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Okay so this San Diego travel guide is wayyyy overdue, but better late than never! Scott and I took a trip to California back in May for a close friends wedding, but we decided to make a vacation out of it! We spent around 4 days in San Diego, and 2 days in LA (that travel guide will be coming as well!)
Now, I’m going to be totally honest. When Scott and I travel, we plan most of what were going to be doing around the food we want to eat. So I have plenty of great food recommendations, and then a few other things that aren’t food related as well ?
Where We Stayed
The motel we stayed at was…interesting. I can’t 100% say I’d recommend it. I mean, it was a little room, had a bathroom, fridge, half a costco muffin for breakfast, parking and was clean, but that’s about it. Very bare bones, but affordable. That was totally fine with us, but if you want a “nice” place to stay with lots of amenities, this isn’t it. Also one of the mornings we heard really loud banging on one of the other doors and then glass shattering moments later. We never figured out what went on there, but obviously we were a bit sketched out. It is highly rated on Yelp though, that’s why we picked it! It’s called the Dolphin Motel, if you’d like to know!
However, the area was really convenient for everything we wanted to do. We did have a rental car, so that’s something to think about. But we were not too far from a highway, so there was easy access to pretty much everything. And the actual area, Point Loma we stayed had plenty around there, and was very safe.
What We Ate
Oscars Mexican Seafood
This was recommended to us by a friend and Scott had read about it, so we had to try it. It’s fairly small, and was suuuuper crowded. If you see a place to sit, grab it! We had to wait a while for our food, so we were glad we had a place to sit. If not, it would be a good idea to grab some food and go sit on the beach to eat it! Between waiting in line to order and waiting for our food, it was probably close to an hour.
They weren’t our favorite tacos of the trip, I’ll say that, but certainly not bad. We didn’t really feel like they were worth the looong wait. We got a lot of different tacos. We tried both the fried fish and fried shrimp and didn’t love the batter on them, so we weren’t too into those. Scott got an octopus one he really liked and my favorite was the spicy grilled shrimp taco.
El Pescador Fish Market
This was in La Jolla and such a cool place. It’s a really big space with a large fresh fish market counter on one side, and plenty of seating – first come first serve, so it can be hard to find when it’s crowded. You go up to the counter and pick whatever you want, and they take the fresh fish and make it! Here’s the menu if you want to take a look.
Scott got a sushi platter which he really liked. I got the lemon butter salmon over a salad, and it was honestly one of the best salads I’ve ever had. The dressing was soooo good! Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. Highly recommend!
Whisknladle
Another La Jolla place, we went here for brunch. We made reservations, and I’m glad we did because it was crowded! Very cute brunch spot, and we had a hard time deciding what to order because everything sounded so good – brunch menu here.
Scott and I decided to split the chilaquiles, and we mentioned we were doing that so they separated the 1 dish into 2 plates which was really nice! Easily in my top 5 meals I’ve ever had. So so so so so good. I would eat it everyday if I could. Scott loved it too. We also split the pancakes and a side order of breakfast potatoes. All of that was amazing as well. Definitely a great spot to hit up!
Better Buzz (Acai)
We were staying right by this place so we went twice, once for coffee, which I’ll talk about below, and once for acai bowls. Scott got one and he liked it, but didn’t love it. They were all blended with bananas and he doesn’t really like bananas so of course he didn’t really love that flavor. It was still pretty good though! Very generous with the toppings, which we’re big fans of!
The Taco Stand
This taco place we really liked! Bare bones with not too much seating, but we were able to find a place no problem. I got the baja, sonora, and cameron and loved all 3! Scott loved everything he got as well. Here is the menu.
Between the 2 of us we basically tried every taco on the menu, and would recommend them all! The chips were just okay, but the guac was really good! They had a big salsa bar with so many good ones to put on your tacos.
The Crack Shack
If you’re in the mood for really indulgent chicken sandwiches, this is definitely the place to go! Scott and I split the coop deville and fries.
I didn’t love the style we got, but the chicken was still realllllly good. Fries were amazing! Lots of outdoor seating, very cute place. Lots of delish dips and sauces!
Northside Shack
A teeny tiny little place in this little strip of stores with seriously the best acai bowl everrrrr. They have a dragonfruit base as well as regular acai, Scott really liked that! So many toppings to choose from as well. It was amazing, and you need to add this to your list of place to go! Grab it, go sit by the water somewhere, and enjoy!
Liberty Public Market
This is a big market filled with restaurants, bakeries, drinks, arts and crafts, and more! Fun place to walk around and I’m sure anyone you’re with can find something to eat here. I’d suggest finding seating and then going one at a time to grab your food, because it can be hard to find seating sometimes.
I went to Cane Patch Kitchen and got a shrimp po boy, Scott got a burger from Stuffed, and both were really good!
Coffee
Local Krave
Little coffee shop and their specialty is the Kraveman Coffee, which is coffee blended up with grass-fed butter, organic coconut oil, honey, and cream. Different than your average cup of coffee, in a good way! I subbed out coconut oil for another oil, I don’t remember which, because I don’t like the taste of coconut. They were just sweet and creamy enough, and absolutely worth checking out. The rest of their menu looks really good as well.
Better Buzz (coffee)
Although their acai bowls weren’t our fave, their coffee was great! So many fun lattes on the menu, we had a hard time picking which to try!
We tried the honey latte and vanilla bean latte, both amazing! Definitely recommend the honey latte, just because it’s a little different!
What We Did
Ocean Beach
This was our first stop after our flight into California. We hung out and sat on the beach for a while, soaking in the sun. Scott took a nap, of course, and got sunburnt, of course! Cute area with lots of little shops and places to eat! We didn’t get to explore that much, but it’s worth stopping by if you’re able.
We also walked the boardwalk and got to take in some very pretty views of the water and watch the surfers!
La Jolla
I’ve been here before, but still wanted to come back because I love this area! Plus, Scott had never been. Such a pretty part of San Diego, and in my opinion, all the seals and sea lions you can see up close and personal, is the best part. Warning – they stink. But they’re so cute and funny the way they lay around and bark at everything!
It’s a fancier area, and absolutely beautiful. As you read, two of our best meals were had here! Great shops to explore, lots of artists galleries to check out as well.
Plenty of parking in the neighborhoods if you drive in, we never had a problem.
Torrey Pines State Reserve – Hike
Scott really wanted to do this, so that’s why we did. (If that gives you any indication how I felt about it, lol) Not that I don’t love hikes, but it’s a really steep drive to the top of where our hike started, which made me nervous. We of course were safe, but I’m an anxious person.
Also there were so many little lizards and they are so fast! Which was cool, but also freaked me out a little. I sound like such a wimp! But being honest in case you’re not too into that kind of stuff either!
The hike itself was beautiful. The views were so stunning! Wasn’t a very challenging hike at all, very leisurely, so you can take in all the views of the cliffs (and the lizards…)
Note: only bathrooms near the top were portapotties, so keep that in mind if you’re a girl and not a fan of those! We parked at the top no problem, plenty of spots.
San Diego Zoo
Such an amazing zoo! Plan to take a while when you’re there if you want to see it all, but it’s all worth seeing! It can be pricey, so do a little research ahead of time to see if there are any deals for tickets going on. Of course it’s great for kids, but we loved it also! I’ll spare you a million pictures, but posting 2 of my favorites. Some of the exhibits did have a line, so a little patience is required.
Tips:
– Wear comfortable walking shoes.
– Food and water are allowed to be brought in (large coolers are not), so I’d suggest doing so to save a little money and be able to have more choice over your food. None of it looked like it be all that great.
– Might be a good idea to bring snacks that are easy to eat while walking around!
Balboa Park
Gigantic park, so pretty to walk around! We went to the dog park and hung out there for a while because we love dogs, duh. Would be a good place to pick up some food and sit and hang for a while. The museum was right by there as well, we didn’t get to go, but all the exhibits sounded really interesting. If it wasn’t our last day we probably would have gone.
How We Got Around
Mitsubishi let us borrow their 2018 Outlander Sport for the week we were there and it was a great car to drive!
All the different things we did were pretty spread out, so you’d need a way to get around to all of them. A rental car made it really easy for us, so that’s something to consider. Otherwise you may have to uber/lyft all around. We didn’t use the public transportation, so I don’t really know how accessible that is.
Anything Else?
Love this city. Absolutely beautiful place with so much do to, lots of great outdoor activities – which is perfect because the weather is amazing! Great, fresh food, and a very chill vibe! Definitely recommend visiting!
