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Dynamic Del Mar, CA!
There's More To This Town Than the Horse Track
The intersection of 15th and Camino Del Mar, the heart of the little town.
A great place to horse around in the San Diego area is Del Mar.
One of the many small cities along the super-scenic coastline, Del Mar is home to the famous Del Mar Race Track (which our sister site calls The Kentucky Derby of the West Coast for Opening Day). But there is plenty more here than just the ponies.
The horses only run late July through early September anyway, and Del Mar shines throughout the year.
The view from a small park overlooking the sea.
For starters, take the sea. Del Mar is right there, and it's a favorite spot of surfers. The beach is packed enough for people to ride bikes on it, which also makes it ideal for runners.
Its compact downtown area is small and as cute as a newborn puppy. The heart of it is 15th and Camino Del Mar. It's also where one of our favorite San Diego breakfast/lunch spots sits, American Cafe. The menu has tasty and healthy choices (Surfside Sam always seem to wind up with Lina's Breakfast Sandwich) and the tables outside give the feeling of being in Big Sur. Sitting in the sun having a nice, unhurried meal is one of the simple pleasures of Del Mar.
Put down the cell phones; these benches should say Do Not Disturb.
So is walking down 15th Street and soaking in the view of the Pacific from a bench in the small park. The views from here are stunning and unending. Put the cell phone away and just relax.
The outside tables at the American Cafe and Del Mar Plaza.
Back up at 15th and Camino Del Mar, the town only goes for about two blocks, The American Cafe is part of the Del Mar Plaza, which has several intersting historical photos. Across the street are not one but two bagel stores, each ideal for relaxing Del Mar style.
The gorgeous grounds of the track, "where the turf meets the surf."
One of the most happening spots in town is En Fuego, a tiered, nice Mexican restaurant. On Tuesdays, the downstairs patio bar lives up the palce's name, for it is on fire (and you should see it after the track's Opening Day, which is always the third Wednesday of July). Jimmy O's on 15h Street is a traditional Del Mar sports bar.
And down 15th Street, as it curves parallel to the Pacific, are other more high-end spots, like Jake's Del Mar. Keep going another couple of miles and one of Surfside Sam's favorite hangouts is Brigantine. This is a nice yet rustic restaurnt/bar that overlooks the Del Mar Fairgrounds and track, and has absoutley the best tacos in North County. This is THE spot for Happy Hour, too – weeksay until 6 p.m., and all night on Mondays (except during the race season).
Cross Via de la Valle – which is the Del Mar exit off the 5, by the way – and that becomes the next little town, Solano Beach. This, too, is a quaint little town with a downtown featuing a lot of high-end furniture stores and a famous live music club called the Belly Up.
On the south side of Del Mar is Torrey Pines, home of the annual PGA event and the scene of Tiger Woods' dramatic 2008 US Open victory over Rocco Mediate with a wounded knee. That was back when everyone liked Tiger Woods.
Is is in this area you'll find the
Scripp's Aquarium and Torrey Pines State Park, an ideal spot for swimming,
surfing, hiking and hanging out. Please note, however, that the Pacific Ocean can be cold, barely reaching so much as 75 degrees even in the summer.
There are not a lot of hotels in Del Mar and the ones that are here fill up fast when the horses are running. Click the hotels ads on this site for rates, dates, location and information.
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