A Long Weekend in San Diego: As Told By A Local

The iconic San Diego, California. Rich in history, fair in climate and vast in diversity. San Diego is a thriving metropolis home to millions of people and countless neighborhoods- each with a distinct flavor and offering. With so much to see, it can be overwhelming to plan a short trip to “Americas Finest City”. We host exchange students and Home Exchange guests and we are forever being asked what our recommendations are for the area, so here they are! Feel free to take these days in whatever order you see fit, adding and removing items as preferred. From the glorious beaches to vast museums, Ill take you through my favorite parts of San Diego- as told by a local.

Day 1:
Start your day at either Richard Walkers Pancake House or Brockton Villa Restaurant in La Jolla for breakfast with a view! Both are equally amazing so just check out their menus online and maybe make a reservation for one of them. After breakfast, hopefully the sun starts to peek out a bit. Drive to La Jolla Shores Park and rent some kayaks and snorkel gear from La Jolla Kayak. You may want to check Groupon for deals and reserve your rentals ahead of time. There are guided kayak tours of the cove as well but in my opinion its fairly obvious where to go and its nice to have the freedom of not being on a tour. On the other hand the tour guides share a lot of fascinating information about the area so I guess its personal preference. Anyways, take yourself on a kayak trip southward down the coast to the La Jolla Cove and caves. Observe the sea lions and watch California’s state fish, the Garibaldi, jet around with the other fishies. Bonus if you are visiting during leopard shark spawning season because these cute docile sharks are so close in the clear waters. If you have the energy after your adventure, La Jolla Shores Park is also a fantastic place to learn to surf! Otherwise, lay on the sand and work on your California tan.
When you’re hungry again, there are two great options for a late lunch or early dinner. You can go to Duke’s La Jolla, right back near Brockton Villa. Ask for a table on the patio of the bar upstairs, because you’ll never tire of that view! Alternatively, head south to the beach town of Bird Rock and the Don Bravo Grill. This is true San Diego Mexican food with one of the best views on the coast. If the patio is busy, walk down the hill to the water and there’s a perfect stone bench perched on the cliff side just waiting for you and your fish tacos.
Since you’re headed south, continue on down to Pacific Beach. If you’re in the mood, you can walk along the boardwalk with some ice cream or catch a night cap along Grand Avenue and enjoy the scene.

Day 2:
Put on your walking shoes because there is a lot to see today! In the morning, take yourself to the San Diego Zoo. Not only is the world famous zoo home to over 12,000 animals, it is also a botanical garden with over 700,000 plants! I can’t count the number of times I have been to the zoo and its still one of my favorite places in the whole world. Every exhibit is fantastic, so chase down what you are interested in, but in my opinion the coolest exhibits are the orangutans, gorillas, polar bears, elephants, and giraffes (especially if you get to feed them!). You need 4-6 hours to see the zoo without rushing. By the way, if you’ve not read the book “West with Giraffes”, its a great airplane book leading to this trip.
After you have had your fill of the animals, wander over to Balboa Park. Meander around the parks and the museums, stopping in anything that looks appealing. You shouldn’t miss the chance to take some photos at the Museum of Us and Casa del Prado, especially at sunset. The Air and Space Museum and Natural History Museum are fantastic choices, but really you could spend a week going through the whole park and not run out of fascinating things to see.
Alternatively, do this day flip-flopped and do the nighttime zoo experience instead. The animals are much more active, there are less crowds, and the temperatures are cool.
Day 3:
I hope beyond all hope that today lands on a Saturday because it will make your day that much better! If so, start your day at the Little Italy Farmers Market (which only runs on Saturday) and get your breakfast from a cute stall or food truck while browsing the many awesome local products. Afterwards, its time to explore the downtown area. If it was me, I would rent an electric scooter so I didn’t have to deal with moving the car, as the other places to come are too far to walk comfortably or quickly. Alternatively, you can move your car from Little Italy and park by the USS Midway. Either way, make your way to the USS Midway via Harbor Drive. Its one of my favorite drives in the city. If you are on your scooter, you can also check out the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park or whatever else strikes your interest. Or give yourself a little driving tour that’s fine too.
Later in the day, I recommend heading to Old Town San Diego and spending a little time walking around the State Historic Park. My favorite place to eat here is the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Again with the San Diego Mexican food, sorry not sorry. Ask for a basket of fresh flour or corn tortillas with butter to go with your meal and I promise you will not regret it.
Now, depending on how your day has gone and your feelings on the weekend so far, I have a few options for you. 1. Visit the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, which is an impactful and historically important site for Southern California. 2. Walk around Coronado Island and watch the sunset at the Hotel Del Coronado. In the winter you can ice skate right next to the sand, and in the summer you can enjoy ice cream from Moo Time Creamery, my favorite ice cream place ever invented.

Day 4:
Today start at Cabrillo National Monument and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Hike down the cliffs to the stunning tide pools at low tide. You may have to alter the order of the day to hit a low tide time. Bonus if the grunion are running! On the way out of the peninsula, cruise by or stop at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and pay your respects.
Have lunch at Liberty Station, a re-purposed military base full of trails and parks, restaurants and views to drool over. Definitely go to the Liberty Station Public Market for cool food choices. If you aren’t feeling it, there are several other fantastic restaurant options. Burn off your lunch with a quiet stroll along the water and enjoy the view of Coronado and downtown San Diego in the distance.
Finish your day with a sunset at Sunset Cliffs and/or a nice dinner at the Brigantine, one of my favorites.

Alternatives:
There is literally so much to do in San Diego its hard to narrow down the best things to do on a long weekend, but here are some other places I love and recommend if you have the time.

• Mission Bay Park for boating, bike riding, golfing or relaxing
• Mission Trails Regional Park for hiking or rock climbing
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps La Jolla and the Scripps Coastal Trail hike
• The Glider port, Blacks Beach Trail and Blacks Beach (be prepared, its a nude beach)
• Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial
• Las Americas Premium Outlets and Trumps Wall
• Julian Mining Town for a scenic road trip to San Diego’s far east county

I hope this sample itinerary helps you plan your perfect visit to our beautiful city!