Weekend Trip: San Diego
It has recently come to my attention that I say “I want to move here” every time I visit somewhere that has a rooftop bar/restaurant.. This may be true.. But San Diego is a different story. I actually want to move there. Living in one of the US’ top vacation destinations would make anyone feel like they’re on a lifelong vacation, so how could you not want to move there?
San Diego is my favorite place to visit, not just because of the weather or perfect beaches, but because of the culture that engulfs the entire city. The plants look like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, the locals are the kind of cool everyone strives to be, and every little nook and cranny of the city screams culture. The entire town is trendy.
I will go ahead and note up front, San Diego is not easy on the wallet. The price of living is amongst the highest in the US which trickles down to every aspect of the city from the food to the ~$5 gas prices. But let me tell you, the trip will be worth every penny. In true Only Mallory fashion, this blog will explain some of the must-dos in San Diego including the best restaurants (rooftops, duh?), best beaches, and the top things to do while visiting sunny San Diego.
Things to do:
San Diego Zoo- The San Diego Zoo, rated the #1 zoo in the world by Tripadvisor, is a must-see for any first timers in San Diego. You want Orangutans and cheetahs? They’ve got ‘em. You want pandas or rhinos? They’ve got em. You want margaritas while you walk around? Got that too ;) There is so much to see that you could make an entire day trip out of just visiting the zoo. Fortunately, there is also a double-decker bus that runs around the entire zoo so you could just be lazy (like me) and ride the bus around to get an idea of what animals you want to see and then hit those exhibits on foot.
Cruise around the bay- There are tons of places to rent bikes, or if you stay at Humphreys Half Moon Inn, they offer bike rides for free! We biked around the bay for spectacular views of the water, the city, and the biggest yachts you’ve ever seen. San Diego is also a participating city in the scooter trend that is taking over major cities. The new app called Bird, lets you pay a small fee to rent a dockless motorized scooter. You can ride them around wherever you want and drop them off whenever you feel. Once you’re ready to get another, you search the map for a Bird scooter nearby and scoot away. So-long expensive Ubers.
Take a Kayak Tour- In La Jolla, there are multiple places to rent kayaks and paddle out on a guided kayak tour through the Pacific Ocean. These tours take you down the coast for breathtaking views of the coastal cliffs and get you up close and personal to some of the coolest (and smelliest) San Diego locals, the sun bathing seals. These tours also take you through sea caves where you feel like you’re on the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Sunset Cliffs- As you can imagine from the name, the Sunset Cliffs are a site to see at sun-down. The cliffs overlook the water to create a picture-perfect view every night as the sun slowly creeps down behind the ocean. If you drive down far enough, there is a secluded beach that can only be reached by climbing a rope down the cliffs. It's actually not as scary as it sounds and you feel like a total daredevil while doing it. Once you’ve made your way down to the beach you can bask in the sun on your own private beach with the few other locals who are aware of the spot or you can explore the cliffs and hidden caves. Just be careful not to get stuck on the cliffs when the tides rise!
Places to visit:
Something I didn’t know about San Diego is that the city is made up of many small, iconic beaches. The names La Jolla, Sunset Cliffs, and Coronado Island all rang a bell in my mind, but it never clicked that all of these small beaches make up ‘San Diego’. I had the opportunity to explore all of these beaches and many more on my recent weekend adventure so I will breakdown each place.
La Jolla- La Jolla (pronounced La Hoy-Ya) is a seaside oasis featuring many high-end restaurants and shops. La Jolla is one of the more pricey places in San Diego as you will always see exotic cars and well-groomed mansions bordering the beach. Its home to many well-known residents that have used the beauty of the town to shape some pretty influential art.
Cool story alert: When we were kayaking in La Jolla, one of the locals told us a story that made me love La Jolla even more. Dr.Seuss and his wife moved to La Jolla and lived in a house high up on one of the mountains. He would often watch out of his window and see the people on the beach having the time of their lives, which made him feel a bit like a recluse. So he wrote a famous story about this scenario and what he saw down on the beach.. That story was called the Grinch :) so freaking cool! I was basically in Whoville! While we’re on the topic of Dr. Seuss, all of the whimsical plants in his stories were inspired by the eccentric plants found in San Diego. If you visit San Diego, be sure to take time to pay attention to the Seuss-like plants everywhere!
I was seriously obsessed with the plants
Ocean Beach/Pacific Beach- These two beach towns are my favorites in San Diego. At these beaches, the rent is fairly lower than other parts of San Diego, calling in a younger local crowd. There are a few colleges nearby which helps create the laid-back college town vibe. If you’re extra cool, just refer to these as PB and OB and you’ll be mistaken for a local in no time. If you visit OB, make sure to stop by the cutest boutique called Miss Matched and spend all the rest of the money you brought on your trip.. oops.
OB main strip- Here you can find Hodad's, Mismatched, and OB Brewery
Coronado Island- Coronado Island can be accessed by car by a tall, winding bridge (with awesome views of all of San Diego) or if you’re feeling adventurous, it can also be accessed by ferry from downtown. Getting there is half the fun. The infamous Hotel del Coronado, frequently filmed in popular movies, boasts exciting beach front bars and restaurants where you can walk up from the beach and grab a quick drink. The hotels luxury is clear at first glance, but you can also walk around the extravagant hotel and pretend you’re one of few people willing to pay $500-$1400/night for their stay.
Grubbin’ Out:
Being close to the beach, situated in the US, and right beside the Mexico border.. name a better situation for fresh, authentic food. The seafood is amazing because everything is caught fresh and the Mexican food (always my favorite) tastes so authentic because you could literally walk to the Mexico border. I ate at so many great places, but these are my favorites:
Dukes La Jolla - If you're looking for a nice place to eat, check out Dukes La Jolla. This restaurant has amazing views of La Jolla (you can watch the kayak tours paddle by on the ocean) and has yummy food and drinks. I ordered the ahi tuna poke bowl and it was so tasty and fresh! When you leave, be sure to check out the Dr. Seuss museum right in front of the restaurant. This museum is free to get in and is home to some of Dr. Seuss’ original paintings.
Breakfast Republic- If you haven’t realized by now, I’ll say it again, brunch is very special to me and this restaurant exceeded my expectations. I ordered the classic eggs benedict with a bloody mary on the side and it was delicious. There are multiple locations of Breakfast Republic in San Diego, but if you go to the location near Coronado Island, you can also stop by Stone Brewery Tap Room on your way out and play a little corn hole and bocci ball while tasting some of the fresh beers brewed there.
Hodad’s- Located on the main strip in Ocean Beach, Hodad's is a popular burger restaurant always sure to have a line out the door. The walls are covered with license plates from all 50 states, giving the restaurant a local vibe. The burgers are to die for.
OB Brewery- Here we are, the moment you have been waiting for me to say- This rooftop brewery has panoramic views of Ocean Beach and is a fun spot for any time of day. The shuffle board games inside make this a spot you could bring the whole fam during the day, but as the sun sets this place could definitely be a blast into the later hours of the night.
In-N-Out- This one really goes without saying, but I’m just going to say it anyway. No trip to California is complete without stopping by In-N-Out. And if you don’t post a pic of it on Insta, did you even go?
If you have any other favorite San Diego places, feel free to leave them in the comments! If this blog helped you plan your trip to San Diego or inspired you to go, I would love to know! Tweet at me @malstrangee or message me on Instagram @malstrange.
Stay classy San Diego.