La Jolla (the Jewel)

If you are looking for a week of fun in the sun La Jolla is the place for you. This upscale suburb in San Diego County is a change of pace to staying in the hustle and bustle of downtown San Diego. There is a plethora of activities to keep you occupied.
Here are some of my favorite places to visit in La Jolla and San Diego:

Sea World - This marine mammal amusement park is fun for the whole family. This highly commercialized park is full with attractions and offers a couple of rides. The Shamu Adventure, Dolphin Discovery, Pets Rule!, Wild Arctic and Journey to Atlantis are some of our favorite attractions.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps - This small aquarium is located in La Jolla, but don't let the size fool you. Loaded with tons of attractions and interactive exhibits, Birch Aquarium is a great place for families with children.

San Diego Zoo - The San Diego Zoo is a must attraction to any first time visitor to the area. One of the most famous zoos in the world is jam packed with attractions and exhibits. The top attraction at the San Diego Zoo is the Giant Panda exhibit. The San Diego Zoo is one of only four zoos in the world that houses these magnificent animals. Other fun exhibits include the Skyfari, the Monkey Trails and Forest Tales, Polar Bear Plunge, and the Guided Bus Tour.

La Jolla Cove and Ellen Browning Scripps Park - The Cove has a small beach and crystal clear waters that is great for snorkeling and scuba diving. The waters are home to California’s state fish, the orange garibaldi. My wife and I could see these bright fish from the cliffs above the ocean.

The Children’s Pool – This beach is one of the most controversial areas in La Jolla, but also one of the most popular to visit. A seawall was built to protect a small pocket of sand so families with children could come and swim with protection for the strong Pacific Ocean current. This was a great place to swim until the harbor seals made this their home. Now you can not go swimming at the Children’s Pool, but is a great place to see the resident harbor seals.

There is something for everyone to see and do in LaJolla.

Quick Tips:

Staying in La Jolla can be very expensive. I got lucky and received a company discount at the La Valencia hotel and saved over 40% on the rack rate. I know there is a Best Western in La Jolla and if you are looking to save a couple of bucks this would probably be one of your best bets. I also know that Best Westerns give AAA card holders a discounted rate. If you don't have a AAA card I highly recommend looking into getting one. The -60 fee for the year is well worth it. I have saved hundreds of dollars on hotel rates using my AAA card.

You can also find some helpful tips by checking out www.lajollabythesea.com, which is the official tourism website of La Jolla. Another helpful website for accommodations and restaurants is www.lajolla.com.  By just visiting these websites you can tell what kind of community you are staying in when visiting La Jolla.

I went to La Jolla in August of 2005. The weather was quite cool during the day and temperatures hovered around 70 to 75 degrees. My wife and I went down to the beach and hung out by our hotel pool, but we never put on our bathing suits and went swimming. I am from the east coast and the ocean temperatures swell during the summer, but the Pacific Ocean temperatures are very chilly and are usually in the 50's. Most people we saw swimming were either in wetsuits or they were kids (and we know they don't care about water temperature).

In the evenings I would definitely recommend bringing a light jacket or sweater. Especially if you are thin skinned like my wife. Evening temperatures can dip into the low 50's, and if you have a reservation for dinner outdoors the odds are you will be wishing you had brought that windbreaker.

Best Way To Get Around:

When we visited La Jolla in the summer of 2005 we had a rental. Having a rental car is essential when visiting the San Diego area especially when staying in La Jolla. My wife and I flew into San Diego International Airport and there are plenty of rental car companies to choose from. I suggest that you book your rental car in advance. I used a travel website to compare the prices on all rental cars, and then I booked my car through the car rental company's website. I recommend doing this and I will tell you why. Most rental car companies do not take a credit card when you make a reservation. This is to your advantage. Check the website once a week and hit in the same rental specifications that you used to make your reservation without signing in. Two weeks before my vacation I saved over on my rental because the company changed their rate.

Good luck and I hope my tip on car rentals can help you out.

When my wife and I visited San Diego my friend from La Jolla recommended that we stay in his hometown. It didn’t hurt that my company also received a corporate discount at the La Valencia hotel, in the upscale community of La Jolla. The La Valencia hotel has been around since 1926. This hotel is like a fine wine and gets better with age. The La Valencia is situated atop La Jolla Cove in the heart of downtown La Jolla. You will find many shops, art galleries, and great restaurants within walking distance of this great hotel. The La Valencia is also a short walk to the La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool (here you can go see La Jolla’s famous sea lions) situated on the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

When you walk into the lobby at the La Valencia you take a trip back into time. The lobby is elegant and sophisticated with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Even the hotel elevator is still run by a bell hop. This is part of the charm of this luxury hotel.

The hotel staff are extraordinarily friendly and they make you feel right at home. You can stay in a hotel room, a hotel suite or a villa. We were upgraded to an ocean view hotel room on arrival. The room was very small, about 250 square feet, but comfortable and spotless. Remember these rooms were built in the 1920’s. The room had ample amenities including a mini-bar, soft robes and slippers, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, complimentary coffee service, toiletries and an in room safe.

There are three restaurants located in the hotel. Including the Sky Room, which is an elegant French restaurant overlooking the La Jolla Cove. The Whaling Bar and Grill is a casual restaurant serving reasonably priced fare. The Mediterranean Grill serves New American fare and has sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.

The La Valencia also has a gym, spa, and pool. When my wife and I stayed at the hotel the weather was chilly and we didn’t go swimming in the pool, but we did play ping pong and Scrabble (we brought our own) in the pool area because of the great views of the Pacific.

The La Valencia is definitely a great place to stay if you are looking to go to San Diego and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

A.R. Valentien is located in one of the most beautiful resorts, in one of the most scenic areas in the world, The Lodge at Torrey Pines. If you are not interested in visiting A.R. Valentien’s do yourself a favor and at least visit this beautiful resort. The Lodge is home to one of the most famous golf courses, not only in California, but the world. At A.R. Valentien’s the food is highly rated (though I had a different outlook) and the view is gorgeous.

Food: Californian food is served at A.R. Valentien’s, using only the finest and freshest local ingredients. Award winning executive chef Jeff Jackson has over 30 years of experience in the culinary industry. Unfortunately, the night that I went to A.R. Valentien’s I did not have the culinary experience I expected. My wife and I found our entrée’s to be forgettable, but the dessert decadent. A warm chocolate cake with a warm center served with ice cream and fresh berries. Awesome! I am assuming my wife and I went on an off night.

Decor: As stated earlier the A.R. Valentien restaurant is located in The Lodge at Torrey Pines. The restaurant is positioned on the 18th hole of the world famous Torrey Pines golf course, which has been the home of numerous PGA tour events. The dining room was designed with exquisite craftsman architecture. The name of the restaurant is attributed to a talented Californian whose artwork is displayed throughout A.R. Valentien’s.

Service: Our waiter was in his early 20’s, and to us it seemed he was relatively new. Though he was attentive and friendly his knowledge of the menu was not up to par with what was expected. This could have been a reason for our poor choices of appetizers and entrées.

I highly recommend making reservations at this popular restaurant at least a couple of weeks in advance if not a month in advance. Don’t expect an inexpensive evening… without ordering cocktails your bill will hover around $125. My wife and I arrived early and we took a seat by the bar, 4 drinks (2 martinis’ and 2 grey goose and cranberry juice) were over $50! Make sure you bring your credit card without the pre-set limit.

Roppongi is located on Prospect Street, which is the main drag in La Jolla. This is one of the most popular restaurants, not only in La Jolla, but in all of San Diego. Roppongi serves Asian Fusion cuisine along with sushi. This restaurant is one of those “people-watching” establishments, where “the hip” of San Diego comes to eat.

Food: This is a great restaurant to share your plates. Order a couple of appetizers (tapas), maybe a sushi dish and a couple of entrées. I thought the food was very good and innovative. The appetizer portions are small and considered more of a “tapas”. I would recommend the Polynesian Crab Stack, and the Miso Marinated Yellowtail. For our entrées I ordered the Boneless Beef Short Ribs, which were so tender no knife was needed. My wife had the Mongolian Grilled Shrimp. She enjoyed the dish and I thought it was nothing spectacular.

Decor: Our hotel was located down the street from Roppongi and walked to the restaurant from La Valencia. As you approach Roppongi you can see the outdoor fire pit in its full glory. They have an outdoor patio option if you prefer to sit outside by the fire, but we opted to eat indoors. The restaurant was dimly lit and the decor was Asian inspired with dark woods, marble, booths tailored with dark fabrics and tables with bamboo chairs. A feng-shui inspired restaurant. If you have to wait for your table try to get a seat by the indoor fireplace and grab a mai tai.

Service: To tell you the truth, I don’t even remember how the service treated us. My wife and I were too busy enjoying ourselves and people-watching. What does that mean? It was probably not exceptional, and it definitely was not horrendous. I can remember that our waitress was very familiar with the menu and did make certain suggestions.

I highly recommend making reservations at Roppongi. You may be able to walk-in, but the wait may be long, and the drinks at the bar are expensive.

The Mediterranean Room is located in the La Valencia Hotel. This is the hotel’s mid-range restaurant. The views from the dining room give you sweeping scenes of the Pacific Ocean. If you would like to dine al-fresco you can sit outside on the Tropical Patio (this part of the restaurant does not have ocean views). The Mediterranean Room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have also heard that their Sunday Champagne Brunch is phenomenal.

Food – My wife and I visited the Mediterranean Room for dinner. The menu options were geared toward fresh seafood Mediterranean style (of course). To start I ordered the escargot served in their shell with a garlic butter sauce. I found the snails to be tender and not rubbery at all. The signature dish at The Mediterranean Room is the Paella Valencia, since I am a big fan of paella I thought “Why not give theirs a shot?” The paella was good, but there were more mussels than anything else in the dish. I would have liked to see a couple of more shrimps in the paella.

Decor – Like I mentioned earlier, the restaurant has beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, so I recommend asking the host or hostess for a table by the window. The furnishings were colored in gold, yellows, and browns, which gave the restaurant a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Service – The service at The Mediterranean Room was non-intrusive and friendly. I don’t like being asked continuously “How is everything?” One time is sufficient. I also thought the restaurant was short staffed that evening, but I was staying in the La Valencia hotel and was in no hurry to leave.

I recommend going to The Mediterranean Room only if you are staying in La Jolla, it is not worth the trip if you are visiting from elsewhere. The prices are relatively high, probably costing my wife and me about $125 with tip. Though the views are magnificent I would recommend going to George’s at the Cove, which is located down the road from the La Valencia.

George’s at the Cove, on the main drag in La Jolla, is THE most popular restaurant in all of San Diego. Sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean to take your breath away are the norm at this divine restaurant that serves Californian cuisine. George’s uses seasonal ingredients from local producers, so only the finest and best product is used. The restaurant is separated into three dining venues: George’s at the Cove is the fine dining venue; Pacific View Bar has a more casual atmosphere; and finally, the Ocean Terrace Bistro has less expensive fare, but the quality of food does not diminish.

Food: The menu at George’s is Californian with an emphasis on seafood. Executive Chef Trey Foshee was selected by Food & Wine Magazine as one of America’s top ten chefs. I started my night off by having a watermelon and crabmeat carpaccio with local sweet corn. The sweetness in the watermelon really brought out the flavors in this dish. I highly recommend this appetizer if you are lucky enough to see this item on the menu. For my entrée I enjoyed one of Chef Foshee’s signature dishes, a Molasses Cured Niman Ranch Pork Chop. This dish is served with roasted garnet yams, bacon wilted swiss chard, pomegranate, and pork jus. The pork chop was ultra tender, but the sauce is what made this dish.

Décor: My wife and I ate in the main dining room and did not visit the upstairs bistro, but I heard the views from up there are just as beautiful. Ask for a window table so you can get a better scene of La Jolla cove. The furnishings were tasteful and modern, but to be honest I don’t remember it much. We were too busy looking out of the floor to ceiling windows at the ocean.

Service: As soon as we walked through the front door at George’s we felt like regulars. The hostess was friendly and accommodating, and our waiter was extremely knowledgeable. He knew the menu upside-down and inside-out. George’s has a sommelier on hand and he helped us choose the right wine for our entrées. One of the more pleasurable dining experiences on our trip was had at this establishment.

If you decide to go to George’s, be prepared to open your wallet because meals, service, and views like this don’t come cheap in La Jolla. Be prepared to spend around $125 minimum. That price would include appetizers, entrées, and desserts for two. Then tack on wine and a couple of martinis and you might need to take out a loan, but if you are looking for that one top-notch restaurant to go to on your vacation, George’s at the Cove would be my first choice.

When staying in La Jolla my wife and I decided to catch a ballgame at the new PETCO Park in downtown San Diego, home of the San Diego Padres. The Padres were playing a team from my hometown, the New York Mets. (By the way, I am a huge Yankees fan and was rooting for the Padres the whole game!) PETCO Park was completed in 2004 and is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to.

The Padres do a great job of keeping children entertained from before the first pitch is thrown until the final out in the ninth. Behind the outfield fence PETCO Park built another field onto the grounds. The second field is used as a wiffle ball field. Padres employees play, teach and coach kids and their families on how to play ball. Very cool! If that wasn’t enough, the fence in right-center field is made of Plexiglas. Behind the Plexiglas is a beach (sand pit) complete with shovels and pails. This is great, the parents can watch the game from the bleacher seats and the kids can play in the sand. You will also see the Padres mascot along with the Dog and Cat (Petco’s mascots) walking around and taking pictures with fans. To experience the perks you can walk into the stadium up to 2 ½ hours before game time.

Another nice aspect to the park is the old brick building in left field, the Western Metal Supply Co. building. The building is now restored and holds the Padres team offices, a restaurant, has rooftop seating, and is also a Padres souvenir store. The corner of the building also serves as the left field flag pole.

We sat behind home plate in Club Seats that I bought on E-Bay. All seats in the stadium have cup holders built in with ample leg room. The Club Seats come with waiter/waitress service, but we decided not to utilize this perk. Why pay more money at your seat when you can walk fifty feet and buy your own snacks? The stadium had a decent variety of food to choose from including pizza, BBQ, veggie and hot dogs, burgers, Chinese food, and the local favorite fish tacos. The chain Rubio’s sells the fish tacos in the Stadium. I devoured five of them, very tasty.

If you are visiting San Diego during baseball season I highly recommend visiting the ball park and catching a Padres game. My wife and I had a great time and we will definitely visit PETCO Park for a second time. If you can’t make a game at the Park, the Padres also offer tours at varying times throughout the day.

Whether you are staying in La Jolla or just visiting for the day, I am sure you will be visiting this oceanside town’s world famous waterfront. The ocean views here can be bought on postcards all over San Diego and have been for decades. If you are starting west on Prospect Avenue I recommend walking down Coast Boulevard and ending at the Children’s Pool.

Coast Boulevard is a moderately steep road, so wearing rubber-soled shoes is a good idea. As you head down the hill, you will notice that straight ahead are some cliffs. Take a walk on the mini boardwalk to the lookout point. From here you might see harbor seals on the rocks below sunning themselves. This is a popular spot with kayakers (if you are interested in kayaking there are a couple of outfitters here). If you look closely at the water you will be able to see moving orange objects in the ocean. That orange blob is the California state fish, the orange garibaldi.

Continue walking down Coast Boulevard and after about 100 yards you will reach La Jolla Cove. A small beach is here, a popular spot for sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and people-watching. Ellen Browning Scripps Park is adjacent to the cove and it is very popular with the locals. Public restrooms are located in the park if you are interested in picnicking or sunbathing for the day.

If you follow the path past the beach there is a rocky shoreline here. I highly recommend walking onto the rocks and checking out all of the nooks and crannies here. Hidden here are small crabs, sea urchins, and small fish. This area is also a great place to take some beautiful pictures.

Finally, after about 200 or 300 yards, you will reach the Children’s Pool. This man-made cove is a controversial area in La Jolla. This U-shaped beach was originally built so families could come here and parents could watch their children in the shallow waters protected from the currents. That is until the harbor seals arrived and made this place home. Now the area is protected and at certain times you may see dozens of harbor seals basking in the sun. Swimming is prohibited in this area now. Take a walk on the U-shaped wall for some nice photo opportunities.

If you have never heard of Sea World here is a quick synopsis. This Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) owned aquatic theme park features a couple of rides and plenty of shows to keep you occupied for an entire day. Sea World is too large for me to describe each attraction so I will tell you about my favorites.

Journey to Atlantis – This "Water Coaster" is a unique ride to the Sea World parks. I have not seen this ride anywhere else. In short, this is a log flume ride that is on a coaster track. The ride takes you up eight stories and then twists and turns you down on a coaster track and then plunges you into a pool of water.

Wild Arctic – One of my favorites in Sea World. This ride/attraction takes you on a motion simulator helicopter ride into the "Wild Arctic". After escaping a "near death" crevasse plunge you land safely at the Base Station. This is where the attraction part of the ride comes in. Here you will see playful polar bears, walrus’, and beluga whales. All of these animals can be viewed in their underwater environment. If the "helicopter" part of the ride is not for you, don’t worry you can walk into the attraction to view the animals.

Believe: Shamu Show – This recently renovated show features Sea World’s most famous resident, Shamu – the killer whale. This show features the close relationship that the killer whales have with their trainers. The stage also features a huge 3 panel moving display screen. One of Shamu’s famous "tricks" is to take his tail, splash the water and get the audience drenched, so be careful if you are in the first 15 rows.

Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster’s Club – This is a new program that allows guests (over 21) to taste a flight of beer like a wine tasting. Even if you don’t like beer, I highly recommend trying this (yes, it is free!). You have three different flights to choose from. After I chose my flight I was given some cheese, fruit, and chocolate. Our server then explained which beer went best with each item on your plate. This was a fun and unique way to experience a beer tasting.

Park admission is around $56 for adults and children 10 and older and $46 for children ages 3 – 9. Admission for children under the age of 3 is free. A quick tip is to check the Internet. Sometimes Sea World has special admission prices via the web. I almost forgot to tell you that if you drive to Sea World (most people do) there is a charge to park your car - $10, but if you want to have Preferred Parking that will set you back $15. I can tell you fun is not free at Sea World (except a couple of beer samples). The hours of the park vary on the season and day of the week you are visiting.

If you are in San Diego, more specifically the La Jolla area for more than 4 days, I would recommend visiting the Birch Aquarium at Scripps . This extraordinary facility is situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific and features over 60 tank displays, a demonstration tide pool, a movieride, and an interactive museum. This aquarium is run by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is the largest oceanographic exhibit in the United States. Admission to the aquarium runs $10 or $11 for adults, around $7 for children, and they also offer discounts to seniors (over 60) and college students (with ID). The aquarium is also open daily from 9am to 5pm, except for some holidays.

In order to take full advantage of the Birch Aquarium, I recommend picking up a visitor guide/map when entering the facility. One of the most popular and my favorite attraction at the aquarium was the 70,000 gallon tank that holds the giant kelp forest. These kelp forests are a big part of the La Jolla underwater eco-system. After viewing the kelp forest, and if you are interested in seeing this beauty in person, head to the La Jolla Cove and snorkel or scuba to see the forests first hand.

Another great attraction at the Birch Aquarium is the "Secrets of the Seahorse" exhibit. This 2,000 square foot exhibit allows visitors to view dozens of different sea horses and related species, as well as the threats to this animal and its survival. This attraction also has plenty of educational hands-on experiences for kids and adults.

The Tide-Pool Plaza Discovery Center is featured outside of the aquarium and has great views of the Pacific Ocean. While the parents are enjoying the breathtaking views their kids are busy touching starfish, sea urchins, and horseshoe crabs, just to name a few. Not only will you and your family get a chance to touch these unique creatures you will also be educated by the Aquariums specialists.

Though I only described a couple of the great exhibits at the Birch Aquarium there is also a Morphis: Movieride, Reef Shark Tank Exhibit, Dive Shows on certain days (I did not get to experience one), and a cool exhibit featuring everyday products that we use that have ingredients that come from the sea (some of the products might really surprise you).

When visiting the San Diego area for the first time, it is essential to make an appearance at the San Diego Zoo . The zoo is situated in Balboa Park and is about a 15 – 20 minute ride from La Jolla. There are a couple of different admission passes you can purchase to get into the Zoo. The most complete pass is the "Best Value Admission", around $33 for adults and $22 for children. This is the pass that my wife and I chose because you get unlimited use of the guided bus tour, express bus and the skyfari aerial tram. You can also choose to purchase the "Admission Only" pass at $22.75 for adults and $15.50 for children (3-11).

Let me explain why you should purchase the "Best Value Admission". First, you will save money in advance if you decide to go on any of these attractions when already in the park. Secondly, the San Diego Zoo is a lot of walking. The guided bus tour is a great way to browse the park and get a narrated tour of many of the popular attractions. The express bus is great because this bus will take you to different areas of the Zoo. The express bus has designated stops and the bus usually stops at these areas every 15 minutes or so. Lastly, the skyfari aerial tram will take you from the top of the park to the bottom, and it is also a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the Zoo (great photo opportunities).

The hours of operation at the San Diego Zoo vary by season, but the Zoo is open everyday of the week, including major holidays. The usual park hours are between 9am and 4pm – 7pm. Believe it or not the parking area for the Zoo is FREE!!! Yes, FREE!!! There is plenty of parking outside the zoo, we arrived when the park was opening and got a great spot right by the front gates.

My favorite attractions and dining options are listed on my second San Diego Zoo review.

The San Diego Zoo is jammed packed with informative exhibits and fun attractions for people of all ages. Like I said in my first essay though, be prepared to walk (unless you purchased the Express Bus pass). I highly recommend wearing rubber soled shoes because some of the exhibits are located on steep hills. You wouldn’t believe how many people wear high heels and dress shoes to the park. Don’t make the same mistake! Due to the immense size of the zoo and the limited space for me to write this essay I will tell you about my favorite attractions in the park.

Giant Panda Research Station - This is probably the most popular exhibit in the entire San Diego Zoo. Lines can be as long as a ½ hour or more to see these majestic animals. I have been to the zoo twice and the first time I went the pandas were all sleeping, but the second time one of the large males was eating bamboo right in front of the crowd. It was amazing to see how easily they rip off the bark of the bamboo to get to the meaty inside. Not many zoos have a panda exhibit, so I highly recommend visiting this area.

Polar Bear Plunge - What is a polar bear doing in sunny San Diego? At this exhibit the polar bears seem to be even happier than they would be in their natural habitat. Wouldn’t you if you were waited on hand and foot by the caring zoo staff? Walk down to the underwater viewing for a super close look at these graceful predators. I can swear you that they swim up to the glass to check out the guests.

Gorilla Trails - This exhibit is also one of the more popular attractions in the zoo. I recommend trying to squeeze your way up to the glass, so you can view how social these gorillas really are. Some of the gorillas like to sleep and play right next to the glass. I saw a couple grooming each other, along with a very playful baby gorilla trying  to play with his sleeping mother. The exhibit held at least ten gorillas in all; I could truly spend the whole day here observing these interesting animals.

Albert’s Restaurant - Tired of walking and want to be waited on in a comfortable dining area? Located in the Treehouse complex outside of the Gorilla Trails is Arthur’s. Arthur’s is a full service restaurant that features salads, meats, fresh fish and pastas, where you can sit either inside in a comfortable dining room or outside like us, on their open-air deck. Believe it or not the food is not bad. I had the fresh fish sandwich, if I am not mistaken the fish that day was grouper. The grouper was flaky and moist and the accompanying spicy herb mayo meshed well with the subtle flavor the fish.