My husband recently developed an addiction to golf, and with that came a deep desire to play a few of the famous courses in southern California. Luckily for me, it was February (the doldrums of winter in Virginia) and my schedule was wide open, so off to La Jolla we went. I had been to San Diego 20 years ago but my memory did serve justice to the perfection that is San Diego County, California.
We selected La Jolla as the ideal central location (between golf courses, airports, friends) and my Airbnb search commenced. Sharing with you a travel guide: packing tips and tricks, weather, restaurants and locations (bonus feedback on golf courses) that must not be missed while escaping to La Jolla, California for a five day get away.
Getting to La Jolla
An Uber, a direct flight and rental car safely delivered us from the frosty cold sunrise of Virginia to a perfect sunny afternoon in southern California. A direct flight, especially when traveling with precious checked luggage like your husband’s golf clubs, is a must. We had no issues with our bags, they popped right onto the carousel (golf clubs took a big longer) at San Diego International Airport (SAN as the pros call it). By the way, SAN is a delightfully small and easy to maneuver airport. Two terminals, easily divided, well-organized, no long lines at check in and security was efficient and quick. The rental car depot was a short bus ride from the terminal, but again no lines or waits. We tossed our bags into the rental and headed to our first stop (drinks at the Hotel del Coronado) while we waited for our Airbnb in La Jolla to be ready.
Where to Stay
We stayed in La Jolla Village (kind of their “downtown”) so I would have lots of places to walk while my husband was playing golf. The location was absolute perfection. I could walk to the beach, restaurants, grocery stories, galleries, museums, trails and SHOPS! We even walked to the La Jolla Farmer’s Market.
What to Do in La Jolla
No travel guide to La Jolla would be complete without some tips on what to do. When the weather is 65 and sunny the possibilities are endless. Perfect weather is something La Jolla and southern California are famous for. You know I love a walk and talk so I did a lot of that.
We hit the Sea Cave Tour ($10), the farmers market (only Sundays) and lots of shops and restaurants. My local friend took me to a few malls (they’re all outdoors!). My favorite was UTC next to UC San Diego. Dogs were everywhere in southern California, grocery stores, restaurants the malls — even the golf course — but my favorite was a sign at Nordstrom that said “NO dogs on escalators — please use the elevator with your pet“. My shopping friend also took me to a meditation garden, The Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Garden in Encinitias. This cliffside garden walk overlooked a famous surfing beach. Not only was it free but the people watching was spectacular. I definitely left feeling relaxed and ready for more shopping.
Trigger Alert: GOLF. For those interested, my husband and his band of golf bros played Torrey Pines (fun fact, this is a public course!), San Diego Country Club and Goat Hill Park. After a vote, their favorite was SDCC. (Full disclosure: Torrey Pines was dealing with fall out from the storms that happened the week before we were there, so the course was not in it’s best shape.)
Where to Eat in La Jolla
San Diego County is the birth place of the fish taco. I did a bit of research before we left and made a list of taco joints to try, from walk up food truck style to fancy sit down with a view. The quality was pretty equal. (Perhaps you pay more for the view?).
Our two favorites were The Taco Stand and Georges at the Cove. Georges had the incredible view, we walked right up and were seated within a few minutes. No reservation. The Taco Stand had a line a mile long but it was worth the wait. Limited outdoor seating was tough, but if you waited your turn you got a spot. My tacos were fabulous and my husband’s burrito looked delish. The Taco Stand is famous for their fresh, homemade churros but unfortunately they were already sold out the day when we went. We hit a few coffee shops for our morning brew (you can get your coffee EXTRA caffeinated!) a diner that’s been serving flapjacks to the locals for half a century and of course lots of treats from food trucks.
What to Wear In Southern California
One of the many gifts that La Jolla gives is the coastal casual vibe. From home decor to the clothes you wear, this casual yet elegant, beachy vibe is a way of life. Even the restaurants and food felt more casual in California.
In La Jolla anything goes! I mainly dressed in layers for the weather. Jeans, tee shirts and cashmere sweaters with fashion sneakers seemed to be the uniform of choice. Even at the “fancier” restaurants the men weren’t in dinner jackets. If the temps had been 10 degrees warmer I would have brought a day to night dress to wear. February in La Jolla (and all of southern California) can be rainy. We got lucky, it only rained one night. The temps ranged from low 40s (at night) to upper 60s (during the day). Dressing and packing for the weather with casual layers seemed like the smart choice. As always pick a color theme when packing. Mine was blue, white, beige (I was going for coastal colors!), with pops of green.
SHOP MY PACKING LIST
SHOP ACCESSORIES
Thanks, La Jolla, for five wonderful, fun-filled days. I like to think of the La Jolla Travel Guide as a living document, ready to be updated at anytime I can convince my husband to go play more golf. (note sarcasm!) We will definitely be back to enjoy the amazing weather, eat more delicious fish tacos and soak up all that cool, coastal Cali, chill vibe.
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