A Weekend in San Diego

We spent our third anniversary in sunny San Diego (we just celebrated our fourth this year so this post is long overdue). This is a city that you can EASILY spend a whole week in. Although, we did manage to see quiet a few sights with only a weekend in San Diego. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, and 79°F every day. It was the end of April and every flower imaginable was in bloom. San Diego is magical. There’s something here for everyone; great hikes, gorgeous beaches, multiple world famous zoos, delicious food and farmer’s markets, museum’s and so much more.

A bit of history for you if you’re interested. San Diego was discovered in 1542 by European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (we’ll talk more about him later) and was originally named San Miguel. The city was informally renamed to San Diego in 1602 and officially christened in 1850 when California was granted statehood. There are nine military bases in San Diego, with the Naval Base being the largest. With all the history, beautiful beaches, warm weather, and endless things to do, we thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in San Diego

Since we plan all our adventures around good food, it’s only fitting that we start there. Below you will find a list of our favorite places. Five stars all around!

Places to eat

Shore Rider Bar, La Jolla Shores Beach

Situated a block from the beautiful La Jolla Beach, Shore Rider had a fun surfer vibe going on. We dropped by for an early lunch after beaching it for a few hours. The ceviche here was divine. We also ordered up some street tacos for me and fish and chips for Jon. Everything was so flavorful and fresh!

Dunedin New Zealand Eats

Do yourself a favor and get the Bare Lamb Burger. It features a thick New Zealand lamb patty, mint jelly, blue cheese, beet root, and a fried egg. It sounds funky, but trust me – it all works so well together. To this day it is still the BEST burger I have ever had. We ended the meal with s’mores for dessert. Our waiter was so sweet, and they even threw in dessert for free because it was our anniversary.

Hodad’s, Ocean Beach

If Dunedin’s lamb burger is the best burger I’ve ever had, Hodad’s comes in a close second. First of all, HUGE burgers overflowing with toppings, sauces, and flavor. I got the Guido Burger, which contained Pastrami, Ketchup, Pickles, Swiss Cheese, Grilled Onions and Spicy Brown Mustard. It was amazing.

Piacera Mio

Very yummy, authentic Italian food. We didn’t have reservations, but they had two seats at the bar right next to the kitchen. From there, we were able to watch the chef and sou-chefs make the food and call back and forth at each other in Italian. The pasta is all handmade in the kitchen and everything tasted fresh and authentic. It was a fun experience, to be sure.

Sundara

We ordered some Indian takeout from here on our way to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sun set over the ocean. The food here was SO good. We ordered a few lamb samosas with mint chutney, chicken tandoori with lamb biryani, and a roasted vegetable salad with glazed carrots, golden beets, crispy garbanzos, goat cheese, shallots and eggplant raita, all tossed together with a a spiced herb vinaigrette. The flavors were amazing and we could barely finish our meal, even with my bottomless pit of a husband (but don’t listen to him – he’ll tell you it’s me with the bottomless pit).

Places to see

Old Point Loma Lighthouse

Old Point Loma Lighthouse is a must for historical buffs. I have a picture of my dad and me in front of the lighthouse when I was about three, so of course I had to visit again. According the the museum at the lighthouse, Point Loma was one of the first places that the first European explorer named Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed in what is now present-day California. Because of this, Point Loma is known as “the place where California began”.

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse stood guard over San Diego Bay for 36 years. It was first lit on the evening of November 15, 1855, when the first light-keeper climbed the spiral staircase and lit the lamp. The lighthouse stands sentinel 422 feet above sea level and looks out to the entrance of San Diego Bay. In fact, while it was in operation it had the highest elevation of any other lighthouse in America. At first, this seemed like an ideal spot for the lighthouse; however, it soon became apparent that thick fog obscured the lighthouse and, consequently, the light it shone. On foggy nights, it has been recorded that the light-keeper would stand at the cliffs and discharge a shotgun to warn the ships, hoping the noise would carry across the foggy bay. Because of this, the light was extinguished for the last time on March 23, 1891, and the light-keeper moved on to another lighthouse. Today, you can see the “New” Point Loma Lighthouse 100 yards south of the Old Lighthouse, located much closer to sea level.

The lighthouse sat empty for many years until 1941, when the Navy occupied the building as part of its signal station for the duration of World War II. During this time period, they painted the white lighthouse camouflage green to prevent it from standing out. Afterwards, it was painted back to pristine white.

Today, the lighthouse stands tall on the hill overlooking the bay; empty but still an icon of a historical time in California’s history. The interior has been refurbished to reflect its historic 1800s appearance, and it feels as if you are stepping back in time when you walk through its doors. The kitchen is quaint and cozy with it’s wood burning stove, and the produce on the wooden counter that looks out to the garden appears as if the keeper stepped out for a second and would be back any moment to finish cooking up a warm fish chowder. As you walk up the spiral staircase, you will see bedrooms jutting off in side rooms. Because you see, the lighthouse was not just a beacon of light maintained to warn ships but also a home for the light-keeper and his family.

San Diego Safari Park

During our short weekend in San Diego, we wanted to visit one of the zoos. We were tossing back and forth whether we should see the Safari Park or the San Diego Zoo. Ultimately, we decided to visit the Safari Park for the large and open animal exhibits and the walkabout exhibit with the wallabies and kangaroos. The Safari Park contains over 3,600 animals with over 300 species represented. The majority of the animals are from Africa (hence the “Safari” name). We spent the whole morning here and ate lunch at the Okavango Outpost Restaurant, which is situated above the safari exhibit so you can see the giraffes and elephants roaming while you eat your meal. They also offer a tram ride that takes you into the large African animals enclosure so you can potentially get up close and personal with the animals. It was a very enjoyable experience and we would definitely go again. Make sure to bring some comfy walking shoes, water, and sun screen. You can purchase your tickets online here.

La Jolla Beach

For our beach day, we arrived at La Jolla Beach around 8:00 am before the crowds arrived. The beach was gorgeous and stretched on for miles. The sand was streaked with beautiful strips of black sand, like tiger stripes. I’m not sure if this is normal to find at La Jolla or if it appears during certain times of the year, but it was very unique. We walked up and down the stretch and explored the pier a bit before walking a few blocks to grab some tacos at Shore Rider. After our lazy morning on the beach and filling lunch, we headed to do a short hike at Annie’s Canyon, San Diego’s little slot canyon.

Annie’s Canyon

Annie’s Canyon is a little slot canyon by the coast. It’s a bit of a hidden gem and about a 1.5 mile loop from where you will park in a residential area. It was a lovely walk and well shaded in the heat of the day. The little slot canyon was so interesting and reminded me of a mini Antelope Canyon in Arizona. Some spots are very narrow and only allow one person to pass at a time. At the far end of the canyon, you will find a ladder bolted into the rock wall and after climbing a few short rungs you will find yourself at the top of the canyon. From there, you can see the ocean and feel the cool, refreshing breeze.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Sunset Cliffs National Park was gorgeous. The park consists of 68 acres and is located on the western shore of Point Loma. There is a beautiful 1.4 mile coastline walk where you can see the steep coastal cliffs, sea caves, and natural arches. If you want to watch the sunset, there are many different places to view it from. We parked off of Ladera Street by the Sea Cave. You do have to get here about two hours before sunset though as parking fills up quick. We brought a picnic blanket and Indian takeout and watched the surfers catch some waves while we waited. The spectacular views were by far worth the wait.

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is one of those enchanting places where something is always going on. From concerts in the open air amphitheater, street performers and vendors, to painting and sculpting in the park. There are so many things to explore, including the 16 museums on the grounds. Their website describes the park as a place where “culture, science, and nature collide”, and I couldn’t agree more. In addition to the museums, Balboa Park also boasts a gorgeous rose garden with over 1,700 rose plants and over 130 varieties. There is also a peaceful Japanese Friendship Garden that you can walk through for a fee.

The architecture of the buildings is awe inspiring and reminiscent of European architecture. Balboa Park opened it’s gates for the first time in May of 1935. However, the land was first set aside for a park in 1868, and they first started planting all the trees on the property in 1892. Balboa Park was originally know as City Park, but in 1910, the Park Commissioners announced plans to re-name the park. They decided on Balboa Park. This name was chosen in honor of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, who was the first European to spot the Pacific Ocean while on exploration in Panama.

It’s easy to spend hours if not all day at Balboa Park. We started our day by grabbing some yummy pastries and a wedge of coconut gouda cheese from the Farmer’s Market in Little Italy (highly recommend). Then we dropped by Balboa Park while the morning was still cool and hadn’t heated up yet. We snacked on our pastries and cheese while sitting near the pond listening to a man play his guitar. It was a lovely time spent here, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting San Diego.

Where to stay

San Diego is a large city and there are countless hotels that will fit in any budget. However, our favorite way to travel is through Airbnb’s. We managed to snag a lovely little, sunlit studio within a two minute drive of Balboa Park. Here is the link. Our host was super helpful and sweet and we were centrally located to everywhere we wanted to go. Also, the bathroom was a DREAM. A vintage clawfoot tub for evening bubble baths and a gorgeous walk in shower with two shower heads – perfect for two. The bed was comfy, and there was a little fridge for us to stash our leftovers from all the eating out we did. We would definitely stay here again.

So, there you have it. A short-ish list of things to do for a weekend in San Diego. Of course, there are so many other places to see that I will have to try out someday. In the past, I have visited Sea World and that was so much fun. The dancing dolphins and killer whale shows are just incredible. Make sure to sit in the splash zone on a hot day. Jon and I will have to visit there together someday soon. Let me know if you have any other good recommendations for our next trip to San Diego!