Take a Scenic Drive Through This Beautiful Hillside Neighborhood in Del Mar
This short scenic drive is part of a series of self-guided driving and walking tours put together by the Del Mar Historical Society. This drive, along with 4 other fantastic walking tours, are contained in their book titled, Discovering Del Mar’s Past, which can be obtained by making a small donation to the Del Mar Historical Society. Be sure to visit their website for more information.
To fully enjoy this driving tour, download our app to get started!
Once you have the app, tap on Drives, then tap on Del Mar Historical Driving Tour.
You’ll begin this drive just next to the Plaza in downtown Del Mar, on the corner of Camino Del Mar and 15th Street. Be aware that many of the streets on this drive are narrow and winding, with few places to pull over. Drive slowly and carefully to enjoy this unique residential community.
Below is an excerpt from the beginning of the tour:
As you approach the intersection of Via Alta on your right, notice the grove of native Torrey pine trees - unusually large specimens as a result of over irrigation by homeowners. Under natural conditions, the trees are more stunted with considerably less branching.
Bear left at the next intersection onto Avenida Primavera and pull into the dirt pull-out area on your right. Get out to enjoy the view of Crest Canyon and the Fairgrounds below. The top of Del Mar Castle can be seen to your left. Two houses at the intersection of 15th Street and Crest Road are noteworthy. At the south end of the rail fence, an original Spanish-style house at 1465 Crest Road was built as a "spec" house in 1972 by Lawrence Harding, a cousin of Marston Harding, the builder of the Castle. The house has since been enlarged. For his own family, Lawrence built another Spanish-style house (also enlarged in recent years) across 15th Street at number 650. Lawrence and his wife Ruth came to Del Mar from the East Coast.
Return to your car and double back south onto Crest Road. Just ahead on your right, look at the house at the south-west corner of Via Alta. Built in 1929, this was once the home of Walt Coburn, a colorful personality and a prolific writer of western fiction. The property was larger than it is today and included an orange grove and Walt's studio where he wrote many of his books. A fragment of the barbed wire fence that surrounded the property is still visible on Crest Road. The Coburns lived here periodically for many years before eventually moving to Arizona.
Western Fiction Author Walt Coburn 1930
Interested in More?
To take the full tour, and see more historical photographs, download our app or pick up a copy of Discovering Del Mar’s Past from the Del Mar Historical Society.
