Have you ever visited a city and from the moment you arrive, you can picture yourself as a local? Shopping at the corner grocery store, frequenting the fitness studio, walking your dog on the streets you’re exploring, and living in the Airbnb you rented for the weekend…
Then you look at the housing market on Zillow and laugh til you want to cry.
That’s San Diego for me.
My favorite US city to visit and dream about living. The 3-day trip I took last weekend to meet a good friend was my 2nd time in gorgeous San Diego, and I ended up repeating a lot of my favorites. This recap includes recommendations from both of my visits to this pretty city.
Accommodations
I’ve now stayed at two amazing Airbnb’s in Pacific Beach, San Diego. You can find them here and here. I loved the location and vibe of the Pacific Beach neighborhood so much the first time around, I knew I had to stay there again. If you’re looking for a vacation centered around the beach, walkable bars/restaurants/coffee shops, and having a centrally located home base for exploring – Pacific Beach is ideal as it gets. La Jolla is to your north, Downtown San Diego to your south, with a cool beachy neighborhood in your backyard.
Also, both of the Airbnb’s I listed are gorgeous, clean, private, walk-able to the beach, and have rooftops to enjoy.
Transportation
To get the most out of San Diego, I’d recommend having a car. For our visit in 2016 my husband and I rented a car to get around the city, and for my most recent trip, I actually drove over from Arizona so I had my own vehicle.
If you are coming to San Diego solely for a convention in downtown or don’t plan to leave the beach you could probably skip a vehicle and just use Uber to/from the airport.
Side note: The drive from Southern Arizona took 7 hours. Alone. Through the desert. It was my idea not to fly so I could avoid the cost of a plane ticket and a rental car. If I was travelling to San Diego alone again, I’d probably fly. It was a unique drive to do once alone, but it was so incredibly hot and a bit of a deserted drive. Very, very few other cars on the road between Tucson and Yuma. My temperature gauge also hovered between 105-109 for the majority of the trip. It’s a beautiful drive on I8, but too boring to do solo.
Eat/Drink
There are SO many good options for food and drinks. I’ll break it down by neighborhood of my favorites:
Pacific Beach
Crushed
Kono’s
Woody’s
Rum Jungle Cafe
Cannon Ball
Better Buzz Coffee
La Jolla
Cody’s La Jolla
True Food Kitchen
Galaxy Taco
Gaslamp Quarter
La Puerta
Coin-Op
Smoking Gun
Coronado
Miguel’s Cocina
To Do
Beach it. If you’re visiting San Diego, hopefully you’re ready to channel your inner beach bum. There are so many beautiful beaches. Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla Beach, Coronado Beach, etc. For both stays in PB, I’d make my way to the beach most mornings just to take in the gorgeous views, get my toes in the sand, watch the surfers, and feel the salt in my hair. There are also a ton of beach related activities in San Diego. From surfing or surf lessons to stand up paddle boarding to kayaking. La Jolla Cove is also just an amazing place to explore by foot. Giant rocks, tide pools, caves, the bluest waters, and all the adorable seals.
Balboa Park & The San Diego Zoo. I’ve personally only done the San Diego Zoo. My husband loves animals so we went for our visit in 2016, but I really enjoyed it! Probably the coolest and biggest zoo I’ve ever been too, and the carts with beer and wine for the adults is a nice perk. Balboa Park is supposed to be both historic and beautiful for anyone interested in architecture, history, or gardens.
Gaslamp Quarter. Definitely add a night out here in your itinerary. Such a fun downtown area of restaurants and bars. Every bar we went to was a winner with amazing cocktails and a great vibe. We had so many good recommendations about where to go I feel like we only scratched the surface with the three bars I recommend above.
Explore Coronado. Driving across the bridge is a novelty in itself, but the adorable island is filled with boutique shops, restaurants, sandy beaches, and the Hotel Del Coronado. Historic and gorgeous, you can spend quite awhile just walking through the lobby, the shops, and the grounds of the hotel.
Additional Ideas.
Little Italy
Belmont Park
Torrey Pines State Reserve
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego Museum of Art
Seaport Village
Dog-Friendly
Now that I’m a dog owner, and constantly thinking about Brie and things she’d enjoy, I’ll be adding a little dog friendly section to my trip reviews.
San Diego is about as dog friendly as it gets, especially in the Pacific Beach neighborhood I stay in. There are dogs everywhere. On the sidewalks. On the boardwalk. On patios at bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that provide water bowls and treats. There are dog friendly beaches in San Diego and in neighboring beachfront areas like Del Mar. I looked on Airbnb just for fun and quite a few allow dogs. If we end up staying in Arizona, a dog friendly San Diego visit is definitely in our future.
Summary
San Diego is a gorgeous, oceanfront city filled with history and culture but still maintains a laid back vibe. Its people, food, museums, neighborhoods, and views all attest to this. I may never be able to afford real estate in San Diego’s city limits, but I am lucky enough to live just one state over right now.
“Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard.”
– Roxas-Mendoza
All other travel summaries, tips, and recaps can be found in Travel Archives.
Have a Happy Monday, friends!
