Staycation

“ A week in San Diego” by an east coast gal.

To avoid downtown San Diego traffic, it’s best to stay outside of the city. Our Vrbo for this trip was located in Imperial Beach, roughly 20 minutes south. There are plenty means of transportation to and from the city, from bus to trolley to bike and scooter rentals. Finding parking for our rental car wasn’t too much of a hassle though, and the trolley schedule/app was slightly more confusing than it was worth.

Although Imperial Beach isn’t the cleanest (being near a sewage treatment plant and all) or liveliest on the coast, there are several small worthwhile restaurants, including one on the end of a pier and another with a 180 degree view of the ocean. We found that Mike Hess Brewing had the best tacos in town. Be mindful while strolling Imperials streets though, there are A LOT of helicopters surrounding the border which may become a nuisance if you’re looking for more of a relaxing beach stay.

There are beautiful coasts and caves closer to La Jolla and Sunset Cliffs. These are both the most notorious places to view wild sea lions. A favorite stop is the Cave Store in La Jolla. For $10 you can descend the stairs of a tunnel once used for smuggling alcohol during the prohibition era. The views are fantastic along the nearby trail leading along the edge of the cove. Sunset cliffs has a metal stairwell to enter a beach and tide pool area, but be sure to check the tides as you will become stranded!

Balboa Park and the San Diego zoo are neighboring locations in San Diego’s downtown. It’s best to set aside at least 2 days for walking around both. The zoo took our group approximately 5-6 hours to see everything. Balboa Park has a lot of historical architecture worth photographing. For a colorful scene, visit the art district and enjoy a lavender chai latte from Daniels Coffee. Check the schedule for free outdoor organ concerts during the summer as well.

Another area to set aside a day for exploring is Old Town San Diego. With buildings still standing from the oldest settled town in San Diego, this neighborhood has a lot of culturally rich activities to indulge in. The town hosts plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants. It gets a little hectic at night, so reservations are recommended if possible.

A couple staple monuments worth catching while in Southern California, are the naval Kissing Statue and Cabrillo Monument. I highly endorse driving the coastline of the park surrounding the Cabrillo Monument. Mt. Soledad near La Jolla provides a 360 degree view of San Diego and is a beautiful area to watch the sun set.

You can find these photos and more on my Instagram @dancinggibby or by subscribing to this blog!