Adam travels to San Diego for work every couple of months. Every time a trip comes around, he says I should meet him down there for a weekend. Well, at the beginning of December, I finally was in a spot where I could take a couple days off of work without stressing (too much). And I couldn't pass up the super cheap flight I found!
Much like the time we went to LA, it was pouring when I got there. Adam was still at work, so I had the day to myself in Point Loma. I spent my time eating and drinking my way through Liberty Station, which was the perfect way to waste away an afternoon. Then I conquered my fear of electric scooters, as headed back to Adam's office to kick off the actual vacation part of the trip.
Since we were already nearby, we went for a quick walk and a drink in Ocean Beach before heading to our Airbnb in North Park. We grabbed dinner nearby and settled in for the night, so we could get an early start on the rest of the weekend.
What We Did
1: San Diego Zoo
Friday was the perfect day at the zoo. The weather was perfectly mild, and - more importantly - there was hardly anyone there. We got there early and took our time through the exhibits. The best part was being front row at polar bear lunch time!
2: Botanical Building
We spent the afternoon walking around Balboa Park - mostly because I wanted to see the Botanical Building. It was definitely as Instagram-worthy as I had seen on every list of Things to Do in San Diego.
3: La Jolla Cove
We got there right at sunset, and it was perfect. After getting a sweet parking spot, we went for a little stroll around the cove. I would almost say that seeing the sea lions was almost better than the zoo… Although, significantly more smelly.
4: Mission Beach
Mission Beach was mostly a pitstop on the way to La Jolla. We walked down the boardwalk and spent sometime an arcade at Belmont Park. We got enough tickets to get a ton of candy!
5: Coronado
As the weekend progress, the weather got better and better. By the time we made it to Coronado, it was a beautiful day. We did the usual and wandered around Hotel del Coronado. It wasn't what I expected at all, but was worth the stop!
6: Centennial Park
Before our jaunt around the beach, we stopped at Centennial Park for a photo op and breakfast. It was a relaxing way to spend the morning, and the perfect spot to eat breakfast-to-go from Tartine.
Where We Ate
This one came as recommendation from a friend. Our Airbnb was pretty close by, so we made it happen. I stuggled between a sweet or savory breakfast, but ultimately went with the oreo pancakes. And let me tell you, I didn't go wrong. They were delicious, moderately coma inducing, but delicious nonetheless.
Our first night in the Airbnb, we wanted to get dinner somewhere within walking distance. Probably not what we would have picked if we had more energy to venture further away, but we both had pretty solid burgers and fries.
Not going to lie. We ate there twice. In the same night. But at two different locations (not sure if that makes it better or worse). We grabbed a couple tacos in La Jolla, then some late night food in North Park. Actually - this may count as count as three times, because I placed a second order on our late night food run. My recommendation is the carne asada fries followed by a cheese quesadilla.
4: Rancho's Cocina
This was game time decision. We needed dinner but nothing in particular sounded good. This place had decent reviews and got the job done. It was nothing to write home about, but had your typically satisfying Mexican food.
5: Tartine
Our stop here was mostly out of convenience, as well. We needed breakfast, and it was across the street from our first stop of the day at Centennial Park. We had light breakfast sandwiches and fruit salad. I must say the fruit salad was on point - hardly any honeydew or cantaloupe at all :)
6: In-n-Out
Because when in Rome….
7: City Tacos
Before bed churros. That's all I have to say.
What We Drank
I spent quite a bit of time here while waiting on Adam to get off of work. I got the standard IPA flight and wasn't disappointed. It was a huge space that was nice to waste a couple of hours in.
We only stopped in for a quick beer in Ocean Beach before heading to our home for the night. It was a chill place that welcomed dogs. …. There were so many dogs in there, and it was wonderful.
3: Modern Times
We stopped in here twice, as well. And I'm a lot less embarrassed about it than our multiple stops at the Taco Stand. It was crowded both times, but we got our beers quickly and were able to find places to sit. On the second visit, we brought In-n-Out, and it was the perfect combination.
I've never been to camping themed restaurant before. This one was pretty damn cool. Depending on your table, you could be seated in a makeshift yurt! There was also camping chairs and mountain-inspired décor. We posted up at the bar for a cocktail (in between our visits to the Taco Stand) and had one of the best cocktails I've had in a while - the Broken Arrow.
Where We Stayed
We had a great stay at this little Airbnb. It had everything we needed for a weekend trip. It was essentially a 15 minute drive from everything we wanted to, and within walking distance to plenty of restaurants. There was a parking spot included, which was great! The neighborhood was quiet and safe. I wish we could've stayed longer to take advantage of the cute patio!
We managed to pack a lot into only a couple of days, but somehow still managed to relax. Needless to say, I'll be trying to tag along on any other trip Adam has to take to San Diego.
