If Montauk is my East Coast spiritual birthplace then Solana Beach may be my West Coast one. This little surf town near La Jolla and Del Mar is great for a Southern Cali family trip. The weather, the ocean, the chill vibe. My parents, my brother’s family and we love to do our summer reunions in this part of the Golden State. Fletcher Cove is a straight out of a surfer movie beach for young kids with a killer sunset, as seen above. There are other nice beaches in the area to explore and enjoy too. Our favorite retail therapy is at Mitch’s Surf Shop and the Cedros Avenue Design District. Start with a cup of joe from the Solana Beach Coffee Company or brunch at Claire’s on Cedros. Lunch can be smoothies and salads from the Naked Café followed by dinner at the Pillbox Tavern or Crush. We also did a few pizza picnic dinners on the sand. One summer we rented in Del Mar. The next year we did the Courtyard in Solana. Another time we stayed in La Jolla. All great options with kids. I could go on and on. Here’s the obligatory fam selfie before chowing down at Crush.
If you need more to do than catching waves in Solana, you can hit Legoland, Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. Wait there’s more – the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, kayaking in La Jolla, strolling in Balboa Park or taking in a baseball game in San Diego’s Petco Park. It’s all good fun. Already dreaming of our next flight out there.