“My first experience at Hospitals [La Jolla] was crazy. It’s a reef break. It breaks really aggressively and it’s not forgiving. The learning curve is a little more painful. "Some of the biggest waves I …
May 18, 2021
La Jolla Stories
Came close to drowning in La Jolla
La Jolla’s Monkey House
Renowned local architect Edgar Ullrich was lured from his Colorado home a century ago by a prized commission — chief design responsibilities for Casa de Mañana, a luxury resort hotel in La Jolla that eventually …
May 5, 2021
Sherry cocktail revival
With indoor bars being closed, quarantine could be considered a quasi-Prohibition. How fitting to find myself at the speakeasy Raised by Wolves, where bartender Tony Roehr is prepping their newest cocktail menu. The Uno Ojo, …
April 22, 2021
Pump House Gang hang
Tom Wolfe! Too freakin’ much! Here? And the pump house gang? Where the heck are they? Tom, John, Nealy, Artie, Pam, Liz, Vicki, Jacki Haddad, Kit, and hey, Jack MacPherson, the crazy instigator of the …
The functional surfboard art of Tim Bessell
My buddy Erik and I do a double take. “Did you see that?” Erik asks? “The Queen of England, on a surfboard?” I turn around. There she is sure enough, and wow! She has her …
March 31, 2021
Traffic circles safer, but maybe not for bikes
Word on the streets is there's an uptick in confusion between cyclists and motorists at San Diego circular intersections. The disorder is partly due to the newly developed roundabouts and traffic circles throughout the county, …
February 23, 2021
Mediterranean masterpiece in La Jolla
The 10,300-square-foot mansion at 308 Vista de la Playa in La Jolla is billed in listing remarks retrieved from Zillow as “a rare legacy property.” Built in 2000, the seven-bedroom, nine-bath residence is described as …
January 1, 2021
Patching San Diego curbs is only a patch job
In the last 30 days, there were about 210 curb-related reports on our city's Get It Done app. Requests for reapplying red paint on pinkish-hued, faded curbs are a common request. When motorists park within …
December 15, 2020
Dance away heartbreak with SIDNĒ
“Not being able to find a waffle with whipped cream after playing a show in Las Vegas. Do your research if you’re ever in Vegas looking to eat a waffle at 1am.” That’s local singer/songwriter/producer …
November 19, 2020
San Diego's real census
It’s been a hell of a year, and it’s not over yet. First, in San Diego County as elsewhere in these Divided States, we’ve been treated to a masquerade ball, courtesy of a generous host. …
Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Feature Stories
La Jolla
La Mesa
Little Italy
Oceanside
Scripps Ranch
Solana Beach
November 4, 2020
San Diego bike owners take things into their own hands
"Detectives in northern division received a report regarding a theft near 5700 Santa Fe St.," posted the San Diego Police Department on social media on October 26. "They were able to find [a] video showing …
November 3, 2020
Cody’s La Jolla: breakfast with Hunter S. Thompson
“Man, this is chilly,” says my friend Alison. “You guys in Fall already?” It’s gotta be 75 degrees out. But she’s from Arizona. We’re looking for a breakfast place, here in La Jolla. “Let’s go …
La Jolla Tide Pools meets Craftsman-style renovation
In the early 1900s, many outlying areas of San Diego were experiencing severe contractions following a speculation-fueled housing boom in the 1880s and early 1890s. At the time, areas such as La Jolla were so …
September 24, 2020
American Pizza Mfg has La Jolla taking and baking
I picked up a couple of take-out pizzas from coastal La Jolla a few years back, and though they were cooked at high heat with stellar ingredients, it felt like a race to get back …
September 14, 2020
Coastal sage, Fall migrant birds, zodiacal light
The time of sunset changes most rapidly this time of the year. This is mainly because the sun is swinging rapidly south along the ecliptic (its apparent path through the background stars). From the latitude …
September 14, 2020
San Diego restaurants try everything to get by
The restaurant business, as Bette Davis once said about growing old, ain’t no place for sissies. The hours are long; the profit margins, razor-thin. Customers are notoriously fickle, and a few bad Yelp reviews can …
July 22, 2020
Stop the selfies at La Jolla Cove
It's sea lion pupping season at La Jolla Cove, right alongside beach re-openings and the human haul out – and social distancing isn't working too well. At least not between humans and pinnipeds. Ellen Shively, …
July 21, 2020
La Jolla – a shoreline and a mountain
What Windansea surfers said about Tom Wolfe Eight summers have drifted by since Tom Wolfe (author of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) traveled to California to write a series on “The New Life Out There” …
July 20, 2020
Mexican pastries and Irish breakfasts – Sugar & Scribe's odd pairing
I’m sitting on the patio of La Jolla bakery and restaurant Sugar & Scribe, marveling at my “full Irish breakfast.” The $16 plate indeed goes the distance: two eggs, a thick slice of Irish bacon, …
June 12, 2020
San Diego skateboarders – bad boys of the lock-down
On May 28, Spring Valley resident Camille Cruz was one of 1.1 million-plus viewers that saw a Chula Vista-filmed skate video on TikTok. “My past self applauds the kids for sneaking into the [Aquatica] waterpark,” …
June 2, 2020