Want to escape for a long weekend but aren't sure of where to go?
Head out to San Diego for a fun 4 days that you'll never forget! We stayed at the Omni Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter - great for eating, drinking, and shopping! Seriously, there's no shortage of shops and restaurants in this area so you don't need to waste money on an Uber just to get to dinner or have a cocktail.
Head out to San Diego for a fun 4 days that you'll never forget! We stayed at the Omni Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter - great for eating, drinking, and shopping! Seriously, there's no shortage of shops and restaurants in this area so you don't need to waste money on an Uber just to get to dinner or have a cocktail.
Day 1
After checking into our hotel, we went straight to Old Town for some great Mexican food at Rockin' Baja Lobster. Then we simply walked around and enjoyed the many free museums, such as old jails and school houses. There are tons of touristy shops in this area, but be careful - it's only day 1!
From Old Town, after we had walked off lunch, we road Birds (awesome electric scooters) to make a trip to In-N-Out, a well known West Coast burger joint! Make sure to order the Animal Fries from their secret menu to top the fries with their special sauce, cheese, and grilled onions! We finished off with dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter at Henry's Pub, which has amazing truffle fries by the way... I'm still full just thinking about this day!
Day 2
We headed out for brunch at Old City Hall in the Gaslamp District (see how great this location is?!). I had the best Avocado toast of my life here, and his French Toast was even better!
After we filled ourselves up, we headed to the San Diego Zoo. I highly recommend buying your tickets in advance to save time when you get there. The zoo is huge and we spent about 5 hours there, so many animals to see! Oh, and you can get an iced rum drink to carry around the zoo to add to the fun.
After the zoo, we headed to the Seaport Village for a stroll by the water, shopping, and dinner at Busters Beach House & Longboard Bar. At the Seaport Village, there are so many great shops selling things like T-Shirts that change color in the sun, San Diego shirts/shot glasses, pirate stuff, and so much more! After eating and shopping, we road the Birds back to the hotel - so much fun!
Day 3
Guess where we went for brunch? The Gaslamp District! The BarleyMash is the place to go if you want a Bloody Mary Bar, a great egg breakfast, and the best pretzel appetizer you'll ever have. How cute is the cheese dip in a mini cast iron skillet!
After we filled ourselves up yet again, we headed to Coronado to check out the gorgeous Hotel Del Coronado. The beach at the resort, open to the public, is known for having one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world! The restaurants at the hotel all have very unique menus, with very high prices.
After enjoyed the view, we walked into town to find a spot for lunch and we came across a place called Tavern. It had great food and a great ambiance for lunch, just what we needed! From here, we took an Uber to Little Italy. We were way too early for dinner, and there didn't seem to be many tourist shops, so what did we do? We bar hopped! And let me tell you, you can't go wrong walking into any random bar in San Diego. Just look at how cool these places look!
We went to Bencotto for some dinner and great wine. The Saffron Risotto Balls are a must! The meal itself was great, but I wouldn't necessary call it authentic Italian food. In fact, several restaurants in Little Italy aren't even Italian, crazy!
Day 4
On our last day in San Diego, we grabbed some breakfast at the hotel before heading off to SeaWorld. SeaWorld has certainly changed quite a bit since I was a kid - it's pretty much half amusement park now! I'm not kidding, we spent almost 7 hours here. First we saw a dolphin show, and dolphins are my favorite animal so I felt like a little kid again with how giddy I got! After the free 20 minute show, we saw some more exhibits before going on a few rides, including water-coasters! We bought fast passes beforehand so we could get as much out of the park as possible. The day was filled with animals, rides, and amazing fair food. What more could you ask for!
After a great day at SeaWorld, we went to Monkey King in the Gaslamp District for some Asian cuisine. I don't know how San Diego does it, but every restaurant is just really cool. It looked like a club with all of the led lights! We also decided to share a drink meant for 4 simply because it came in a bronze pineapple; good thing the hotel was right around the corner!
This was such a great trip for a long weekend and we certainly made the most of it! You can always find great deals on travel websites and just by shopping around. If you're heading to San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter is the place to be. And yes, we're definitely planning on going back!