San Diego is often called America's finest city - and La Jolla is the gem of San Diego - a beautiful community situated along San Diego's Pacific Coast. People flock to La Jolla, captivated by its trendy boutique-lined streets gemmed with art, clothing, jewelry, gifts and other shopping destinations. Indulgent soft sand beaches, amazing weather, laid back people and an abundance of activities make La Jolla a visitor's paradise. Here are five activities that should not be missed.
Originally designed as a safe place for children to wade, Children's Pool is a man-made pool-into-the-ocean that one was a children's beach but is now a famous haven for wild Harbor Seals. Visitors enjoy venturing out along a cement walkway over the water to watch the seals and their youngsters lounging, playing and slipping away into the ocean. Nearby, you will find the beautiful La Jolla Cove bathing beach and tide pools.
La Jolla is home to one of the most spectacular waterfronts in Southern California, complete with remarkable caves, rugged sandstone cliffs, soft sandy beaches and picturesque sunsets. La Jolla Cove is a protected marine sanctuary with an idyllic crescent of sandy beach sheltered from the ocean waves. The Cove is a wonderful place for swimming, snorkeling or just people watching. Continuing south you'll pass through the grassy Scripps Park- a staging area for family picnics, Fourth of July fireworks and free summer concerts.
A visit to The Cave Store affords visitors the opportunity to descend a 100 year old stairway, into a manmade tunnel, down into the fascinating and mysterious Sunny Jim Cave - the largest of several ocean caves in La Jolla Cove. The cave's first owner, Sunny Jim, hired two Chinese laborers in the early 1900's to dig this underground tunnel down to the cave. Using only picks and shovels, they carried all the dirt out by hand. In the 1910's, the only way the public could get to the cave was by lowering themselves down a rope. Today, you can take 145 stairs from The Cave Store. Sunny Jim Cave is the only sea cave in California that you can enter from a stairway.
Be sure to take a drive up Nautilus Street to the pinnacle of the city, the top of Mount Soledad. Dr. Seuss and his wife Audrey lived for years in the Seuss house on this mountain. From the park at the peak you can see San Clemente Island 65 miles west in the blue Pacific, North County beaches to the north and the San Diego downtown skyline and the Mexican border beyond to the south. The view is simply spectacular at night. The site is well known for the controversy generated by the Easter Cross war memorial that towers above the peak. There is no admission charge, the park is always open.
The Torrey Pines Gliderport is perched on 340-foot sandstone bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of La Jolla. The prevailing westerly winds here meet the coastal cliffs to create ideal conditions for today's gliders. The Gliderport towers above Torrey Pines City Beach, known locally as Black's Beach, a well-known clothing-optional beach. The Gliderport was first established as a soaring site in 1928 and has had a role in defining the history of motor-less flight. Watching is free, the views are spectacular, the ocean magnificent; the Gliderport attracts enthusiastic participants and spectators year-round.
Originally designed as a safe place for children to wade, Children's Pool is a man-made pool-into-the-ocean that one was a children's beach but is now a famous haven for wild Harbor Seals. Visitors enjoy venturing out along a cement walkway over the water to watch the seals and their youngsters lounging, playing and slipping away into the ocean. Nearby, you will find the beautiful La Jolla Cove bathing beach and tide pools.
La Jolla is home to one of the most spectacular waterfronts in Southern California, complete with remarkable caves, rugged sandstone cliffs, soft sandy beaches and picturesque sunsets. La Jolla Cove is a protected marine sanctuary with an idyllic crescent of sandy beach sheltered from the ocean waves. The Cove is a wonderful place for swimming, snorkeling or just people watching. Continuing south you'll pass through the grassy Scripps Park- a staging area for family picnics, Fourth of July fireworks and free summer concerts.
A visit to The Cave Store affords visitors the opportunity to descend a 100 year old stairway, into a manmade tunnel, down into the fascinating and mysterious Sunny Jim Cave - the largest of several ocean caves in La Jolla Cove. The cave's first owner, Sunny Jim, hired two Chinese laborers in the early 1900's to dig this underground tunnel down to the cave. Using only picks and shovels, they carried all the dirt out by hand. In the 1910's, the only way the public could get to the cave was by lowering themselves down a rope. Today, you can take 145 stairs from The Cave Store. Sunny Jim Cave is the only sea cave in California that you can enter from a stairway.
Be sure to take a drive up Nautilus Street to the pinnacle of the city, the top of Mount Soledad. Dr. Seuss and his wife Audrey lived for years in the Seuss house on this mountain. From the park at the peak you can see San Clemente Island 65 miles west in the blue Pacific, North County beaches to the north and the San Diego downtown skyline and the Mexican border beyond to the south. The view is simply spectacular at night. The site is well known for the controversy generated by the Easter Cross war memorial that towers above the peak. There is no admission charge, the park is always open.
The Torrey Pines Gliderport is perched on 340-foot sandstone bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of La Jolla. The prevailing westerly winds here meet the coastal cliffs to create ideal conditions for today's gliders. The Gliderport towers above Torrey Pines City Beach, known locally as Black's Beach, a well-known clothing-optional beach. The Gliderport was first established as a soaring site in 1928 and has had a role in defining the history of motor-less flight. Watching is free, the views are spectacular, the ocean magnificent; the Gliderport attracts enthusiastic participants and spectators year-round.
About the Author:
In 2007 Terry Hunefeld retired as CEO of a training company to follow his love of sailing the world's oceans to observe seabirds and mammals. Terry owns and operates the romantic Inn At Moonlight Beach Bed and Breakfast in Encinitas. For more information visit: La Jolla Bed and Breakfasts or La Jolla Hotels.
