The Ultimate San Diego Weekend Getaway Guide
I love any opportunity to take a weekend getaway. These quick trips give me the chance to break out of my normal routine and they also give me an excuse to eat a lot of good food. While living in LA I took many weekend trips to different parts of the Golden State. One of my favorite California getaways was to San Diego. Although it is only a 3-hour drive between LA and San Diego, San Diego has its own unique vibe. There are so many places to explore in California’s second largest city. Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a relaxing beach day, San Diego has so much to offer.
As a child I visited San Diego with my family and we took the opportunity to explore the incredible San Diego Zoo. I decided to skip the zoo on this trip, but I can recommend it as it was one of the most impressive zoos I have ever visited. For this weekend getaway, I focused on hitting some of the other highlights and eating a substantial amount of delicious food. This was a perfect weekend getaway for me and my husband. If you are looking for some ideas for your next San Diego trip please feel free to use the following itinerary as inspiration!
Saturday Morning
Snooze: an AM Eatery
We left LA early and drove to our first stop: breakfast at Snooze. This fun restaurant has a few locations throughout the country, so even if you are not in San Diego you might be able to enjoy their delicious offerings. Their menu is filled with enticing breakfast options, but I couldn’t pass up the pancake flight. You can choose three pancakes from their menu which includes flavors like pineapple upside down pancakes, blueberry danish pancakes, and a flavor of the day. I selected the blueberry, Nutella, and peanut butter cup pancakes. The menu also includes breakfast sandwiches, bennys, French Toast, and breakfast cocktails. Be prepared for a wait because this is a very popular restaurant but I promise the food is well worth it!
La Jolla
After breakfast we ventured to the gorgeous costal area of La Jolla. I found a self-guided walking tour from Frommer’s that we followed as we wandered around this cute SoCal town. Do not miss an opportunity to visit La Jolla. You could spend an entire day strolling along the bluff, relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, or visiting the boutique shops. My favorite spots are the Children’s Pool, Ellen Browning Scripps Park, and La Jolla Cove. The Children’s Pool was intended to be a shallow wading area for children but became overrun with harbor seals. We saw a large colony of seals sunbathing on the rocks as we visited the pool.
La Jolla is an incredibly stunning area and it amazed me that some people enjoy this view out of their bedroom windows. Since that will never be my life, I decided to soak up all the time I had in this little slice of paradise.
If you are interested, La Jolla is a great place to snorkel. There are a few different shops around the Cove that sell all the snorkeling gear you need. Although the amount of people snorkeling in the afternoon might scare away any sea life, this would still be a really fun activity. Or if you arrived early enough to beat the crowds you might have better luck seeing some creatures! There are also a few tour companies that offer kayak and snorkeling tours in La Jolla. With the combination of unbeatable SoCal weather and jewel-toned water I am sure that snorkeling in La Jolla is an incredible experience.
Saturday Afternoon
Old Town State Historic Park
Our next stop was a visit to 19th century San Diego. The Old Town State Park provides an opportunity to step back in time and imagine what life was like for the early settlers of this Southern California town. In this park you can see California’s first public school, the haunted Whaley House, and an original Wells Fargo stagecoach. You can also visit the colorful Fiesta de Reyes, a shopping and dining district inside the park that showcases the unique blend of Mexican and California culture. We stopped for lunch at Casa de Reyes and enjoyed a delicious meal in their garden patio.
Saturday Evening
Gaslamp Quarter
With numerous bars and restaurants within a short walk, the Gaslamp Quarter is a great place to spend your night in San Diego. After enjoying drinks and dinner we decided to grab dessert at San Diego’s Donut Bar. We couldn’t pass up the “World’s Most Awarded Donuts.”
These donut creations are stuffed and topped with an assortment of sweets. I ordered the S’mores Donut and Austin chose the Big Poppa Tart Donut. His donut was filled with a full sized PopTart and topped with additional PopTart crumbles. Do yourself a favor and try one of these delectable treats when you are in town.
Sunday Morning
Coronado
On Sunday we drove to Coronado Island to see the luxurious Hotel del Coronado. It’s fun to walk around the lobby and dream about staying at this hotel or being pampered at the spa. Maybe we will return one day for an anniversary trip! Anyone can visit the beach on Coronado Island, so we took a nice walk along the water. Although we didn’t spend a lot of time on Coronado Island, there is plenty to do during your visit. Renting bikes, sitting in a cafe, or walking to Frank Baum’s (author of The Wizard of Oz ) house are just some of the entertainment options available on the island.
Sunday Afternoon
North Park
For lunch we headed to the North Park neighborhood. With so many options for Cali-Mex food in San Diego we wanted to find a place that offered a unique atmosphere. Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop did not disappoint. Themed to the Mexican luchadores, the walls were lined with pictures of Mexican wrestlers in their colorful masks. You can even eat at a table inside a wrestling ring. It is no surprise that their entertaining decor and tantalizing menu have attracted attention from multiple Travel Channel shows.
A short walk from Lucha Libre is my favorite dessert spot in San Diego: Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream. This shop has an arsenal of over 300 flavors that rotate daily. While it might seem overwhelming to choose a flavor, don’t stress. Hammond’s offers an ice cream flight so you don’t have to choose just one. I chose the half dozen option and received 6 mini scoops in tiny waffle cones. It was so fun to try different flavors and I love their adorable cones.
Sunday Evening
Balboa Park
We concluded our visit to San Diego with a visit to the second oldest city park in the United States (after Central Park). This park is named after the first European to lay eyes on the Pacific Ocean, Vasco Núñez de Balboa. We followed another Frommer’s walking tour which explained the history behind the Spanish style architecture seen throughout the park.
There are many ways to spend your time in Balboa Park. With multiple museums, gardens, and the renowned San Diego Zoo you could spend multiple days exploring all Balboa Park has to offer.
We chose to enjoy the early evening by strolling around the a few of the gardens. I visited the zoo during a family trip many years ago but I remember this being one of the best zoos I have ever seen. Whether you plan to visit a museum, walk around the garden, or just enjoy the So Cal weather, this park is a must do on a visit to San Diego.
San Diego makes for the perfect weekend getaway. This was enough time to leisurely fit in many different activities in this relaxed SoCal city. I really loved my time in San Diego and I hope to return to this beautiful city again soon!
What are some of your favorite spots to explore in San Diego? Where should I eat next time I visit? Let me know in the comments below!
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