San Diego – Sunny Pacific Paradise

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SAN DIEGO

This Pacific Coast paradise has miles of sandy beaches, great food options, and fun for the whole family. San Diego is famously known as the home of Sea World, but I’ll give you the insight on all the other amazing things to do in this sun kissed city.

Need to Know:

Currency: USD

Language: English

Airports:

SAN – San Diego

SNA – Santa Ana

Electrical Outlets: 120V supply voltage and 60Hz

Planning Your Trip

Accommodation – There are tons of cute Airbnbs in San Diego. We absolutely loved this sunny boho apartment that was in a great location! It wasn’t walking distance from the main attractions in San Diego, but was a safe area.

Getting Around – It is easiest to drive around San Diego as there is pretty abundant parking and limited public transportation. Lyfts and Ubers are also readily available.

Top Things to Do:

USS Midway: Considered the top tourist attraction in San Diego, I would highly recommend visiting the USS Midway Museum. This US Naval Aircraft carrier is located downtown, docked at Navy Pier, so you really can’t miss it. Adult admission is $26 for a self-guided audio tour and free range of the incredible ship. Be sure to strike up a conversation with the docents who will be more than happy to share their experiences and tell you all about the magnificent ship.

La Jolla Cove: Just north of San Diego, make sure you schedule a trip to La Jolla to see La Jolla Cove. This cute little coast town is famous for the seals that spend their days basking on the sea cliffs. You can get pretty close to these beautiful animals, but be sure to respect their space. You can also stroll around the town of La Jolla were there are tons of little shops, galleries, and bars.

Relax at the Beach: We took some time to drive over the iconic Coronado Bridge and then relax at Coronado Beach. This is a huge public beach with soft, white sand. Although the water is always pretty cold, I made sure to take a quick plunge into the chilly Pacific. This is a perfect beach for laying out, playing frisbee, or watching the sun go down.

Balboa Park: This huge park has so much to see including the world-famous San Diego Zoo! We didn’t have time to check out any of the paid attractions, such as the zoo, so we rented scooters and zoomed around the park just to see the sights. The park is filled with beautiful gardens and Spanish inspired architecture. Make sure you take some time to explore this beautiful park!

Little Italy: This open pedestrian area is just part of the San Diego district know as “Little Italy.” With countless incredible restaurant options to explore, you won’t be disappointed if you head this way for dinner. You can also check out one of my all-time favorite ice cream shops, Salt & Straw. They always have a non-sorbet dairy free option which is such a bonus for dairy-free peeps like me.

Unconditional Surrender: This is one of the iconic statues resembling a 1945 photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt on V–J day in Times Square. This is a fitting addition for this naval and military influenced town. This statue is much bigger than it appears in the picture, so definitely stop in to check it out!