Del Mar California - Land of Sunshine, Beaches and Palm Trees

Stretching north for 20 miles along the Pacific coast line of San Diego are five quaint beach towns - Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff-By-The-Sea, Carlsbad and Del Mar - all with refreshing ocean breezes.  These beach towns each have their own personality, and each boasts delightful hotels, resorts and inns, incredible restaurants and stunning beaches.

Perhaps the most stylish or "chic" beach community north of San Diego is Del Mar.  While those of us who live here regard all of San Diego as "paradise," the Del Mar is considered even more heavenly.

Del Mar has a very long record of celebrities living and playing here due to the Del Mar horse racing track built under the guidance and inspiration of Jimmy Durante and Bing Crosby nearly 70 years ago.  Their Hollywood star-power put the Del Mar Horse Race Track on the map as one of the most ritzy and prominent associations in the racing world. The Del Mar horse track brought a steady steam of well-known Los Angeles and New York celebrities to the Del Mar hotels and motels, and dozens of Del Mar inns and resorts prospered as a result.

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 Cond 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 County Fair comes to the Del Mar Fairgrounds each summer. We locals call it the Del Mar Fair - in fact, nobody I know every call it the San Diego County Fair. The location is perfect -- just a few blocks from the cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean on hot summer days. If you're coming to the fair, be sure to check your reservations well in advance at any of the Del Mar Ca Hotels or Del Mar Inns.

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 located on Moonlight Beach just a few miles along the coast from Del Mar. Visit: http://www.innatmoonlightbeach.com/delmar.html

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.