This past weekend, myself and three of my best gal pals traveled across the country to explore the beautiful city of San Diego. I am an east coast girl through and through and the farthest I had ever been west was the inside of a convention center in Las Vegas. It’s getting pretty cold here in NYC so I was ecstatic for some warm weather and sunshine. We flew Alaska Airlines because I had to sit on the tarmac for eight hours (that one time I flew to the Las Vegas convention center) so I had a voucher to offset most of the traveling costs. This is a plea for everyone who flies – DO NOT bring salmon and broccoli as a mid-flight snack. My seatmate thought otherwise and the whole plane smelled like year-old deli meat. Fortunately, I had a cold and could only smell out of one nostril. Aside from the salmon and broccoli assault, the flight was fairly smooth and we arrived late Thursday night to our hotel, The Pendry, located in the Gaslamp District. I am normally accustomed to Days Inn, Comfort Suites, and an occasionally a Hilton Hotel so this experience was a real treat (like who gives out macaroons before bed and has a champagne vending machine??).
Friday was our first full day in the city and we wandered down the street to grab breakfast at Copa Vida. They had a multitude of coffee and tea options (which was fantastic considering I was still stuffy) and we devoured a quick but satisfying brunch. I had the avocado toast and it was superb. We then explored the neighborhood and decided lounging at the pool for the rest of the day was necessary. We soaked up the sun (and some colorful drinks) before heading downstairs to get ready for dinner.
Friday night dinner was my favorite meal of the trip. We ventured to Jayne’s Gastropub and holy cheese balls it was delicious. I split an order of The Shepherd’s Pie and The Gnocchi with one of my girlfriends and neither dish disappointed. The whole place was simply delightful. The decor was rustic, the ambiance was charming and the menu was eclectic featuring many English classics.
Saturday morning we walked to Spill The Beans Coffee and Bagels and this was my second favorite meal of the trip. The venue was hip and trendy with large windows for a fresh, light, bright, airy feel. I ordered the San Dieg-go Bagel, which was a home made sweet bun sandwich with peppered bacon, a fried egg, pepper jack and american cheese, and cayenne aioli. Then we made our way to the coast. This was my first time to the Pacific Ocean. Although the water was freezing, the breeze was warm and it was entertaining to watch the surfers as we strolled the boardwalk.
After the beach, I experienced my very first SoFar Sounds concert. This is a global network of artists and fans that help organize house shows, all the while keeping the location and performing artists a secret until the day before the event. Three artists performed that night, each with a different genre, rhythm and vibe. It was so much fun to discover some of the local talent in San Diego and experience the energy of a concert without the inflated prices. Tickets were $15 and it was BYOB.
Sunday, we brunched at Farmer’s Table in Little Italy. The restaurant is quite large and the decor lends itself to upscale, homey comfort. The options on the menu were quite extensive but of course I stuck with my absolute favorite – Eggs Benedict. We chose this area because the San Diego Zoo is about 30 minutes away and a perfect opportunity to walk off the breakfast potatoes (which were incredible).
The San Diego Zoo is world famous and home to over 3,500 rare and endangered animals representing more than 650 species and subspecies. It is also considered a botanical garden because of the extensive plant life, boasting more than 700,000 exotic plants which are grown and protected on the premise. The ticket price was a bit steep, but overall a worthwhile and fascinating excursion,
Off to La Jolla we goooo! On our last day, we ventured to the seaside village for the breathtaking views. It was insane. Hundreds of seals and sea lions basking on the rocks and then slithering down into the water to play or find food. The smell was…..fishy….but it was amazing to be so close to the animals. We then ventured to George’s At The Cove, a restaurant overlooking La Jolla Cove and the Pacific view. We ate about four-thousand chips with guacamole and salsa and sipped on margaritas and aperol spritzes as we discussed our favorite parts of the journey.
We agreed we had to go back to Pacific Beach and see our last sunset. We grabbed our leftovers and scurried to our destination. The sunset was an amazing pink, purple, golden, picturesque view and we ran around on the beach (looking like major, idiot tourists) taking all the pictures. Unfortunately while we were preoccupied, a flock of seagulls quickly swooped in and grabbed our take-out boxes from right next to us. We were helpless against the masses but thankfully caught the whole fiasco on film and we have yet to stop laughing about it.
To end the day, we enjoyed our hotel’s hot tub and discussed what 2020 might hold. So thankful for this vacation and the three amazing friends I shared it with. XOXOXO
