanside, Carlsbad forms a third leg in what is called the "Tri-City Area" of the county. Incorporated in 1952, Carlsbad is a "general law" city, meaning that the city follows the general laws of the State of California as opposed to having a city charter of its own. The city is governed by a City Council, whose four members, along with the Mayor, are elected officials who serve a four-year term of office. The modern-day story of Carlsbad can be traced to the digging of wells in the late 19th century and the discovery that the drinking water from those wells possessed chemical characteristics very similar to a very famous European spa located in Carlsbad, Czech Republic. To capitalize on this find, a partnership named the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company was founded. The naming of the town followed shortly thereafter along with a major marketing campaign to attract visitors. Present-day Carlsbad is a full service city whose industries include a major regional shopping center, hotels, high technology businesses, electronics, golf apparel and equipment manufacturers, industrial parks, and ongoing land and housing development serving a variety of community types. Carlsbad is home to children's book publisher Big Guy Books, and also to the headquarters of the Gemological Institute of America. Attractions in and around Carlsbad Carlsbad is the home of LEGOLAND California, a family entertainment park specifically geared towards children ages 2-12 and featuring rides, shows and attractions. Other sites of interest in Carlsbad include: · Flower Fields of Carlsbad Ranch · Carlsbad Skatepark · Museum of Making Music · Carlsbad Village Farmers' Market · The Carlsbad Premium Outlets · Leo Carrillo Ranch Carlsbad's proximity to both San Diego and Anaheim affords residents and visitors easy access to several popular California attractions, including the following: · Disneyland & Disney's California Adventure Park (Anaheim) · Knott's Soak City & and Knott's Berry Farm (Buena Park) · Sea World (San Diego) · Balboa Park (San Diego) · San Diego Zoo · San Diego Museum of Art · San Diego Aerospace Museum · San Diego Wild Animal Park |