La Jolla, CA Travel Information and Photos

 

La Jolla, with its sweeping views, dramatic cliffs and open waterfront is truly a specail place.  This is a scenic overlook approaching La Jolla Coves.

 

La Jolla is a painter's dream.

 

Overlooking La Jolla Coves. 

 

Looking north in south La Jolla.

Looking south in South La Jolla. 

La Jolla Village features shops and restaurants. 

View from the Hotel La Jolla. 

 

In La Jolla, CA, excited spectators gather at the Historic Torrey Pines Glider Port, to watch aviators take off and glide in a colorful array of flying machines.  It is always enjoyable to watch passionate people practice their hobby!

 

 

 

 

Ortega Highway: San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore

 

The Ortega Highway (74) is a scenic mountain route that connects San Juan Capistrano, CA to Lake Elsinore, CA.  We have had a rainy winter, so the hills, which are normally brown are currently a fluorescent green.  This drive is a great half-day trip for southern California residents.

 

A great mix of California flora. 

 

Much of the drive is through the Cleveland National Forest. 

 

 

 

Rock formations along the Ortega Highway. 

 

Civilization comes into view from on high.

 

Unlike most cities, a great Ariel view of Lake Elsinore, CA is easily accessible from the Ortega Highway. 

Imperial Beach, CA

Imperial Beach, CA is the southernmost city along the California Coast.  It borders on the Tijuana Estuary, a large body of land that stretches to the Mexican border dedicated to wildlife.  The hummingbird, pictured above, was the only bird I saw and successfully captured with my camera.

 

Pathway through the estuary. 

 

One of a zillion flower photos I shot in the Tijuana Estuary. 

 

Entrance to the Imperial Beach Pier on a rainy morning.

 

A view of the Imperial Beach Pier from the south. 

 

Looking south toward Mexico, walkers on the rocky beach. 

 

This is the southernmost house along the California coast.

Huntington Harbour, CA

 

Huntington Habrour is a part of Huntington Beach, CA, located in the northwest corner of the city along Pacific Coast Highway.  This mostly-residential community is filled with a complex series waterways and canals that ultimately connect to the ocean.

 

This is a photo of a Huntington Harbor shop along Pacific Coast Highway. 

 

 

Oceanside, CA

Oceanside, CA, just south of Camp Pendleton offers lots of scenic views. 

 

Looking north.

 

 

These creatures (I'm pretty sure they are not squirrels, chipmunks or prairie dogs) live in the rocks that line the shore in Oceanside, CA. 

San Clemente, CA

I was touched to see that San Clemente has added Park Semper Fi in 2005, perhaps their most picturesque location with a statue and a several plaques.  My favorite had a quote from Ronald Reagan:  "Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference in the world.  The Marines don't have that problem."

 

Above:  view from Park Semper Fi.

 

Another view of the San Clemente Pier...  Fisherman's restaurant, at the base of the pier, is a favorite.  Many memories, the most important was dinner with my brother the evening before he deployed to Iraq with his Marine Reserve unit the second time.

 

The San Clemente shopping district along Del Mar, always has the Pacific Ocean in view. 

 

Bistros and boutique hotels are scattered along the waterfront.

 

The southern stretches of San Clemente feature sharp cliffs and a walking path.

 

Update on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 09:58PM by Karin Jeske

Del Mar, a street lined with shops and restaurants.

Historic City Hall, San Clemente.

San Onofre, CA

 

The best-known feature of San Onofre, CA is no doubt the nuclear power plant that is visible to all travellers on Interstate 5 on the north edge of Camp Pendleton.

 

The cliffs in San Onofre State Park are dramatic. 

 

San Onofre wildflowers overlooking the Pacific Ocean.