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La Jolla-A vacation from LA

A travel journal to San Diego by joantri

Grande ColonialMore Photos

La Jolla allows you to enjoy walks by the sea, hear sea lions, galleries, shops, and wonderful dining spots while being close enough to all the great San Diego activities.

  • 6 reviews
  • 1 story/tip
  • 2 photos

La Jolla-A vacation from LABest of IgoUgo

Overview

La Jolla
Definitely enjoy some time walking around La Jolla and viewing Chagalls and Van Goghs, but drive to Balboa Park for a variety of wonderful museums to fit every taste. Stay at The Grande Colonial on Prospect which is close enough to La Valencia and will not break your budget. Other day trips close to La Jolla are the Scripps Aquarium and the Museum of Contemporary Art walking distance from Grande Colonial. Otherwise, do not miss the Wild Animal Park or the San Diego Zoo.

Quick Tips:

If you are staying during the weekend in La Jolla, make dinner reservations or eat early. You will get frustrated and end up eating at a place that you would have rather missed.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are in LA or in Orange County and have one place in mind to visit, you can take the train. If you want to see the San Diego and La Jolla area, a car is recommended.

Grande Colonial La JollaBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Grande Colonial"

Grande Colonial
Rooms have been renovated this past year, so all furnishings are brand new. You will enjoy the great location and easy access to the ocean. The hotel has a restaurant, but you can try the many available just a walk away.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by joantri on January 2, 2001

Grande Colonial La Jolla
910 Prospect Street San Diego, California 92037
(858) 454-2181

Four Points by Sheraton San DiegoBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Four Points San Diego"

If you are looking for a central location to the zoo, La Jolla, Old Town, then try the reasonably priced Four Points. The rooms are spacious and have a fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. There is a small workout facility and pool. They have a good breakfast buffet for $8.95. The location is between the 163 and 805, so you can get to La Jolla in 10 minutes, Old Town in 15 minutes, and the zoo or Balboa Park in 15 minutes. The hotel is nothing fancy, but it is close to all the main areas of San Diego that you would visit.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by joantri on February 26, 2001

Four Points by Sheraton San Diego
8110 AERO DR San Diego, California 92123
858-277-8888

RoppongiBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

An Asian fusion tapas menu will surprise you with every bite. The tapas menu encourages you to have little tastes of a variety of special dishes. Try the salmon skewers with cucumber salad, Polynesian crabmeat tower with an avocado mango ginger vinaigrette, mahi mahi with mango sprout salad and an Asian blush cocktail to really make you blush. For dessert, do not miss the Tahitian bananas with almond brittle vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Roppongi has a great ambiance with fountains in corners of the restaurant, but the "oohs and aahs" drown out the trickling from the fountains. When someone suggests you dine at one of those restaurants with a view, pass up the view for this amazing cuisine.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by joantri on January 2, 2001

Roppongi
875 Prospect Street La Jolla, California 92037
(858) 551-5252

Casa de BandiniBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Casa De Bandini is located in Old Town San Diego in an adobe hacienda built in 1829. There is patio dining as well as indoor. They do not take reservations, so if you want to eat outside, make sure you give your name to the patio hostess. Otherwise, the indoor hostess will only give you seating indoors. There are strolling musicians and giant margaritas of every flavor. The atmosphere is fun and the food is very tasty. They offer healthy Mexican choices as well as seafood specialties and authentic Mexican choices. There are a few choices of restaurants in Old Town, but we always choose Casa De Bandini.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by joantri on February 26, 2001

Casa de Bandini
2660 Calhoun Street San Diego, California 92103
+1-619-297-8211

Prado at Balboa ParkBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Prado Restaurant"

The Prado is the only sit down restaurant in Balboa Park. If you do not make reservations, you will wait for 1 hour or more. Also, you can eat in the lounge with a smaller menu as it is available. The food is great and the atmosphere is wonderful. The only complaint would be the slow service or lack of service, so if you are trying to see many of the museums in Balboa park or catch an IMAX film, this may not be the best idea. During the day, there are many children, but the later afternoon, the kids seem to be scarce. They offer many pasta specials, but they do have a variety of southwestern type dishes. There are also vegetarian dishes that are very tasty. If you are looking for a relaxing dining experience after viewing the San Diego Art Museum, then this is the best bet.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by joantri on February 26, 2001

Prado at Balboa Park
1549 El Prado (In the House of Hospitality) San Diego, California 92101
(619) 557-9441

Balboa ParkBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Balboa Park is a 20 minute drive from La Jolla. Balboa Park not only offers the San Diego zoo, but a variety of wonderful museums. There is the science museum which is very kid friendly and has an IMAX, aerospace, art, photography, railroad, Japanese gardens, and the Natural History museum which is closed until April 2001 for renovations. All the museums are wonderful and you can spend more than a day in the park. The zoo is one day visit already, but if you have a few days to spend, you should visit the other museums in Balboa Park. Check before you leave as there are special exhibits and IMAX films that change regularly. There are also free days at different museums usually each Tuesday of the month. Besides all this, the Spanish colonial architecture and parks are wonderful for just strolling around and enjoying a sunny day.

About the Writer

joantri
joantri
seal beach, California

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