One of San Diego's most scenic spots--the star of postcards for more than 100 years--is La Jolla Cove and the Ellen Browning Scripps Park on the bluff above it. The walk through the park, along Coast Boulevard (start from the north at Prospect St.), offers some of California's most resplendent coastal scenery. Offshore, the park is a boat-free zone, with protected undersea flora and fauna that draw scuba divers and snorkelers, many of them hoping for a glimpse of the state fish, the rare and brilliant orange garibaldi. Swimming, sunning, picnicking, barbecuing, reading, and strolling along the oceanfront walkway are all ongoing activities, and just south is the Children's Pool, a beach where dozens of harbor seals can be spotted lazing in the sun (sorry, no swimming here). The unique 6,000-acre San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park established in 1970, stretches for 10 miles from La Jolla Cove to the northern end of Torrey Pines State Reserve, and extends from the shoreline to a depth of 900 feet. It can be reached from La Jolla Cove or La Jolla Shores.
Highlights in town include Mary Star of the Sea, 7727 Girard (at Kline), a beautiful Roman Catholic church; and the La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St., a fine example of Spanish colonial structure. The La Jolla Woman's Club, 7791 Draper Ave.; the adjacent Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; the La Jolla Recreation Center; and The Bishop's School are all examples of village buildings designed by architect Irving Gill.
At La Jolla's north end, you'll find the 1,200-acre, 22,000-student University of California, San Diego (UCSD), which was established in 1960 and represents the county's largest single employer. The campus features the Geisel Library, a striking and distinguished contemporary structure, as well as the Stuart Collection of public sculpture and the Birch Aquarium at Scripps (see individual listings, below). Louis Kahn designed the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Rd. The research facility named for the creator of the polio vaccine is perhaps San Diego's most noted architectural work. Farther north is an ersatz jewel, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, a modern re-creation of early-20th-century Craftsman style in the guise of a 175-room luxury resort; it overlooks the revered Torrey Pines Golf Course.
For a fine scenic drive, follow La Jolla Boulevard to Nautilus Street and turn east to get to 800-foot-high Mount Soledad, which offers a 360-degree view of the area. The cross on top, erected in 1954, is 43 feet high and 12 feet wide, and has been a recently been a subject of debate about its suitability in a public park.
Hidden Attractions--While droves of folks stroll the sidewalks adjacent to the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park and La Jolla Cove, only a few know about Coast Walk. Starting behind the Cave Store, 1325 Coast Blvd. (tel. 858/459-0746), it meanders along the wooded cliffs and affords a wonderful view of the beach and beyond. The shop also serves as entry for Sunny Jim Cave, an evocative natural sea cave reached by a precipitous constricted staircase through the rock. The tunnel was hand-carved in 1903--it lets out on a wood-plank observation deck from which you can gaze out at the sea. It's a cool treat, particularly on a hot summer day, and costs $3 per person ($2 for kids 16 and under). Hold the handrail and your little ones' hands tightly.
