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
Page 69 of 95
A recap of my dog’s TPLO surgery day and the following eight weeks of rehabilitation including changes we made after that.
It is very possible to take a stress-free day trip to the ancient city of Delphi from Athens when using a private driver.
Pastry Chef Haley Sipan of barleymash has created a Pumpkin Crème Brulee recipe that will make your transition into fall a magical one.
A basic falconry lesson at Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla is an awesome thing to do in San Diego with kids (or without).
Mandarin Oriental, Paris is our top choice for a luxury family hotel due to its modern elegance, food and blend of Eastern touches with local culture.
Ladurée is home to some of the best macarons in Paris but its tea salon on rue Royale is full of history and delicious food.
Planning a Cayman Islands family vacation? Lucky you. The list of things to do in Grand Cayman with kids is long.
It was over 40% cheaper for me to buy a Goyard handbag in Paris. Here is a breakdown by the numbers.
Despite living a jet set lifestyle, my daughter started getting air sick when she was 4 years old. Here’s how I curb it.
