francophile03

Is there anything much to do and see in La Jolla to warrant a 3-day stay? I can't really find much in travel guides about this city other than it's got a few nice beach areas and it's close to San Diego.

Thanks.

Jocelyn_P

Shopping, shopping, shopping!

It's essentially a part of San Diego--20 minutes from downtown. It's beautiful, classy, and upscale. I'm sure you could find lots to do, especially if you had a car.

francophile03

Hi Jocelyn; we will be driving. What if more than half of us don't like shopping? What sights do you recommend or is the zoo and beaches the only things that are there to see?

Thx. again!

Underhill

Go visit the Scripps Aquarium, which is part of the U.C. San Diego campus. Take a drive up to the Torrey Pines complex (golf, Arts & Crafts hotel, fine restaurant). Eat good Mexican food at Alfonso's. Visit the local, non-chain bookstore sitting on a chunk of land worth a fortune. Have a margarita at the La Valencia hotel and watch the sun go down over the ocean. Have a picnic on one of the beaches and/or parks.

Jocelyn_P

Oh, there are SO many things to see and do in the San Diego area. What are the ages/interests of your group? When are you going?

One activity that most seem to like is the hop-on, hop-off bus run by Old Town Trolley Tours. It takes you to immaculate Coronado Island, Horton Plaza/Gaslamp, Seaport Village, Balboa Park (museums for just about every taste), the zoo, Old Town, and I forget where else. I'd do the tour on day 1, then decide what you'd like to revisit when you have more time. There is lots of great, recent info on San Diego and La Jolla here--check it out and let us know if you have some specific questions.

francophile03

I think Coronado Island sounds good and so does the beach area. Our group is a family of 5: my parents, my husband, our 14 yr. old son, and I. No one is really into going shopping as we can do that at home. The zoo we've been to already.
I'll try to research on my own to find some other sights to see that will interest everyone.
Thanks for your suggestions you two. You've both been really helpful on the Europe forum as well!

WillTravel

I'm sure my daughter and I could have spent 3 days in just La Jolla. We unfortunately only spent an afternoon. My daughter is a seal aficionado, so she spent a long time gazing at the seals in the cove there. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe (a chain she really enjoys). We walked along the beach. We definitely would have done Scripps had we sufficient time. It does not take that long to get from La Jolla to other places in San Diego, and there is definitely no problem filling up 3 days in San Diego generally. If I could find a cheap enough deal, I would definitely consider basing our next San Diego trip in La Jolla.

Jocelyn_P

Francophile,

If you're here mid-June to early July, you could catch the Del Mar Fair, which is a pretty big deal around here. Soon after that (August sometime?) the horse racing season starts at Del Mar. Even if you don't gamble it's fun to see the horses up close.

I can give you websites if you're interested...

rjw_lgb_ca

This post is a bit baffling. San Diego is a major large city. La Jolla is a neighborhood of San Diego, a VERY nice, rich neighborhood, and a short drive to anything in the city. There are literally hundreds of things to do and see in SD. Old Town! The Gaslamp! The museums in Balboa Park! Sea World! Belmont Park! Funky ol' Hillcrest! Little road trips up to Carlsbad, Del Mar, even San Juan Capistrano in Orange County! I frankly don't see what the problem is. You'll have plenty to fill three days.

Rosemary1

I simply have to agree with RJW, I'm baffled!

I was in that area about 7 years ago and only had about a day and a half and could have spent many days there.

I have to wonder where on earth orig. poster is coming from to ask such a strange question.....

Barbara

Thanks, rjw. Just what I thought.

francophile03

Thanks for the replies that are helpful. The reason for the forums is to ask any questions, right? If I knew that there's quite alot to do in La Jolla alone and in San Diego also I wouldn't have posted my question.

Barbara

Well, not strictly. The boards are here to exchange information. Sometimes the information you need is already there, but you have to look for it.

Also, La Jolla is not a city. It is a suburb of the city of San Diego.

francophile03

Barbara, I am familiar with how the forum works in general as I post in the Europe forum. And I'm familiar with people trying to show how much they know to others who ask innocent questions. You did not have to make a point of letting me know that La Jolla is a suburb; was that so important to know? I don't recall you contributing anything else to my original question. As is said over in the Europe forum, if you see a post that irritates you and you have nothing helpful to contribute, just pass it.

Barbara

And mostly I do, but you did specifically call La Jolla a city in your initial post.

francophile03

Well, then, it's a pity that you couldn't pass my posting. But I guess you have nothing better to do.

rjw_lgb_ca

francophile, maybe the tone of my post was a little flip, but the tone of your queries was rather negative in regards to spending any time in San Diego as a whole. Remarks like "What sights do you recommend or is the zoo and beaches the only things that are there to see?" make it sound like you aren't very enthusiastic about visiting. I was hoping you'd take a step back, think-- Oh, it's a neighborhood of San Diego!-- and incorporate it into the whole SD experience as an area of interest, not as a separate destination.

The guide books won't say a lot about La Jolla because it is one notable neighborhood of many in the San Diego metro area, and its attractions will be detailed among the others for the city of San Diego. FYI: The Village area has great restaurants and nice little shops. La Jolla's coastline is dotted with lovely coves and beautiful ocean views. And the rest of San Diego is less than 20 minutes away; SD has big-city fun combined with that southern California coastal vibe, in a much more manageable package than, say, LA. I love visiting SD, and do quite often (although it's been over four months since my last weekend there, and I'm going through withdrawals!).

francophile03

If you all saw my post as being negative, then I'm truly sorry to have posted it. In all honesty, my question was asked innocently and not meant to make reference to La Jolla & San Diego as having nothing to see and do. If you took my post that way, like I said, sorry. I asked one question here on the US forum and this is what happens!! Never mind, I'll do my own research about these places.

rjw_lgb_ca

OK, now you don't have to apologize for anything. No one is ragging on you, we're just trying to say "you don't have anything to worry about". Those of us who consider La Jolla a treat to visit (it IS truly lovely) want to make sure you realize it's worth the time, that's all.