Saturday 31st of May 2014 08:27:26 PM

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U.S. 101 from Oceanside down to La Jolla is simply spectacular.

15 miles of the best beaches anywhere that can easily draw attention away from the task at hand; to make it safely without incident from one end to the other of those ragged 15 miles.

Best thing to do is pick a town along the way, pull off and wait until the roads are a bit less congested and have a beer.

Encinitas Ale House is a good place.

A small, always crowded pub that is the favorite hang-out for locals, the ale house has one of the best...if not THE best beer list I've ever seen. Not only do they boast 25 beers on tap (most of them local craft brews) but their 10-page beer book also features bottles priced for the adventerous ($150 and up!) to the economic ($7 - $10) and from as close as its neighbor Solana Beach to as far away as Iceland.

Food is basic pub fare...nothing special here and it can get quite loud and feel a bit claustrophobic but enough beer and it won't matter.

Navigating through the beach towns of Carlsbad, Leucadia, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar...all of your best friends share the 2-lanes and , just like you, they're more interested in the surfers than the street...And if you dare to travel on a Saturday?

Well.....No. Don't.

The beach you choose will be just as beautiful at sunset...even more so. It will always be there later in the day AND you can bask in the knowledge that you're enjoying the scenery without 3000 people jockeying for position on the road.

You've got your feet in the sand....with nothing else to do...except decide what time you'll get back on the road and try another brew.