Whatever you’re looking for- San Diego has it. Beaches and cliffs? Check. Nightlife and awesome food? Check. Perfect weather? Check. While a weekend may not seem like enough time, it’s certainly enough to hit the highlights and immerse yourself in all the area has to offer. Here’s how to spend a weekend in San Diego.
Start the day at Breakfast Republic
Sure, Breakfast Republic may be a chain restaurant, but it’s only a Southern California one so you don’t have to feel too guilty. This is without a doubt some of the best breakfast I’ve ever had! In fact, I was enjoying it so much that I never even got a picture of my meal. The pancakes were to die for. They had so many different flavors that I had such a tough time choosing. Thankfully they offer a flight of pancakes, so you can choose up to three flavors. Almost like they could read my mind! I landed on the Oreo, bacon, and churro cakes and haven’t stopped thinking about them since.
Hit the beach
When in San Diego- find your way to a beach! There are so many to choose from, but my personal favorite was Imperial Beach. I really loved walking out onto the long pier into the ocean and having the waves crash beneath. There were also several groups of surfers out in the water, which was super fun to watch! At the end of the pier was the Tin Fish, a walk up restaurant where you could grab a quick bite to eat. There are plenty of small restaurants, bars, and shops that line Seacoast Drive right along the beach that are easy to hit. On the day we were there, they even had a small farmers market set up!
Visit International Park
While technically still in San Diego, International Park is about a 25 minute drive from downtown. This park straddles the border between the United States and Mexico and is where you can get a photo of the iconic fence that jets out into the ocean. You can’t get too close to the fence by the water (I got honked at by Border Patrol), but if you walk just a few hundred yards inland, you can literally walk right up to the fence. A handful of families were talking through the fence, holding hands, and sharing photos on their phones. It was really a beautiful scene! There are also a few hiking trails in the park that were great, and you can even ride horses!
End the day at Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs is – you guessed it- cliffs to watch the sunset! These natural cliffs are right on the Pacific Ocean and are the perfect place to sit and end the evening. Waves will come up and crash onto the cliffs, spraying anyone their path! A few people got too closed and actually got knocked out by the waves. Be careful!
This is a popular sunset location, so plan to arrive about an hour before the sun is scheduled to go down. There is a small parking lot, but it fills up quickly. It’s a residential neighborhood so parking outside of the lot is limited. Plan ahead to make sure you can find a spot!
Scoot through Balboa Park
Balboa Park is located right in the center of the city and is a San Diego icon! The park is HUGE, and the best way to see it all is by scooter! Plenty of scooter share companies operate in San Diego, so grab one and get rolling. There are numerous museums, gardens, and restaurants located right inside the park. You truly could spend all day here- it’s beautiful! Scoot down the main drag, El Prado, and bop in and out of anything that piques your interest. I personally loved the Alcazar Garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Balboa Park is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. If you find yourself in town for an extra day, this would definitely be where I would spend it!
Grab lunch at The Crack Shack
Don’t let its location in the heart of Little Italy fool you- if you’re looking for some damn good fried chicken, then this is the spot! It’s also an easy scoot over from Balboa Park. Plenty of outdoor seating and lawn games are available, which makes this place even more fun. Who doesn’t love a good lawn game?! The fried chicken and fries are some of the best I’ve ever had. So crispy and moist! Mmm!! Wash it down with a cookie monster shake and you won’t regret it.
Venture up to La Jolla
Let your lunch digest and jump in the car and cruise up to La Jolla. Park the car and stroll through the village, bopping into boutiques and shops- there’s just so many! It’s the picture perfect seaside town. Head over to La Jolla Cove and sit atop the cliffs to watch the waves. Stroll along the walking path in Rocky Point for a picturesque backdrop that looks over the ocean. There are plenty of beaches in town to park your butt on for the afternoon. La Jolla has it all and you could easily spend several days here!
Fall in love with the waterfront
The San Diego waterfront is the definition of heart-eyes-emoji. Personally, I wouldn’t explore it any other way than by scooter, but also understand that I may be a little obsessed with them! Scoot along Harbor Drive and bop into the marina along the Embarcadero. As a Below Deck super fan, I of course had to gawk at the mega-yachts that were parked in the marina (and then imagine myself as a chief stew). Make your way down to the Seaport Village for shopping and plenty of places to grab a meal or snack. I was lucky enough to be in town for Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day, so I was super jazzed to see a store here!
Explore the Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter is the “party scene” of SD! Dozens of restaurants, nightclubs, and bars line Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Avenues. There is a cuisine for whatever you’re feeling, a bar for whatever mood you’re in, and it’s all within a few blocks of each other. I stayed at the Kimpton Solamar and couldn’t recommend it enough. The rooms were modern and clean, and I personally loved the rooftop pool and bar. Can’t beat the central location either! There are also a few light rail stations nearby for easy transport around the city (if you want another way to get around other than scooters).
Do some plane spotting
Okay, maybe this is just a thing that AV geeks like myself would enjoy- but still a cool thing to do! San Diego airport is famous for its plane spotting, as the airport is located pretty close to downtown and there are plenty of vantage points. We met a couple of other people there taking photos who were from Europe and heard all about the plane spotting in San Diego. It really is world famous!
Here’s an exact link to where we parked to watch planes take off and land. It’s right next to the runway, and is the ultimate spot! The next day, we were scootering around Liberty Station NTC Park and, while it’s much further away, we found it to be another great spot!
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