Del Mar Beaches Can’t Be Beat

Del Mar California is an upscale ocean-side community just north of San Diego. We who live here think of San Diego as paradise, but the beach town area along the coast – what we locals refer to as “North County” – is even “one level up” in paradise.

Our North County “paradise” is a community of small, quaint beach towns: Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia and Carlsbad all blessed with cooling ocean breezes. Our towns have charming hotels, resorts and inns, unbelievable restaurants and absolutely gorgeous beaches.

Del Mar has a long history of celebrities, in a large part because of its world-class horse racing track built in the 1930′s under the direction and patronage of Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. Their celebrity status made the Del Mar Race Track Thoroughbred Club one of the most beautiful and prestigious organizations in the racing world. The race track brought a steady steam of celebrities to the hotels in Del Mar and many Del Mar inns and resorts were established during this time.

Del Mar hotels and lodging accommodations are wonderful, albeit expensive. One of the most romantic Del Mar hotels is located near the shores of the Pacific Ocean: the timeless L’Auberge Del Mar, a time-honored California coastal resort that, as they say, “Celebrates the special connection we all have with the tranquility, comfort and relaxation of the sea.”

Ranked among the best luxury resorts in the country by Conde Nast, L’Auberge Del Mar hotel brings together panoramic coastal views, casual elegance and personalized service to create an outstanding romantic weekend getaway at a Del Mar resort.

The San Diego Fair is held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. We locals call it the fair the “Del Mar Fair” – in fact, I have never heard a local call it the San Diego Fair. The Del Mar location is just right – only a few blocks from the refreshing breezes off the ocean on those blistering summer days. If you plan to visit the fair from out of town, be sure to obtain reservations at one of the Del Mar Inns or Del Mar Ca Hotels.

Of all the Del Mar bed and breakfasts and Del Mar hotels, the only one that is quaint, romantic and close to the beach for under $200 a night is Ann Dunham’s Del Mar Bed and Breakfast.

Del Mar California is one of few locations in the world where the Torrey Pine grows. The Torrey Pine is the one of the rarest pine trees in the United States – the Monterey cypress is rarer, but it’s not technically a pine tree. The Torrey pines along the sea cliffs of Del Mar endure persistent drought and grow in hard sand which can hardly be called “soil”. They are blasted by storms, soaked in salt spay and cooked in the sun, but they live stubbornly on.

Author Terry Hunefeld moved to Southern California from Michigan in 1998. Hunefeld travels extensively around the United States. He is the owner of a San Diego Bed and Breakfast Inn across the street from the Pacific Ocean. For more info, click Bed and Breakfasts in Del Mar or Bed and Breakfasts in Del Mar.