Travel Advisor & La Jolla Mom Owner
Favorite Place in San Diego
La Jolla Cove area
Favorite theme park
San Diego Zoo (Disneyland, a close second)
Favorite hotel
Four Seasons Hong Kong
Hi, I’m Katie Dillon. I’ve lived in beautiful La Jolla, California, for a long time, dating back to when I was a student at UC San Diego.
I’ve left only a few times (once to live in Del Mar). My husband and I were expats in London and Hong Kong for seven years. My daughter was born in Hong Kong. We bought and renovated our house in La Jolla while overseas (I don’t recommend this) and then eventually moved in. Each of these moves has defined this site.
I started La Jolla Mom as a place to write about lifestyle and motherhood topics to keep my brain active. It evolved into a travel business after I began covering tips for flying with kids and reviewing hotels we stayed in.
Living in a hotel apartment in Hong Kong is not unusual, so that’s what we did, and we stayed a lot longer in the hotel than most people do. It just happened to be Four Seasons Hong Kong. I’m very loyal to the brand because of our over four years in that fabulous property. And, I know a lot about hotels.
Eventually, readers started asking me for advice on San Diego travel. I added tips and things to do — becoming a resource for visitors and locals. (I’m a certified San Diego destination specialist by our tourism board.) San Diego has four of the nation’s best theme parks, so people started asking me for ways to buy discounted tickets.
I partnered with aRes Travel in Pacific Beach, down the hill from my house, to offer people cheaper tickets. I also aligned myself with Cadence Travel in La Jolla (where I am in the top 20% of advisors for 2024, 2023, and 2022) to bring travelers VIP hotel perks in San Diego and beyond.
That’s how I wound up covering our three main topics: San Diego, theme parks, and hotels. I want you to get the most out of your trip—whether by saving on tickets, enjoying added hotel perks, or using our resources to self-plan—so you always feel your vacation or day out is worth your time and money.
Recent Writing
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I share fact-checked places to get a Walt Disney World tickets discount through authorized sellers tell you how to select the right ticket.
Travel expert and LA resident Johnny Jet shares his favorite things to do in Los Angeles with kids.
Miss B’s Coconut Club, a restaurant in San Diego’s Mission Beach known for island-inspired fare including jerk chicken and rum cocktails.
Learn the lemon water with turmeric health benefits, an easy recipe, what it tastes like, other ingredients to add (like black pepper or ginger), and FAQs.
Take a look at the health benefits of drinking cucumber water, and learn why should you make infused waters part of your daily wellness plan.
Tower23 San Diego is a beachfront boutique hotel in Pacific Beach with 38 rooms, JRDN restaurant, bikes, contemporary decor, more for the young at heart.
Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in Pacific Beach, San Diego makes a perfect base for an uber-casual family beach vacation.
This boutique hotel near the beach feels like a private estate but you’ll want to know how to select a room and book with our benefits.
Pacific Beach San Diego hotels are perfect for casual beach vacations. All on this list are beachfront and walkable to bars, restaurants, things to do.
