Solana Beach Travel Guide

If you surf, this is the place to live or visit. Encinitas (2 miles from Solana Beach) was just ranked by Surfing Magaine as one of the top 10 places to ride the waves in the U.S. If you don't surf, you can take a lesson, try boogie boarding, swimming, or just watch the surfers (they have great bodies!).

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I was looking for a nice place for brunch to celebrate our 10th Anniversary (as well as Easter) so while reading the local paper, saw an article that mentioned Red Tracton's would be open. Called them up, made a reservation and everything was set. It was a nice sunny day, great weather and a perfect location across from Del Mar Race Track. Walked in and promptly seated in the patio...great spot as we could see the track as well as palm trees, service was perfect and the food was awesome. I think they should open for brunch more often and we will definitely be back.

Favorite Dish: Easter Brunch was a fixed menu and that was fine with us since it afforded us the opportunity not to overeat. But the portions were perfect and hit the spot. We started off with Red's Famous Lobster Bisque (smooth, delicious and nice portion of delicate and tasty lobster). For our main meal, we both selected the Filet Mignon Eggs Benedict (served with roasted potatoes and fruit). And to end the meal, we had the delicious Rice Pudding (with whipped cream and a delicious sauce).

For many, the Belly Up Tavern is North San Diego County nightlife. Since 1974, this anchor of the Cedros Design District has been rocking San Diegans, ages 21 to 81. The Belly Up is part bar, part concert hall, and it starts getting busy around 9:30 p.m. A 25-foot great white shark (feasting on an unfortunate surfer) is mounted above a bar. The Belly Up showcases music for every taste but typically draws the 20s-30s crowd on weekends. Star patrons have included Michael Jordan, Faye Dunaway, Farrah Fawcett and Marcus Allen.

World-class artists like George Clinton (and the P-Funk Band), Jewel and Mick Fleetwood have really rocked the rafters. Celebs who have graced the stage (or disgraced the stage, depending on your taste) include Woody Harrelson, Keanu Reeves and First Brother Roger Clinton. And one night prior to the 1998 Super Bowl, several Green Bay Packers came in and danced the night away.
Consistently excellent and refreshingly eclectic bookings have kept the Belly Up playing a critical role in the San Diego County music scene for some 25 years.

Artists on the order of John Lee Hooker, the Fugees, Erykah Badu, George Clinton, the Cowboy Junkies and Etta James have preferred playing in this wooden WWII-era Quonset hut over larger venues for its outstanding acoustics combined with the B.U.T.'s top-notch engineering staff. Beside the sound, fans happily make the drive up I-5 to Solana Beach for the B.U.T.'s large dance floor situated in front of the stage -- and because whether they sit in the adjacent terraced benches or in the sloped seats farther back, their sound and sightlines will remain uncompromised.

Tickets here tend to sell out, so you'd do well to secure them in advance. Brace yourself: Tickets for national acts can cost as much as $25. If you arrive early enough, you can snag a meal at the B.U.T.'s Wild Note Cafe right next door.

For automobile travel, Solana Beach is ideally located as are the other coastal towns strung along the San Diego North County Coastal strip. Highway 101 (PCH) and Interstate 5 pass through the city, parallel, running north and south. Lomas Santa Fe Drive runs east, through the center of the city. A short distance to the north, state highway 78 runs east, and a few miles south, highway 52 runs east.

By Southern California standards, public transportation is excellent. North County Transit System's inter-city bus service, Amtrak and the Coaster commuter train provide service to Solana Beach, and the schedules may be obtained from the Chamber of Commerce office, the Chamber's Visitor information Center, and the transportation center, located at 105 North Cedros Street, next to the train station.