SoCal Beaches Magazine Blog

There are a lot of choices on places to eat and have breakfast, lunch or dinner at San Diego’s beach communities. Many places are great for breakfast, others are better or more suited for lunch and yet others are great places for dinner, happy hour etc….

One restaurant however is very unique in it’s views and location and that is The Ocean Beach Pier Cafe. First you have to understand that since it is in Ocean Beach it is going to have a very laid back atmosphere. Ocean Beach is known as the most laid back beach community in San Diego since it is home to many of the hippies and flower children from the 60’s. There is nothing better on a sunny day to know that a pair of shorts and flip flops are perfect for this hip little cafe.

Now add in the fact that this cafe is located on the longest concrete pier on the West Coast and you can see that the views are amazing with window views of the pier and the shore almost a quarter mile back. The Ocean Beach pier is set up like an old east coast fishing restaurant with boat relics scatted through out the place, adding to it’s casual and cozy decor.

The best part of the place however is the great and friendly service and also the AWESOME food they prepare for guests. The most popular items include mango pancakes for breakfast and the famous lobster tacos for lunch and dinner. The menu is large and the cost is very reasonable. The tacos are over sized so when they give them to you they add an extra tortilla for all that falls out. I always get the “veggie tacos”, where they sub refried beans for the lobster and they are awesome. Fresh is probably the first word that comes to mind and then “healthy” and then “filling”. I get 2 huge tacos and a drink for about 8 dollars and I am done eating for a long time.

The Ocean Beach pier is more than just going to have lunch, it is an adventure. It is a great place to take the kids, friends or someone special
and the walk and the trip out to the location is half the fun.

There is always great surfing to watch and when the waves get big the whole place shakes as large waves pass through. Pelicans are always out diving for fish and occasionally begging from fishermen on the pier and the fresh ocean breeze and air is very refreshing.

The Ocean Beach Pier Cafe is a must thing to do for those visiting San Diego and if you go during the week you will find that parking is pretty easy.

For more information on The Ocean Beach Pier and Pier Cafe including a map click on the link below
http://www.socalbeachmag.net/placestovisit/oceanbeachpier.html

For more information on Ocean Beach San Diego visit
http://www.oceanbeachonline.com

The Hotel Del Coronado continues to be one of the most famous and popular beach hotels in San Diego and Coronado. Every years tens of thousands of visitors go just to take a tour through the magnificent ballrooms and wood crafted hallways and winding stair cases.

For the lucky ones who stay at the hotel there are amazing views and fantastic restaurants to enjoy once you check in.

Hotel Del Coronado Room Reservations
Call 1-800-679-7707 and speak to a reservation
expert or click the link below and book online.
Save 30% to 50% on retail hotel room rates!

Hotel information
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-info_h39.html
Hotel Del Hotel Room Packages and Specials
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-packages_h39.html

Hotel Del Room Rates click here

Hotel Del Coronado Map
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-location-info_h39.html

Coronado Hotels
View a master list of hotels in Coronado below
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-list.html?locationID=g3325

The Hotel del Coronado is a luxury hotel in the City of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort. The hotel is located immediately behind the beach, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest beach resort on the North American Pacific Coast.

History

On December 19, 1885, Elisha S. Babcock, retired railroad executive from Evansville, Indiana; Hampton L. Story, of the Story and Clark Piano Company of Chicago; and Jacob Gruendike, president of the First National Bank of San Diego, bought all of Coronado and North Island for $110,000.

Main building of the Hotel del Coronado

A 24-page prospectus titled “Coronado Beach. San Diego, California” asserted that “The Coronado Beach Company has been organized with a capital of One Million Dollars ….” The officers were Babcock, president, Story, vice-president and Gruendike, secretary-treasurer. Also involved with the company by now were three men from Indiana: railroad baron Josephus Collett of Terre Haute; lumber merchant Heber Ingle of Patoka and John Inglehart, a miller, who later became famous through the development of Swansdown flour.

Lobby of the Hotel del Coronado

The men hired architect James Reid, a native of New Brunswick, Canada, who had practiced in Evansville and Terre Haute. Younger brother Merritt Reid, a partner in Reid Brothers, the Evansville firm, stayed in Indiana but brother Watson Reid helped supervise the 2,000 laborers. Construction of the hotel began in March 1887 and was finished just 11 months later in February 1888 at the cost of one million dollars. Labor was provided largely by Chinese immigrants from San Francisco and Oakland. The hotel was built as a premier resort for the wealthy. Built without the use of a single nail, instead using wooden pegs, it is one of the oldest and largest all-wooden buildings in California and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Hotel Activities and Amenities

There are numerous activities for guests to enjoy from the beach and the pool, to sailing, surfing, boating, biking and golf. The hotel is also equipped with a fitness center and personal training. There are also special activities for kids and teens. Guests can also be pampered at the state-of-the-art spa and Yamaguchi Salon. “Shops At The Del” has made the hotel a unique shopping destination, with a number of specialty shops and boutiques on site. Lastly, the hotel is known for the “Best Hotel Dining in San Diego”, with numerous options including dining in the famed Crown Room. Recently, the Hotel Del Coronado was voted to have the Best Sunday Brunch by San Diego Magazine in the June 2008 issue.

View from the surf showing the Beach Village to the left, the Victorian Building in the center, and the California Cabanas and Ocean Towers to the right

Notable location site and guests

Notable guests have included Thomas Edison, L. Frank Baum, Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Veronica Covance, and Charles Lindbergh. In 1920, Edward VIII was a guest of the hotel when his future wife Wallis Simpson lived in Coronado.

The following presidents have stayed at the hotel: Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.^[3]

Front of the Hotel del Coronado

Dragon Tree of the Hotel del Coronado

Old building of the Hotel del Coronado

Another famous resident of the hotel is the purported ghost of Kate Morgan. In 1892, she checked into room 302 (then 3312, now 3327), to meet with her brother who was a doctor and was going to give her medicine for her stomach cancer, but he never arrived. She was found dead on the steps going to the beach six days later. The case was declared a suicide. She had shot herself.

The hotel has appeared in several films, including Some Like it Hot (which starred Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis), The Stunt Man, and My Blue Heaven. It was also the setting for the 1975 novel Bid Time Return (aka Somewhere in Time) by Richard Matheson. The initial story inspiration for the movie and book 1408, came from a collection of real-life news stories about parapsychologist Christopher Chacon’s investigation of a notoriously haunted room at the famous Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. The book is written by Stephen King.

The unique design of the Hotel served as the basis for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The Hotel was the setting for Dashboard Confessional’s single “Stolen“.

Beach Village

Most recently, the Del has opened Beach Village at the Del. Beach Village consists of twelve beach front villas with special amenities including Bose surround sound systems and docking stations, large flat-panel televisions, private pools and fire pits, whirlpool baths, and personalized concierge services. Beach Village villas feature dining and living spaces with fully-equipped kitchens and appliances, cozy fireplaces, spa-style baths with soaking tubs, and private terrace.

Hotel Del Coronado Room Reservations
Call 1-800-679-7707 and speak to a reservation
expert or click the link below and book online.
Save 30% to 50% on retail hotel room rates!

Hotel information
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-info_h39.html
Hotel Del Hotel Room Packages and Specials
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-packages_h39.html

Hotel Del Room Rates click here

Hotel Del Coronado Map
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-location-info_h39.html

Coronado Hotels
View a master list of hotels in Coronado below
http://arestravel.com/176_hotel-list.html?locationID=g3325

Happy Hours in Pacific Beach have a lot to offer
patrons and visitors in the area.
Many places have some great views, but lack
healthy and tasty goodies to eat.

One place in Pacific Beach that many people
do not know about is the Turquoise Cafe Bar Europa
located at 873 Turquoise St. North Pacific Beach San Diego,
California 92109 phone: 858.488.4200

This place has GREAT and healthy appetizers which include braised chard, cheese plates, olive plates and great selections of wine.

The appetizers range from 3$-$5 and are a bargain and house wines
are only $4.00 from 4PM to 7PM. The restaurant has many different
“Tapas” also to choose from.

If the food and drink specials were not good enough, there is also
live jazz and blues music playing Thursday through Sunday starting at 7:00PM.

The Turquoise Bar is a great place to relax and unwind and also
have dinner if you are looking to take a date out.

The chef’s come with a strong culinary background, which helps create some amazing dishes that cater to seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs.

The Turquoise Bar / Cafe is a great place to meet friends and parking is never usually too bad in the section of North Pacific Beach where the restaurant is located.

Come see whyPacific Beach Online has rated Turquoise Bar and Cafe the
“BEST HAPPY HOUR in PACIFIC BEACH for those over 30″!

Visit their website at http://www.theturquoise.com/
for more information

The Catamaran Hotel is continuing a special Thursday wine tasting happy hour in back of the hotel on Mission Bay. The happy hour special goes from 5PM to 7PM and includes live music, complimentary bread and cheese and also a ticket to ride The Bahia Belle paddle boat on Mission Bay. The special wine tasting goes through August.

The Catamaran Hotel is known as one of the best beach hotel / resorts in San Diego offering moderate to luxury priced rooms to tourists and convention goers.

The hotel is located at 3999 Mission Blvd. right on the border of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach.

For a map to the Catamaran Hotel click the link below
http://hotels.socalbeachmag.net/2219_hotel-location-info_h160.html

More Hotel information or to make a hotel reservation
call 1-800-679-7707 or click the link below
http://hotels.socalbeachmag.net/2219_hotel-info_h160.html

Catamaran Hotel room rates and packages
http://hotels.socalbeachmag.net/2219_hotel-packages_h160.html

Video of The Bahia Belle Paddle Boat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4rxErX5atg

Video of the back of The Catamaran Hotel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmEaPV4Fac

There are a lot of great attractions and places to visit in San Diego, but when it comes time for a great place by the beach it is hard to beat Belmont Park in Mission Beach.

Belmont Park was originally opened in 1925 as “The Mission Beach Amusement Park”. At that time Mission Beach was a new development and it was just being connected into the transportation line coming from downtown San Diego thanks to San Diego business tycoon John D. Spreckels, who owned the San Diego trolley and the new amusement park.

Belmont Park has had a long history of being a great place to visit for over 80 years and especially over the last 5 years or so.

The Belmont Park area includes great restaurants, shopping, attractions, rides and of course The Giant Dipper - the 80+ year old roller coaster.

Make sure you come down and have lunch at Canes or The Wave House and enjoy the rides and great views located right on the boardwalk in Mission Beach….there is something for everyone at Belmont Park!

BELMONT PARK INFORMATION

Steps away from the Pacific Ocean, Belmont Park offers the most in family fun and entertainment, whether it’s making the drop on the Vertical Plunge or experiencing the ups and downs on the Historic Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, we’ve got it all. Belmont Park also features the historic Plunge, built in 1925, it’s the largest indoor public swimming pool in Southern California.  New this season, Belmont Park will be the nation’s first amusement park to feature the FlowRider, a ridable simulated wave attraction. Other new rides including the Speedway Bumper Cars, Combat Flight Simulators, and The Chaos, a 3-D rocking, spinning, thrill ride that will make even the strong- weak, can also be found this year.  And don’t forget you can still enjoy the thrilling Tilt-a-Whirl, Krazy Kars, and many other exciting rides. Surf like the pros on the FlowRider or relax and enjoy our waterfront restaurants, casual dining, and great shops.  Whether you’re with friends or family, young or old, Belmont Park located on San Diego’s #1 beach, Mission Beach is the beach front amusement center where the fun and the waves never end.

Coupons are also available upon request
Buy a wrist band for unlimited rides
http://arestravel.com/176_attraction-tickets_a315.html

info on Belmont Park
http://arestravel.com/176_attraction-info_a315.html

Belmont Park Packages
http://arestravel.com/176_attraction-packages_a315.html

For photos click the following link:  http://www.waveloch.net/download/belmont/index.htm

Located at Belmont Park in Mission Beach at 3115 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego, CA 92109.

For photos and more information click the following links:

http://www.socalbeachmag.net/placestovisit/belmontpark.html
http://www.missionbeachonline.com

Sunny Jim Cave in La Jolla is a great spot to check out when you are looking for something to do in La Jolla or along the San Diego coastline.

The cave is located inside the La Jolla Shell Shop on Coast Blvd right at the edge of La Jolla Cove. Sunny Jim Cave is very very well hidden and many people have no idea it exists to this day.

When you come into the store there is a cashier and a set of steps that begin the decent down to the cove area below. The cost is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children to go down and watch the kayaks and pelicans from the cave below.

The cave goes down just over 100 steps so it is advised that those who have limited mobility wait upstairs.

Sunny Jim cave was named after the famous World War 1 cartoon character Sunny Jim who appeared on cereal boxes in the 1930’s. The name came from Frank Baum a local La Jolla resident who ended up authoring the “Wizard of Oz”.

If you are looking for something fun and different to do in La Jolla then take an hour and cruise down to this historic treasure and bring your camera for good shots of the cove from the bottom.

To view videos of Sunny Jim Cave and photos visit
http://www.socalbeachmag.net/placestovisit/sunnyjimcavelajolla.html

Enter Sunny Jim Cave video #1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVX83izi4mE
View from the bottom of Sunny Jim Cave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJpGvONYPoM

When it comes to amazing scenery and places to visit in Southern California, nothing beats Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma San Diego.

Cabrillo National Monument extends out as a peninsula with San Diego bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The park offers amazing tidal pools, hiking trails with great views, a movie theater which plays movies on whale migrations, whale watching, a gift shop and a historical lighthouse and historical buildings set to the original time period of the early 1900’s.

Cabrillo is also one of the only places where you will find amazing coastal views with cliffs and hillsides free of homes and development.

Since the Cabrillo Monument sits about 500 feet above sea level, the views are magnificent of Downtown San Diego and Coronado.

It is by far one of the best places to bring a family or friends in San Diego and Southern California and rated by SoCal Beaches Magazine as the #1 Scenic Spot in Southern California.

For more information on Cabrillo National Monument including photos and links of the park and tidal pools visit  http://www.socalbeachmag.net/placestovisit/cabrillonationalpark.html

Map and Driving Directions to Mariners Point
click here

View our latest article click here
http://socalbeachesmagazine.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/avp-tour-heading-to-mariners-point-san-diego-august-1st-3rd/

Close San Diego Hotels and Lodging
Find a hotel close to this event on a Google Map
click www.MissionBeachhotelmap.com
or call 1-800-679-7707 and speak to a
local reservation expert.

For more information on Mission Beach
visit www.MissionBeachOnline.com
or http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeaches/missionbeach.html

* Great music and entertainment in between matches

The location of the event and parking is in green

on the map below.

The event is located in Mission Beach San Diego
at Mariners Point

AVP Photo Gallery

Misti May Treanor dives for a shot in Huntington Beach

Phil Dalhausser delivers a crushing serve during a semi finals match in Huntington Beach.

Some of the beautiful AVP girls taking a minute for a photo.

View more AVP photos at

http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/2008avphuntingtonbeach.html

http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/2007avpmanhattanbeach.html

http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/2007hermosabeachavp.html

http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/avphermosabeach.html

More Upcoming San Diego Beach Events

SoCal Beaches Magazine

“Covering the beaches of Southern California”

Pacific Beach hotels by Google map click here

Beach City Links

www.missionbeachonline.com

www.oceanbeachonline.com

www.lajollavillageonline.com

www.delmarbeachonline.com

www.coronadobeachonline.com

www.oceansidebeachonline.com

www.santamonicabeachonline.com

www.malibubeachonline.com

www.socalbeachmag.net

www.pacificbeachhotels.org

2008 US OPEN Sand Castle Competition
Imperial Beach California
(located at The Imperial Beach Pier)
Sunday July 13th - the
from 8:30 AM to 4:30PM

Imperial Beach Area Hotels
Find a hotel near this event call
1-800-679-7707 or click the link below
Click here to find an Imperial Beach hotel

* Rated #2 for Top Beach Events for Summer 2008
by SoCal Beaches Magazine 

Parking Tips
If you get there late the best thing to do is pay $5.00 and park in
the high school parking lot. Traffic for this event backs up almost
a mile from the beach area

This Sandcastle contest in Imperial Beach
is the largest in the USA.
This event attracts over 300,000 people to
the beaches just south of Coronado and
downtown San Diego. Once known as a run down section
of town, this area has undergone extensive improvements
along the waterfront and beach areas to make it one of
the finest communities along the Southern California coastline.

See you in Imperial Beach July 13th!

Map of Imperial Beach San Diego
The event is located at the pier
Directions:
Head the 5 South to Palm Ave and
head west following the signs
marking parking areas.

Imperial Beach Sandcastle Photo Gallery
Check out some of the photos from years past

View more past photos click
http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/imperialbeachsandcastle.html

More Upcoming San Diego Beach Events 

SoCal Beaches Magazine
"Covering the beaches of Southern California"

Southern California Beach Hotels & Lodging
Southern California Beach Hotels
Save 30% to 70% on Retail Hotel Room Rates
when visiting Southern California Beaches
Call 1-800-679-7707 and speak to a reservation expert
or click the link below to search for hotels by City
California Beach Hotels by City
MASTER LIST click here

Visit us on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/socalbeachesmagazine

The 2008 Over The Line Tournament

55th Annual World Championship
Over-The-Line Tournament
July 12-13 & 19-20, 2008

This one-of-a-kind softball styled tournament features more crazy outfits
and team names that are not allowed here in print. Check out this fun and
athletic event along the sands of Fiesta Island on Mission Bay

Hotels for the Over the Line
Call 1-800-679-7707 to book a hotel
or click Hotels close to Fiesta Island
The Over The Line Tournament

Over The Line Area Hotels by Google Map
Find hotels near Fiesta Island and Mission Beach
by clicking the link below.
www.missionbeachhotelsmap.com

WHO: Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC)

WHAT: 55th Annual World Championship Over-The-Line (OTL) Tournament, July 2008. A form of softball, limited to 1,200 teams of three persons each, playing almost 2,400 games in two weekends with 52,000 expected to attend.

WHEN: 2008 Saturday, July 12th, Sunday, July 13th & Saturday, July 19th, and Sunday, July 20th, when quarter finalists take the courts. Play is from 7:30 a.m. to dusk.

WHERE: Fiesta Island on Mission Bay, San Diego, CA.

WHY: OTL serves as the primary fundraising source for OMBAC’s year-round charitable programs. OTL is more than "beer, babes and bats on the beach." With worldwide competition, OTL began as a San Diego original, played by men and women from 18 to 80 years-old. It is one of the last pure Southern California traditions left untouched by commercialism.

New Bus Routes The OTL provides bus transportation onto Fiesta Island. There is a bus pick up across from the Bahia and also one now in Linda Vista and NOT AT MISSION BAY HIGH SCHOOL. Click the link below for a map of the new bus routes http://ombac.org/over_the_line/new_bus_routes_for_2006__the_omb.htm

Over The Line Photo Gallery This event is much like Mardi Gras and of course we have gotten some great photos over the years. Check out some of the past year Over-The-Line photos. 2007 "OTL" Photos http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/2007overthelinephotos.html 2006 "Over-the Line Photos http://www.socalbeachmag.net/californiabeachevents/2006overthelinephotos.html This event is always one of the funnest events to watch and see in San Diego!

The First Weekend is the Craziest!

The first weekend offers the most fun and colorful outfits as many of the teams
are there for a good time and do not last long in the tournament which features
over 1,200 teams from around the country.

Make sure you bookmark this event and either bike out or take the shuttle.
Fiesta Island is closed to car traffic, so shuttles are the way to go!

See you at the beach!

2006 Over The Line photos

2007 Over The Line photos click here

Other Upcoming San Diego Beach Events

2008 US OPEN Sand Castle Competition
Imperial Beach California Sunday July 13th
from 8:30 AM to 4:30PM
This Sandcastle contest in Imperial Beach
is the largest in the USA.
The contest is held at the pier in Imperial Beach.
The sandcastles are built until noon and then judged
Click here to find an Imperial Beach hotel

2008 Thunderboat Regatta Powerboat Races
Join us for the 2008 World Series of Powerboat Racing
on Mission Bay! Don’t miss THE premier San Diego boat
racing and beach festival which features the worlds fastest
powerboats going over 150 MPH!
Find a beach hotel close to the event
on a Google map click here

For more on San Diego area beaches visit
these Beach City Links
www.missionbeachonline.com
www.missionbeachconcierge.com
www.oceanbeachonline.com
www.lajollavillageonline.com
www.delmarbeachonline.com
www.coronadobeachonline.com
www.oceansidebeachonline.com
www.santamonicabeachonline.com
www.malibubeachonline.com
www.socalbeachmag.net
www.pacificbeachhotels.org

Hotels listed on Google Maps by beach city
Mission Beach hotels by Google map click here
Pacific Beach hotels by Google map click here
La Jolla hotels by Google Maps click here


SoCal Beaches Magazine
Covering the Beaches of Southern California!
www.socalbeachmag.net