faux-surfing, plus bumper
cars, a tilt-a-whirl,
carousel and other classic
rides. At the ocean end
of Garnet Ave in Pacific
Beach, Crystal Pier is a
mellow place to gaze out
to sea or fish. Play beach
volleyball and fly a kite
inland at Mission Bay
Park (www.sandiego.gov/
park-and-recreation; 1775 E
Mission Bay Dr; c#).54 p290
The Drive » Heading north of
Pacific Beach on Mission Blvd,
turn left onto Loring Ave, which
curves right onto La Jolla Blvd.
Winding through several traffic
circles, the boulevard streams
along the coast for 3 miles to
downtown La Jolla, stretched
along Pearl St east of the beach.6 La Jolla
Sitting pretty and
privileged on one
of SoCal’s loveliest
sweeps of coast, La
Jolla (Spanish for ‘the
jewel’; say la-hoy-ah,
if you please) is a ritzy
town of shimmering
beaches, downtown
fashionista boutiques
and clifftop mansions.
Take advantage of the
sunshine by kayaking
and snorkeling at La
Jolla Cove, or go scuba
diving and snorkeling
in San Diego-La Jolla
Underwater Park, a
protected ecological zone
harboring a variety of
marine life, kelp forests,
reefs and canyons. You
can walk down 145
spooky steps to SunnyJim Cave, accessed via
the Cave Store (%858-
459-0746; http://www.cavestore.
com; 1325 Coast Rd; adult/child
$4/3; h10am-5pm).
Heading north along
La Jolla Shores Dr,
the oceanfront Birch
Aquarium at Scripps
(%858-534-3474; http://
aquarium.ucsd.edu; 2300
Exhibition Way; adult/child
$14/9.50; h9am-5pm; c)
has kid-friendly tidepool
displays. Another 5 miles
further north, Torrey
Pines State Natural
Reserve (%858-755-2063;
http://www.torreypine.org, http://www.
parks.ca.gov; 12600 N Torrey
Pines Rd; entry per car $10-15;
h8am-dusk) is a haven for
the endangered Torrey
pine tree and offers
nature walks above a
state beach, where hang
gliders dramatically soar
in for a landing.5 p291
The Drive » Driving below the
natural preserve next to Torrey
Pines State Beach, panoramic
ocean views open up as the
coastal highway narrows and
crosses over a lagoon, then
climbs the sandstone cliffs
toward Del Mar, just over 2 miles
away.7 Del Mar
The ritziest of North
County’s seaside suburbs
is home to the pink,
Mediterranean-style
Del Mar Racetrack &
Fairgrounds (%858-755-
1141; http://www.dmtc.com; tickets
from $6; hrace season mid-
Jul–early Sep), cofoundedin 1937 by celebrities
Bing Crosby, Jimmy
Durante and Oliver
Hardy. It’s worth braving
the crowds on opening
day, if nothing else to see
the amazing spectacle
of the ladies’ over-
the-top hats. Brightly
colored hot-air balloons
are another trademark
sight in Del Mar – book
ahead for a sunset
flight with California
Dreamin’ (%800-373-
3359; http://www.californiadreamin.
com; per person $190-280).
Downtown Del Mar
(sometimes called ‘the
village’) extends for
about a mile along
Camino del Mar. At
its hub, Del Mar Plaza
(www.delmarplaza.com; 555
Camino del Mar) shopping
center has restaurants,
boutiques and upper-
level terraces that look
out to sea. At the west
end of 15th St, Seagrove
Park has grassy beach
front lawns, perfect for
picnicking.54 p291
The Drive » Continue up
the coast on Camino del Mar,
leading onto S Coast Hwy 101
into Solana Beach, where the
arts, fashion and antiques shops
of Cedros Ave Design District are
just one block inland. Continue
north on S Coast Hwy 101 into
Encinitas, about 6 miles north
of Del Mar.8 Encinitas
Technically part of
Encinitas, the southern
satellite of Cardiff-by-TRIP HIGHLIGHTSOUTHERN.CALIFORNIA.27
(^) FUN ON THE SAN DIEGO COAST