It’s Always Sunny in San Diego, CA

One of my favorite spots in the U.S. Ridiculously temperate, so I was always comfortable. I stayed in Escondido, but I visited all over in San Diego.

Some Good Eats

First comes first, I started out with coffee and breakfast at Kettle & Tea. It was definitely worth checking out. The breakfast sandwich was wicked good and not too expensive, so that was a major plus. If you’re looking for a good happy hour option, (3-6pm most week days) go to Cardiff Beach Bar at Tower 13. Great drink prices, and you can get a food like a half portion of nachos for wicked cheap, especially great if you’re alone!

Next up, I got the best breakfast ever at Morning Glory in San Diego. Not only was the restaurant ridiculously aesthetic, but the food tasted incredible, well worth the price. I got eggs Benedict and coffee. Definitely a long wait if you are looking for a table with additional guests, so make sure to make some reservations.

I was lucky they had a lot of barstools, because that made it much more likely they would have at least one open seat for me, especially for a weekend. Trying to get parking there was rough and he available parking was pretty expensive, so keep that in mind. There was a farmers market going on right next to Morning Glory, as well, so make sure to check that out too!

I tested out a brewery while I was there, so I can definitely recommend Modern Times Beer to grab a drink. It’s a really cool spot with a ton of draft options. They even had a Double Imperial Stout which was 14%! I tried a test of it, but to me, it was like tasting a shot, so I definitely wasn’t going to order a shot. I also found free parking nearby, which I really appreciated.

Have you ever heard of Salt & Straw? It’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had. While it’s definitely a bit overpriced, it’s so incredible, and I will always say it’s so worth it! I drove 30 minutes out of my way to get it. They have flavors like Strawberry Honey Balsamic w/ Black Pepper and Pear and Blue Cheese, but I tend to steer towards more recognizable desserts, like the Sea Salt ice cream with Caramel Ribbons. The caramel seriously melts in your mouth, it’s incredible. I went back to Salt & Straw at least 3 times while I was in SoCal for barely 4 days.

Then I headed over to Coronado to meet up with my Uncle and cousin for breakfast at Clayton’s Bakery & Bistro. If you want to try it, definitely expect a wait for a table if it’s the weekend and peak eating times. We actually were supposed to go to the breakfast place next door, but that wait was even longer. The food was pretty good, but definitely overpriced like everything seems to be on Coronado Island, including gas. Free street parking though!

If you want some more advice on restaurants, I was highly recommended to check out Nolita Hall in Little Italy. If you want a good happy hour option overlooking the water, check out the Portside Pier.

Wicked Cool Day to Day Sightseeing

I walked down towards Little Italy which is a cute area in downtown before heading back to my car. I didn’t have a lot of time to check out Balboa Park, but it was cool for the brief drive that I made through it. I would love to go back and spend more time there. The Japanese Friendship Garden and the San Diego Zoo are there too, as well as some trails and museums.

One of the coolest hikes I’ve done was Annie’s Canyon which was very close by. It was a little busy, but not too busy to get a bunch of good pictures like this one! It was a fairly short hike, and pretty easy, but it was quite narrow, I wasn’t even sure that I would be able to fit through the small openings. The hike was ultimately less than an hour total, so consider that.

I also went to check out the La Jolla Cave, but the Cave Store charged $10 to go see it and I figured that was too much for a photo op since there isn’t anything else to do down there. I got to see it from the top though, and that was a cool view for free. I just had to loop for parking at least 5 times to find a spot, but it was free! I got some cool pictures there, and there were lots of places to walk around in that area too.

Next up was Sunset Cliffs Natural Park where I was hoping to see a good sunset, but the clouds covered the view. I hung out by the Sea Cave, and carefully treaded by the water, trying not to slip on the wet rocks. You can walk the whole path along the ocean (there was only one part like this where you could pretty much jump in, the rest were on the hill. Free parking is nearby!

The next day I did some souvenir shopping at Seaport Village, and afterwards, I headed down the street to an open air market with some venders.
Hotel Del Coronado is well known for the area, and that was my next stop. I would definitely recommend exploring the hotel before leaving, especially the gift shop which has some reasonably priced gifts.

I went there to “Skate by the Sea.” They were doing a charity fundraiser for Make a Wish where they set up an ice rink between the hotel and the beach. While it was definitely pricey ($40 for an hour), it was for a good cause and it was cool to skate around there for an hour with the skates included in the price. It was impressive that they could keep the ice cold in the 65? weather.

I checked out the beach in Oceanside on my way up to LA, and the timing was perfect to catch the sunset, which was finally something worth capturing. Be wary about parking in this area, but if you want a nice drive along the water, I’d highly recommend this route. You can head towards the marina at night, and over there are some seats close to a parking area where you can watch the sun set over the beach.

Now if you’re looking for a park in the San Diego area, and you’ve already checked out Balboa Park, I’d also suggest considering Amici Park in Little Italy. Do you like book shops? Then you should definitely check out Verbatim Books. It’s a cute little shop in San Diego. Have you ever wanted to try hang gliding or paragliding? It’s really popular in the area. If you want a highly recommended option, check out Gliderport! If you are traveling during the holidays, then you’re definitely going to want to check out Hotel Del Holiday Light Show.

Highlights:

• Hotel Del Coronado
• Salt & Straw
• Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
• Annie’s Canyon
• La Jolla Cave
• Morning Glory
• Balboa Park