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A bike path along the bay took us past the Coronado Municipal Golf Course, beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, and to the park-like Coronado Ferry Landing for a snack and shopping stop. We had great views of ship traffic and the San Diego skyline, and could spot the brand new San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum aboard the decommissioned USS Midway. The "top gun" of . military towns, San Diego has 19 major Navy and Marine installations, including Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, which occupies half of Coronado. Later in the tour, we paused at the gate of NAS, so our guide, Aaron Brummel of the Del's recreation department, could tell us about the base.

On tony Ocean Boulevard, which runs along Central Beach from the Del to the naval station boundary, Aaron pointed out the town's largest home. It's a 27-bedroom mansion that once belonged to Larry Lawrence, owner of the hotel from 1963 until his death in 1995 and a . ambassador to Switzerland.

A block from the Del we saw the gabled yellow house where author L. Frank Baum, a regular hotel visitor, wrote some of the sequels to his Wizard of Oz series. It seems fitting that this master of fantasy frequented the whimsically designed resort and lived in such a storybook town. A bit removed from reality--or at least from San Diego proper--Coronado (pop. 30,000) resembles a movie set.

Hotel del Coronado, though very much its own little kingdom-by-the-sea, is hardly cordoned off from the community. In fact, the Hotel Del is right on the town's main thoroughfare--Orange Avenue--within easy walking distance of boutiques and sidewalk cafes.

From its beginnings, the Del has catered to an elite clientele; the earliest guests were among America's richest families. The Del came of age during a period of unparalleled wealth, when the well-heeled traveled from one fashionable resort to another, servants in tow. Most arrived by train, some in private rail cars; a train trip from the East, across vast unsettled territory, took seven days.

The Del was built by two Midwestern businessmen who became acquainted after moving to San Diego in the mid-1880s. In 1885 Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story bought the entire sagebrush-covered peninsula of Coronado. They then subdivided the land, sold lots to investors, and used the profits to create their dream hotel, which they envisioned would be the "talk of the Western world."

Promoted as a hunting and fishing resort, the Del also offered more refined amenities, including billiards (separate rooms for men and women), bowling, croquet, swimming, boating, bicycling, golf, tennis, and archery. The princely sport of polo was added in 1906, and in 1913 the hotel started its own school for the children of long-term guests.

Two years before the Del opened its doors, an advertising booklet touted rooms "with every luxury known to modern ingenuity" and grounds "planted with the rarest of tropical flowers." It stated: "Of the cuisine, there shall be nothing to complain, the intent of the managers being to cater to a class of patrons who are accustomed to and who appreciate luxury."

Guest rooms had hot and cold running saltwater--thought to be health-promoting--as well as freshwater. The hotel was one of the country's largest buildings to have electric lights. It also boasted telephones (but not in guests' rooms) and elevators.

Constructed entirely of wood in the Queen Anne Revival style popular at the end of the 19th century, this National Historic Landmark was once described as a cross between an ornate wedding cake and a well-trimmed ship. Asymmetrical in design, the exuberant edifice was built without a blueprint, a fact that seems obvious as you wander the labyrinth of passageways, poking into nooks and crannies in search of architectural and historical curiosities. Warped stairs and floors attest to their vintage.

The lobby bears the aristocratic charm of an English manor house. Sconces and a crystal chandelier shed soft light on its dark oak paneling, richly carved ceiling, and fluted columns embellished with gold-painted coronets. The antique cage elevator, manned by a uniformed operator in a pillbox hat, looks like something out of an old movie. Otis #61, one of the first electric elevators manufactured in America, has graced the lobby since the resort's opening. Though our room was only one flight above the lobby, we had to ride it once just for the experience.

Off the lobby is the cavernous Crown Room, the hotel's most stunning public space. A grand setting for the Del's lavish Sunday brunch, the oak-walled, oval showplace seats 1,000 people. As the hotel's first dining room, it needed to be large because overnight rates once included all meals. Gala banquets in the Crown Room honored England's Prince of Wales in 1920 and aviator Charles Lindbergh after his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic.

The Crown Room's rib-vaulted, pine ceiling, resembling the inner hull of a ship, is capped by the hotel's second-largest shingled dome. (The largest peaked roof covers the ballroom, though its upper reaches are hidden and used for storage.) The room's crown-shaped chandeliers, outlined with small bulbs, were designed in the early 1900s by L. Frank Baum, who thought the original chandeliers were too plain.

The lobby's cozy Palm Court lounge, another wonder in wood, overlooks the palm-studded Garden Patio, a leafy, subtropical courtyard we passed through on the way to our room. A Victorian high tea is served in the Palm Court on Sundays and daily during December.

Down the hall from the front desk, you can pick up Del logo merchandise at the Signature Shop, accented with black-and-white framed photos of Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and other Hollywood greats who made the Del their playground.

Nine . presidents have visited the Del since Benjamin Harrison came in 1891. Pictures of some--Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, and Franklin D. Roosevelt--decorate the historic Babcock & Story Bar, redesigned in 2001 to take advantage of the seaside setting. The 46-foot-long mahogany bar was brought by ship from Philadelphia around Cape Horn in 1888.

Re-establishing its connection to the sea was a key goal in the Del's three-year, $55-million restoration completed in August 2001. Sheerwater, the resort's three-meal restaurant, and the romantic Prince of Wales, its fine dining restaurant, added outdoor terraces perfect for watching the sun set over the Pacific. Likewise, the renovated Oceanfront Spa & Fitness Center, next to Prince of Wales, has been opened up with windows to the sea.

The centerpiece of the seaside restoration effort was the addition of the Windsor Lawn, an oval of greenery with landscaped walkways and seasonal gardens. It replaced sunken tennis courts that stood between the beachside facade and the ocean blue.

Adjacent to the green oasis is Windsor Cottage, the relocated Flora Avenue bungalow of Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced Coronado housewife who in 1937 married Edward, Prince of Wales and became the Duchess of Windsor. It's rumored they may have met at the Del during Edward's 1920 visit to the hotel. He would become King Edward VIII, only to abdicate the throne to marry the American divorcee. As the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, they became the arbiters of elegance and glamor and forever synonymous with the Del.

Our room's balcony, with two white wicker chairs, overlooked the Windsor Lawn, the scene of parties, weddings, and other special events. One of 381 redesigned guest rooms in the original building, our high-ceilinged nest sported light wallpaper and white wood trim, along with traditional Victorian decor--antique gold mirrors, ornate armoires and ceiling fans, and floor lamps with large fringed shades. The 2001 refurbishment introduced air-conditioning to these rooms. The bathrobes were plushest I've ever seen.

From our second-floor perch, we saw people walking and jogging at all hours on the wide, uncrowded beach. Evening bonfires and beach volleyball games were other common sights.

Also visible from our room was the heated swimming pool by the low-rise California Cabanas section, where some first floor units have patios facing the ocean. The open-air Sun Deck Bar & Grill overlooks the pool and sweeping strand of white sand. You'll see surfers on a stretch of beachfront near the resort's seven-story Ocean Towers. Board rentals, wet suits, and lessons are available.

At the Coronado Boathouse, across Orange Avenue, we rented kayaks for an hour of paddling around Glorietta Bay, a protected body of water between the municipal golf course and the Navy's amphibious base. The historic boathouse, not owned by the hotel, also rents sailboats, speedboats, water skis, jet skis, and fishing gear.

When the Del opened for business back in 1888, a weekly paper had this to say: "The story of Aladdin and his wonderful palace, built in a single night, comes closer to being realized into actual fact on this Coronado beach than possibly any other place on earth known to man."

Today this fairy-tale castle is a living legend that continues to capture our imagination. What better place to indulge in some California dreamin'.

FAST FACTS

NAME: Hotel del Coronado

OWNER/OPERATOR: KSL Resorts of La Quinta, California

LOCATION: A 31-acre, oceanfront site in Coronado, California, a quiet village on a peninsula connected to San Diego by a bridge. Four miles from downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, 10 miles from San Diego International Airport.

ACCOMMODATIONS: 688 guest rooms in the original Victorian building, seven-story Ocean Towers, poolside California Cabanas, and beachfront cottages.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES: Two heated pools, water sports, tennis, biking, spa and fitness center, teen and kids' programs, two full-service restaurants, fast food market/deli, poolside bar/grill, bakery, ice cream shop, sea-view and lobby bars, shopping arcade.

RATES: $280 to $2,300 per night.

CONTACT: Hotel del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118; (800) HOTEL-DEL or (619) 435-6611; .

TEEN SCENE

MOST TEENAGERS STAYING AT THE HOTEL DEL CORONADO ARE BARELY AWARE OF its historical significance and could care less about the exquisite appointments. To them it's all about beach blanket bliss and hanging out with their peers.

To attract baby boomer families with teenage children, the Del offers a variety of teen-only activities and recently introduced the Coast Club Teen Lounge. Dedicated strictly to those ages 11 to 17, the club--open in summer and during the holidays--features video games, pool, air hockey, TV, and a jukebox, plus computers for checking e-mail and sending e-Postcards to friends back home.

In the summer months, teens can enjoy fitness classes--like weight training and yoga--designed just for them. The main pool deck becomes the site for "Dec Rec--games, ping-pong tournaments, and aqua Olympics. Teens can watch movies from an inner tube at "Flick & Float" nights. The teen recreation program also includes a kayak clinic and tour, surf school, tennis clinic, Coronado bike tour, and blacklight volleyball at the beach.

The hotel's Spa and Fitness Center offers spa packages specifically for those between 15 and 18 years old. Girls opting for the "Lucky Chick" ($225, plus tip) package receive a 25-minute massage, 30-minute manicure, 45-minute pedicure, and 30-minute facial. (The very notion may seem far-fetched, the prices outrageous, but many upscale resorts are now offering similar plans for pampering adolescent guests.) Teens also can indulge in a mud wrap.

Away from the Del, a sightseeing highlight for me and my 16-year-old son Jeremy was a quick trip to Tijuana, Mexico, a half-hour trolley ride from downtown San Diego. We also caught a baseball game at the San Diego Padres' new stadium, Petco Park, less than 20 minutes by bus from the resort.

For younger children, the Del's ambitious Tent City Kids programs include crafts, beach games, seashore scavenger hunts, s'mores roasts, sandcastle competitions, and more. With gentle waves conducive to family frolicking, the beach alongside the hold was recently named No. 2 Best Beach in the United States by the Travel Channel.

Tent City, a 1900 addition to the Del, was a section with tent and bungalow accommodations for families of the emerging middle class. It became a summertime center of Coronado's social life lasting nearly 40 years.

THE HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION

THE HOTEL DEL CORONADO'S CLOSE PROXIMITY TO LOS ANGELES HAS MADE IT A CELEBRIty destination for more than a century. Early guests included Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Al Jolson, Greta Garbo, Mae West, Gloria Swanson, and Rudolph Valentino.

Not only have Hollywood's elite retreated here for vacations, but it's been a backdrop for movies, including some in the silent era.

The most famous movie filmed at the Del was Some Like It Hot, the 1959 comedy starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. In fact, guests can watch the black-and-white classic free on their in-room TV. The American Film Institute named the romantic romp, a Prohibition-era story actually set in Florida, the No. 1 comedy of all time. One movie critic thought the Del scenes were shot on a movie lot, calling the Del "an uproariously improbable set."

During the week of filming Some Like It Hot, Monroe stayed at the hotel's Beach House, a private cottage popular now with honeymooners and others seeking romantic seclusion.

The Del also was instrumental in launching the careers of some television stars. In 1950 Liberace was playing piano there when discovered by a producer.

The same year, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz stayed at the Del two weeks and perfected their comedy routine under the direction of Pepito the Spanish Clown, a renowned vaudeville performer. In one episode of their I Love Lucy television show, Lucy and Ricky stayed at the resort with their friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz.

RECENT CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: Brad Pitt, Madonna, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopie Goldberg, Kelsey Grammar, Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman, Jack Nicholson, and Bruce Willis, to name a few.