San Diego Relaxation

A few weeks ago, I took B on a surprise trip to San Diego to celebrate his birthday & visit his brother (who smartly moved there three years ago from Cleveland). While I had been to San Diego last year for a few quick business trips, we really got to explore the area this time & had such a good time! We ate tons of good food, saw some amazing sunsets & enjoyed great outdoorsy experiences.

While we were there, everyone kept apologizing for how cold it was, but honestly? After the crazy winter we’ve had, just being out in the sun felt amazing!

Here are a few photos from our trip, followed by some recommendations of what to eat & do.

Where to eat…

• burgers in Coronado: Nicky Rottens
• sunset beverages in Ocean Beach: Wonderland (great happy hour & great cocktails – I especially enjoyed the Farmers Market)
• sushi on the beach: Cannonball in Mission Beach
• a nice dinner in La Jolla: Georges at the Cove (reservations are a must, as is rooftop!)
• authentic, hardcore Italian food & pizza & wine served in juice glasses: Filippi’s
• Sunday morning brunch al fresco: Davanti (go for the bloody mary bar, stay for the corned beef hash)
• Saturday morning breakfast that’s worth the wait: Mission (the french toast? O.M.G.)
• breakfast with a healthier spin (or not): Swami’s Cafe

What to do…

• Cabrillo National Monument (make sure to check out the tide pools!)
• Balboa Park & the California Tower climb
• Belmont Park at Mission Beach (mini-golf is surprisingly challenging!)
• Pacific Beach for a beautiful sunset

Where to stay… 

My brother-in-law’s apartment? Because that’s where we stayed :) If I went back & couldn’t crash with the fam, I’d stay at the Omni San Diego (where I stayed on business travel & loved), the incredibly historic Hotel del Coronado, or the Crystal Pier Hotel (which is on the Pacific Beach Pier).