Del MAR, CA — When I moved from the Midwest to the West Coast years ago, I vowed to never forget my sense of awe when first glimpsing the Pacific Ocean from the top of Del Mar Heights Rd. Fast forward to the present, innumerable drives later along the same route and views of this very vista each time. The verdict? Though the drive may have become routine, the backdrop has not for Del Mar is anything but routine.
Mere kilometres from La Jolla, the Del Mar scene is a complete departure from its French Riviera-like sister to the south. From a vintage Woodie topped with surf boards driving along the village’s main thoroughfare, to a businessman emerging from his car in a wetsuit for a lunchtime paddle board break, to a the popular license plate frame reading, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf,” this setting on the sea represents a period of time when life was as simple as the lyrics of a Beach Boys tune.
True, the village now boasts  an award-winning hotel, a slew of swanky restaurants, a wealth of waterfront estates and celebrity attention, but its vibe is decidedly a back-in-the-day one.
Follow me as I explore this tiny town, memory by memory and step by step.

Above: Surfers are attracted to Del Mar's soft-sand beaches that drift off into the warm Pacific.

To best understand the California destination, it’s key to know of its past because Del Mar’s star-studded beginnings best define this town where I’ve seen rocker Rod Stewart clad in a lavender suit at the Del Mar Races, just as I’ve stood in a movie theatre line behind actress Geena Davis dressed down in denim overalls.
This little haven may be limited in space but with the see-and-be-seen crowd, its connections are limitless.
Located on Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar's iconic thoroughbred racing venue was established by crooner Bing Crosby and actor Pat O’Brien. The track opened in 1937 with Crosby at the front gate greeting the racecourse’s first fans. The following year it was the setting of the Seabiscuit-Ligaroti win-by-a-hair match race. Contagiously energetic, yet California casual, it soon became a Hollywood hideaway but with an informal image — famously deemed the place “where nobody’s in a hurry but the horses.” Scheduled annually, the Del Mar racing season runs in the summer (July through U.S. Labour Day) and in the month of November.
The San Diego Fair (originally called the Del Mar Fair) was also once sprinkled with celebrities when local beauty and soon-to-be actress Raquel Welch was crowned 1958’s “Fairest of the Fair.” As the kick-off to summer, it’s long-awaited for its food concessions, carnival rides, live concerts and distinctive shopping.
To best become acquainted, long-time resident and Del Mar Village Association executive director, Jen Grove, suggests a plan.

Above: Del Mar's famous racecourse and the Tudor-style Stratford Square, right, bring back Hollywood memories.

 “Start at the centre of the village in Stratford Square where pictures from the past line the hallways” of the Tudor-style art gallery.
Like leafing through the yellowed pages of an old photo album, the gallery's wall displays include early-on landscape scenes, a photo of the first (albeit modest) Del Mar Fair, plus its biggest draw — photos of celebrity residents and visitors like  Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and famous jockey Bill Shoemaker. A plaque outside is dedicated to Seabiscuit.
For a complete immersion into the town, explore Stratford Square’s boutique shops and snag an under-the-burgundy-umbrella sidewalk table at Americana Restaurant, which in addition to a noted breakfast menu, serves up great people watching.
Del Mar Plaza is a prime stop for a number of top-notch restaurants, like Pacifica Del Mar, known for its sugar-spiced salmon and outdoor terrace, overlooking the Pacific.
L’Auberge Del Mar is the village’s celebrated centrepiece. Though low profile in stature, the hotel offers high luxury.
 For a totally different experience, however, is Les Artistes Inn. A European-style boutique hotel with 12 rooms, each is designed in the theme of an artist.

Above: Magnificent sunsets and challenging hikes along Torrey Pines State National Reserve Extension Trail are all part of Del Mar.

Beyond the area’s obvious amenities — the most evident being its beach — is an activity embraced by locals, a walk at Torrey Pines State Reserve.
A paved roadway from the beach up the hill, it’s the pathway to a variety of trails but one typically joins many hikers, bikers, even rollerbladers.
But because of its popularity, the reserve is sometimes less a getaway and more a social scene. Cue Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Extension Trail — a little-known remedy situated in Del Mar.
Though blessed with many of nature’s same contributions, there is no pavement and there are few pedestrians. The extension’s trails are relatively level and not lengthy, but its setting is serene. Sandstone formations, wind-shaped trees, elevated views and scattered wooden benches all provide an invitation to peacefulness.
In the end, Del Mar may be only 35km north of San Diego, but it seems far-removed in time and place from the nation’s eighth largest city.
It still seems much like the Del Mar I discovered decades ago.