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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A visit to the Paris Catacombs was a recent trip highlight. Here’s how we avoided the 3-hour line and what we saw inside.
See why Vail Mountain is even better in the summer with Epic Discovery, a playground full of zip lines, tubing, an alpine coaster and more in the Colorado sun.
When strategically-based in downtown, it’s possible to see quite a bit of San Diego in just a weekend. Here’s what we did.
It’s easy to skip lines at popular Paris attractions by booking special tours and experiences.
A review of Hacienda Petac, unique luxury accommodations for up to 14 people in the Yucatan near Merida.
See what it’s like to have dinner at Hello Kitty Kitchen and Dining, one of Taipei’s best theme restaurants.
See what it’s like to spend a morning enjoying a massage and the facilities at The Spa at Coronado Island inside the Marriott.
The best summer vacation planning tips for staying organized, finding flight deals, packing and staying healthy while traveling with family.
Make silly sandwiches and a kids bento lunch they’ll love using naan. Here are the recipes.
