America's Finest City Owes Me Nothing

Are you still trying to decide where to visit during Spring Break, on your next girl’s trip, or Baecation? I absolutely suggest visiting San Diego, CA. I had visited San Diego once before when I was a teenager still in high school and those fond memories never left me and I had yearned to return for many years. 

Back in January, I visited San Diego and had an EXTRAordinary time! I stayed for a short 3 nights and four days and that was just enough time to experience the vibe of the city, meet up with different sets of friends on three separate occasions, and have a date day with my husband. The thing that worked in our favor, is the time difference and that good ‘ole east coast, west coast red eye flight that allows you to arrive in San Diego early in the day and leave late in the evening. 

Mainly, I wanted a view of the water, sunshine, and exceptional food! ALL. MY. NEEDS. WERE. MET. To start, the view of the bay from our hotel room at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront was a perfect blend of the bay and downtown. Watching the sun go down each evening was just as magical as seeing the bay glisten with sunlight at the crack of dawn and throughout the day. My first meal at the hotel let me know that the food experience would be out of this world! My husband ordered takeout from the hotel restaurant and came back upstairs with a seafood salad that hit the spot and had me craving crab legs the entire trip. 

Better than a slamming plate of food are the EXTRAordinary individuals who took the time to meet up with me while visiting the city. That night, a course mate and friend who lives in San Diego scooped me up and took me out to dinner at her favorite restaurant on the ocean. Coincidentally, Peohe’s is a Chart House Restaurant and the Chart House is one of my favorite restaurants. This restaurant is located over the bridge on Coronado Island along the water, so it is also accessible by water taxi or private boat. The views of the San Diego Bay and downtown skyline along with their delicious cuisine, cocktails, and awesome company made for a perfect dining experience. I practically inhaled my dish which I highly recommend, if you like seafood. On my friend’s recommendation, I ordered the Peohe's Halibut Mai'a (sautéed with macadamia nuts, bananas & Frangelico, coconut ginger rice) with zero regrets. I didn’t make it back over to Coronado Island, but it's on my list upon my return.

Day 2 and my first full day in San Diego was set aside for meeting up with a VI homie who has lived in San Diego for over 20 years. I was prepared to take a Lyft and/or Uber to wherever she suggested that we try, but she insisted that I would not pay for transportation in her city. Getting some delicious sushi was high on my agenda which I shared with Dianna who drove me twenty minutes or so outside of the downtown area to her favorite “sushi spot”; Banbu Sushi in La Mesa, CA. You guessed it - the sushi was delicious, fresh, and very filling! Lunch was good, but the driving and walking tour of San Diego that she took me on was really special. At this point, my uber tab would’ve been steep, so I’m so grateful that she had a willing spirit and an accommodating schedule. We even had a photo shoot at a few locations around San Diego and ended our girlfriend’s meetup with dessert  in the Little Italy part of Downtown San Diego. Everything was made fresh with ample gluten free options! 

During our stroll downtown, I scoped out a few places that I made a note of to return to, the next day during my designated solo day. While sitting in an open square, eating ice cream, and listening to live music, I looked up and saw a very intriguing restaurant that was closed. I learned that the place I was looking at was a breakfast restaurant that had been open a few short months.

Next morning, I made a b-line to Morning Glory because the vibes kept calling me! Let.me.tell.you- the weather and ambiance made for an absolutely perfect and EXTRAordinary dining experience. The restaurant is an Instagramer’s (ie. an individual who enjoys taking pictures for the purpose of creating social media content) dream. I took the table right up front near the entrance and bar. I had a 360 degree view of what I thought was the entire restaurant. However, on my way to the restroom where I was advised to take my phone and get pictures, I passed another part of the restaurant that was set further in near the kitchen. This restaurant didn’t miss a beat because every aspect of my experience was perfection including the melon mimosa, service, ambiance, gluten free pancakes, eggs, decor, and the lively music! The portions were so big that I took half my meal with me. I will be back there!!

My designated solo day came to a pause when a friend who lives on the East Coast texted that she too was in town and suggested that we meet up for dinner. Incredible. At this point, I had a slew of places to try on my ongoing list. Balboa Park kept popping up every time someone local made a suggestion to me, so having dinner at The Prado at Balboa Park was a no-brainer after we narrowed down our options. The food was good, the company was better, but the mango martini was best! I never made it back to the park during the day, but I’m making it my business to visit sooner than later. 

Overall, visiting San Diego in January was a pleasant respite from the frigid temps in New Jersey. The weather was generally in the 70s but dipped down to the 50s at night with it being cooler near the water. But, believe me, this city is alive with tons of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities for people of every age and various interests.  

This is a little bit of a cliffhanger because I haven’t shared what I did on my final day, but enjoy this post, add San Diego to your “places to visit” list, and stay tuned!

Also, share some additional things to do while in San Diego down in the comments if you have explored the city already.