Southern, CA
Before 2023 it had been 10 years since I had vacationed in California. I was thrilled to return several times over the past year. I will share some full-day itineraries around the San Diego and LA areas in this travel series. Typically I have flown in and out of San Diego and wandered north to LA for a night or two. I like to stay in the Mission Beach and Pacific Beach area. Think laid-back surfer vibes, with gorgeous sunsets. For the last couple of years, I have become a big fan of AirBnB and Turo. One thing I like about San Diego is how kid-friendly it is. Any of the below activities are easy to incorporate with your kiddos. One last tip I have for sightseeing and attractions. I always try to check out City Pass or Go City to see if I can find discount tickets.
Day 1
Wake up and grab yourself some coffee. I am a Starbucks girlie. There are several cute coffee spots around that I won’t mention because they were overpriced and sensationalized on Instagram, making them overrated. Okay, once you have your coffee head to the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge. You will be parking in a neighborhood at the crossroads of Front & Spruce Streets. This historical bridge is very charming and a nice little stop while you let your coffee bring you to life.
Now that you are awake we can head to the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo is only a 10-minute drive from the suspension bridge. Active-duty military personnel receive complimentary entry, with a valid ID. Spouses and dependents will recieve 10% off. The Zoo is home to 12,000 animals of more than 680 species and subspecies on 100 acres of Balboa Park. The zoo is the most visited in the United States. Travelers have cited it as one of the best zoos in the world. Several years ago I was able to visit the Zoo when they had Panda’s. A recent press release started that a pair of Panda’s will return again to the San Diego Zoo this summer.
Your first full day is incomplete until you get something from one of my favorite food groups, aka tacos! I would recommend Mariscos Mi Gusta Es, a taco truck located near City Heights, and De Cabeza El Unico in Chula Vista. Both are great, I am salivating as I write this!
The last stop for the day is Sunset Cliffs located in Point Loma. This is such a beautiful area to go for a walk and watch the sunset.
Day 2
We will start this day with breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. I liked everything we ate here and the service and staff were so friendly and nice. I ordered the Avocado Smash and I was impressed with the portion and amount of protein for the price point, especially in La Jolla. I picked this restaurant because it is very close to La Jolla Cove. This leads me to stop #2 of the day, The Coast Walk Trail or The La Jolla Beach Trail: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/la-jolla-beach-trail
Finding parking can be a little rough in this area. La Jolla Beach Trail is best during low tide and is 2.5 miles from end to end. If you don’t want to make the trek no problem. You can check out the Ellen Browning Scripps Park/ La Jolla Cove to see the seals. Originally this was not a must-do or must-see for me. But now I visit this area every time I am in La Jolla. There is just something about it. If seals are not your thing maybe shopping is. La Jolla has many cute shops to explore.
After you are done exploring La Jolla I would head over to Mission Beach for some afternoon fun. Bellmont Park has been a long-standing favorite of mine. Weather permitting it’s a great beach to swim at, you can walk, bike, or skate the boardwalk. The last time I was there we saw dolphins in the waves and there was a surfing competition. It is a fun lively area to spend the afternoon.
Day 3
The breakfast suggestion for today is The Mission, in Mission Beach, had some great breakfast options. We will start today off with a hike. The hike for today is Annie’s Canyon, located 30 minutes north of Mission Beach. This hike is between 1.4 and 2.0 miles. A short portion of this is a slot canyon but you can skip the slot portion if small spaces are not your thing you have options. It is free to park there are three different entrances. For more information you can visit here: https://naturecollective.org/location/annies-canyon-trail/
The second activity I have planned is to head over to Old Town. This is the oldest settled town in San Diego. There are museums, restaurants, and shopping. An alternative to this is to head to Balboa Park or if it is beach weather soak it all in. Being from Minnesota beach time is a top priority and after your hike, you might want to take a dip in the ocean to cool off.
In the evening if you are kid-free. I highly recommend visiting The Grass Skirt for some small plates or at least a couple of drinks. Finding the entrance was fun think a speakeasy. The vibe of this place is a funky tiki, a Polynesian theme, and enjoyed ourselves here.
Day 4
Today you will experience one of my favorite things I have done in the San Diego area, outside of exploring the Mission Beach boardwalk and having drinks. The USS Midway, you can spend the whole day here and it is very kid-friendly. Adults are $32, and youth and veterans are $22. We did the self-guided audio tour which added to the experience. There are several exhibits to check out and a cafe on board. The vast size of this was a cool experience. For more information check out the website: https://www.midway.org/
After you are done exploring the Midway you are probably going to be hungry. The Crack Shack is 10 minutes down the road.
Day 5
This is going to be a long day! Today we are going to make the drive from San Diego to Universal Studios. This is a 2-3 hour drive. We did this trip with my nephew and mother-in-law. We woke up at 6 am and hit the road. The park opened at 9 am. My mother-in-law hurt her foot so we needed to be at the park when it opened to get her a motorized chair because she would not have been able to walk the whole day. It was a very easy process. I brought a backpack with some water and snacks. I always try to travel as cheaply as possible without hindering the experiences I want to have. With that being said you could decide to get a hotel or AirBnB for a couple nights. Then you could avoid the drive in the morning. It worked out great for us we enjoyed Universal and loved Mario Land. One perk of having the motorized scooter was we were able to skip a majority of the lines. The downside is you miss some of the cool cues they have as you are waiting in line. I did book us an AirBnB that was 30 mins from Universal for that evening. I know we would all be tired and didn’t want to make my husband drive us back to San Diego all on the same day.
