Katie Dillon
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
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 ballooned into a travel business after I started to cover 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. 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 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.
Memberships
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Birch Aquarium
SeaWorld San Diego
Virtuoso Family & Ultra Luxe Communities
Media Features
Parents Magazine
San Diego Magazine
NBC San Diego
Fun Facts
Mom to a rescued pitbull named Ruby.
Volleyball travel team parent.
Probably knows more about San Diego hotels than anyone out there.
Articles by Katie
SeaWorld Orlando vs. SeaWorld San Diego
In the battle of SeaWorld San Diego vs SeaWorld Orlando, find out who wins. These days, both theme parks have Sesame Street and roller coasters.
This Is Why You Don’t Put Kids’ Names on the Outside of Backpacks
Think about what happens if a stranger calls their names.
A Visit to the Animals Asia Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu
These gorgeous bears spend their entire lives in tiny cages with metal catheters draining their bile. Here’s who is rescuing them.
Review: Nine-Ten Restaurant in La Jolla
Go on Wine Wednesday in NINE-TEN Restaurant La Jolla when all bottles are half-priced and order the three-course menu with half-baked chocolate cake!
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