Thanks schuba. I'm gathering more info everyday and we're getting more excited about our visit! La Jolla and Torrey are definitely focal points. See ya there?!

When are you here? Consider eating at Trattoria Acqua. Good italian food, on a hill overlooking beautiful La Jolla Cove. Reservations at (858) 454-0709.

On the road a lot for work, I might bump into ya there who knows!

JRP I'm with you re: using public transportation. I recently visited San Diego while my partner attended a conference, and was surprised that everyone suggested a car rental to get to Pacific Beach and La Jolla. It can be done - though with your family of 4 you may be better off with a car rental. An all day public transport pass is $5 per person

I didn't find the sdcommute.com site very helpful for those who don't really know the area. If you change your mind and opt for public transport here's what I found:

Travel to La Jolla from Convention center hotels - travel time almost 1.5 - 2 hours each way. Take the orange line trolley and transfer to the blue line at American stop, take the blue line trolley to Old Town. At Old Town, transfer to the bus. The busses are well marked - take the #30 to La Jolla. It's very helpful to have a bus map to see where to get off in La Jolla. The bus depot at Old Town was out of them - but there was a supply on the bus.

I found travel to Mission Beach (MB) and Pacific Beach (PB) shorter - about 1 - 1.5 hours. This route also works for Sea World. Travel to Old Town as above via Trolley. Transfer to the #8 bus to go MB and PB, if you want Sea World take the #9 bus. The 8 and 9 have similar routes, with the 8 heading towards the beach first. On the return, its then quicker to take the 9 home. I had a great walk along MB and a lovely lunch in PB at Cantina Panaderia (recommneded by others on this board!)

I found taking the bus to be quite an adventure. Hope you have a great time!

Rumrita, I'm glad our public transportation worked for you.

We all know it can be done, but most of us don't agree that it's a valuable, or pleasant, use of time to spend 1.5 to 2 hours sitting on a bus. Most of us agree that the better option is renting a car, which allows you the freedom to see more of our city in the relatively short period of time that most visitors have.

Rumrita, I hope I never have to figure out the public transportation system here in SD but just in case; how did you figure this out?
I admit I only take the bus if I get jury duty and have to go downtown.

I returned from SD recently and stayed in the Gaslamp, just a couple of blocks from the Hyatt. My husband was at a conference at the Hyatt, so really it was our "home base".

Though I did not think SD public transportation was exactly easy, I am quite surprised that everyone is so adamant that you rent a car. We were there 5 full days and we did not have one.

With kids your age I would definitely spend some time in the Gaslamp Quarter. GREAT places to eat, fun and affordable shopping.

We rode with a friend who had a rented car one night in La Jolla. Took about 20 minutes to get there. Lots of freeway interchanges, none of the fun of people watching on the bus. If you're in a hurry this is the way to go.

But La Jolla is definitely possible using public transpotation. The sdcommute.com website was very helpful to us, especially the Quick Trip on the above left. The only problem is that bus to La Jolla...the sdcommute.com site will get you all the way to La Jolla (takes about an hour but the time passes quickly becasue you change methods of transportation if you use the trolley and the bus). However, it won't get you to the part of La Jolla that you actually want to see. I ended up on campus (NO CABS there) and then got a bus to take me to a shopping center, where I called a cab to take me into La Jolla. Big pain.

BUT...you're asking the right folks! The magic words are #30 bus! If you get to the 30 bus, it will take you right down to Prospect Street and all the lovely restaurants mentioned above. By the way, if you or the kids are into designer clothes, I recommend Encore on Girard! Consigner store with major price breaks on like-new designer clothing and shoes.

The Old Town transportation stop is a great hub. You can hop from trolley to bus or vice versa there very easily. So if you get lost, just head to old Town and regain your bearings.

Rumrita gave you the exact right advice. It took a lot longer to get home from La Jolla than it took to get there, by the way. The 30 bus takes a longer route, which brings the trip to about an hour and a half or more. Again, time passes quickly though. And you see so much of SD!

I do have to say that the trolleys and buses both are on time most of the time but not always. (But we are talking a few minutes, not half an hour).

I highly recommend the ferry to Coronado and, once there, walking or the bus. I did both, very simple.

Not sure about Torrey Pines since I did not go there. This might be the one reason to rent a car? I guess Rumrita gave you advice on that too though.

Rumrita's advice is spot-on. Getting bus map is crucial (which is how I ended up on campus, they were out of maps and I missed the right stop). Taking 30 bus is important. Old Town is the hub.

And Old Town is pretty fun too. Definitely worth a couple of hours, maybe lunch there?

Have fun!