North County

As you drive north up the Pacific Coast Highway from downtown San Diego [1], you begin to see where all the legends about California beaches and surfing came from. The sun shines down over desert plants, pale sands, cute little towns, the mountains to the east, and the glittering blue sea to the west.

If you want a movie-style California beach vacation, you can’t do better than a weekend (or a whole week or two!) in Encinitas, Del Mar, or Solano Beach.

At the same time, the north end of San Diego County offers some great sights and activities, from the Wild Animal Park [2] to Mission San Luis Rey [3].