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Part-gallery with exhibitions and part-retail clothing store, textiles are beautifully crafted into works of art and couture. Tasteful jewelry and accessories coordinate well.

A great family beach, but summertime gets crowded as sunbathers, Frisbee-throwers, and boogie-boarders spread out along a broad, sandy white strip lapped by gentle surf. Kellogg Park, which runs alongside part of the beach, is a good picnic area for those who forgot their towels. The La Jolla Underwater Ecological Reserve (see Diving) is just offshore, so divers are usually out in the water.

In the heart of Little Italy, rooms contain a queen bed, TV, and refrigerator. A coin-operated laundry is on the premises, as well as free parking. Great Italian restaurants are just outside.

Fabrics, tablecloths, pillows, purses, and a charming collection of hand-painted eggcups are imported from the South of France.

Sitting in the hotel’s lobby lounge amid Spanish mosaics, hand-painted ceilings and murals, red-tiled floors and huge palms is like being in a Spanish palace. Order a drink and gaze out at the ocean; a pianist performs in the evening. On sunny days, take advantage of the outside tables.

Since 1926, the “Pink Lady of La Jolla” has enchanted with its splendid Mediterranean ambience, exquisite decor, and ideal location on the cliffs above La Jolla Cove. Rooms vary from quite small to large ocean villas.

A drink on the terrace, overlooking vistas stretching to Torrey Pines, makes the world right (see La Valencia).

This is a traditional re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter for the Christ child. A candlelight procession begins in Heritage Park, passing by historic homes and businesses that have food set out, and finishing at the plaza in Old Town State Historic Park.

For an elegant dinner before the theater or symphony, the southern French and Mediterranean cuisine here is hard to beat. The menu changes according to the season, but you’ll always find popular dishes such as Provençal chicken roasted in a clay pot and cassoulet. The wine cellar holds 800 selections with an emphasis on French Rhône wines.