San Diego…the city of Angels! Wait..wait…that’s Los Angeles. What is San Diego known for? Well, it’s nicknamed “America’s Finest City”. After visiting San Diego for 48 hours, I can say that I totally agree and can’t wait to go back to experience more. It’s maybe not the finest city but I’m sure you will have plenty of things to do and plenty to eat in the eighth largest city in the U.S.
When it comes to planning, I am usually overzealous when it comes to scouting locations to see on a trip. I usually figure it’s better to have too many things on the schedule than to not have enough especially when I’m visiting not as a “relaxation-vacation” as I call it. Also, I never know when I’m going to have a chance to get back to an area so I pack my schedule chock full of places to see. After reading this blog, you can decide where to spend more time and where you really want to get a chance to relax. Granted, the grueling pace that I set for myself isn’t for everyone and you may want to plan your trip to San Diego based on types of things you like to see but hopefully, some of the places I chose to visit will make your list. This was my first trip to the San Diego area and I would say that 2-3 days was a reasonable amount of time to get a good gauge on the ambiance of San Diego. My first thoughts are that I really like San Diego. It’s kind of like a less busy form of Los Angeles. The traffic is bad in places and at certain times, but certainly not as bad as Los Angeles. There is a lot of diversity in the people and culture of the area and most of the people are pretty nice and not super pretentious. Most of the city areas are reasonably clean and best of all, it’s never long distance to be able to get to the beach. The first place that I went to from my list was to Torrey Pines State Reserve. When I go back to San Diego, I will definitely be going back here. I honestly did not plan enough time for this beautiful place. You could actually spend a whole day here. I loved that you can get such a beautiful view of the ocean from up high and can feel that awesome breeze rolling in to cool you off while you hike. There are so many different levels of trails to hike while exploring and learning about the nature of California within this park.
The bonus is that the beach is below the park so when you get done with the trails you can head down to the beach to cool off or take a more leisurely walk. The majority of the trails are covered in sand, so wear the appropriate footwear. Be aware during your hike as well since as with many of the parks in this area, there are rattlesnakes and other wildlife. You do have to pay a nominal fee to enter this park but it’s well worth your money. 
Ten miles south of Torrey Pines State Reserve is the town of La Jolla. La Jolla is also a town I could have spent a whole day in. The village of La Jolla is about 13 miles from San Diego. As will many cities in the area, La Jolla is a beachfront community nestled up on the hills. I wanted to go kayaking in the La Jolla Caves but the waves/tide made it impossible on the day I went. I would say that kayaking into the caves would be an excellent experience if you’re looking for something a little riskier to do but you enjoy nature. If you can’t get to the caves, just walk along the coastline and check out the tide pools. I started from the Children’s Pool La Jolla and walked down to La Jolla Cove. You’re almost always guaranteed to see the seals and sea lions basking in the sun or bobbing up and down out in the water searching for their meals. It’s really cool to see them in their natural environment and not in a zoo so bring your camera to take some interesting shots. 
If you are looking for an interesting and somewhat odd piece of architecture, head away from La Jolla and go about 4 miles north along the coast to find the Mushroom House. 
You may be able to stop here on your way south from Torrey Pines if you don’t want to backtrack. You can’t get to the Mushroom house totally by car. You have to get out and walk a portion of the way. I parked at the University of California, San Diego/ Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography near the Eckart Building. Finding parking near here can be problematic since there is an aquarium and a school around there and some have permit parking. You may be able to park near Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier or at La Jolla Shores Park which is further south or start from Black’s Beach which is north if you don’t mind walking.
FYI: Black’s Beach is a clothing optional/nude beach so keep that in mind. If you’re trying to get to the Mushroom House, you will have to go when the tide is out or low. This may seem like a lot of work to find this place but I like the challenge of finding odd places that many people don’t normally seek out. I walked north against across the large rocks that break the surf for about a half a mile and ended up at the Mushroom House. One of the reasons this house is so unique is that it’s a private guest house that is accessed from a 300 ft tramway that runs from the main house above down to the Mushroom House. Don’t think about trying to jump the fence or trespass as the house is on closed-circuit video cameras.
San Diego is also rich in maritime history. If you head back into downtown San Diego, park near the Embarcadero and walk down toward the USS Midway Museum. You’ll pass the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the Star of India. The Star of India is a sailing ship that was turned into a floating museum. There is also the USS Midway which is an aircraft carrier that was also turned into a museum with exhibits. I didn’t get to spend much time here as I was rushing to get to a good location to see the sunset. This area is also a great place to watch the sunset just in case you were wondering. 
There are several other memorials along the way and if you make it past the USS Midway there is a tribute to Bob Hope, the “Embracing Peace” Statue, and the “Unconditional Surrender” Statute. The “Unconditional Surrender” statute is highly recognizable as a sculpture designed from a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt that portrays a navy sailor embracing and kissing a woman upon his return from World War II over the Victory over Japan Day in Times Square, NY. 
I always love to stop and check out street art or wall art whenever I’m in a city and yet again San Diego meets the mark on this. I appreciate that art is all around us. It’s not just the kind that nature creates for us but the kind that is crafted by the hand of man. I also can appreciate that street artists often times do not get paid anything for showcasing their art but instead share their ideas at no cost to the passersby. It may still incite the same feelings that you would get if you saw the same art inside an art gallery, but I love how raw the street/wall art is and how it integrates with the beauty of nature. Here are a couple of shots of treasures I found around the city.
If you’re looking to get as close as possible to Mexico without crossing the border, head down to Border Field State Park. You can literally walk along the beach toward the border the United States has with Mexico and peer into, in a sense, another country. If you have your passport and supporting documentation, you can just go into Mexico at the border crossing and explore Mexico, but if you just want a taste without leaving the U.S, you can go here. There are border patrol guards everywhere and helicopters flying overhead constantly to keep tabs on anyone trying to go in or come out so don’t do anything foolish to get arrested. The beach itself is pretty quiet and when I went, there was virtually no one there. That may be for obvious security reasons or maybe it’s due to the signs regarding not swimming in the water due to hazards and sewage. 
The Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala was founded by Friar Junipero Serra on July 16, 1769, and per the Mission’s website “San Diego de Alcalá, the first of the twenty-one great California Missions, marks the birthplace of Christianity in the west coast of the United States. It is California’s first Mission Church.” The Mission Basilica is still an active church and holds mass regularly as well as other special events. Work is still being done to restore portions of the mission and unearth new information about its history.
Even if you’re not a religious person, you may still find the architecture or the main chapel as well as the native flora on the grounds breath-taking. Be aware of mass times and make sure you donate for entry. They offer tours, but check the website or call before you go if interested in a tour. I walked the grounds on my own and fell in love with the history and beautiful structures on the grounds. It really is beautiful inside and out. If you’re interested in doing a little hiking nearby, head over the Mission Trails Regional Park and maybe participate in their 5-Peak challenge since there are five peaks very close together over 1000 ft. 
No visit to San Diego would be complete without a visit to Balboa Park. If you’re looking for beautiful architecture, interesting museums, or even performing arts, Balboa Park has everything you’re looking for and more. You could honestly make a whole day out of your visit. Most people come to Balboa Park for the zoo which is one of the largest and best in the nation. I usually don’t go to zoos when I travel as I can really go to a zoo anywhere and most of them are pretty similar. I’m usually looking for new experiences when I travel. I look for things I couldn’t possibly do anywhere else. If you have kids, the San Diego Zoo is probably one of the best places to get your kids to spend all their energy and give you the most bang for your buck aside from Sea World.
Some other spots to check out with Balboa Park are the Japanese Friendship Garden, the Museum of Man which is a museum of anthropology and archaeology from all over the globe, the San Diego Museum of Art, The Old Globe which is a theatre modeled after Shakespeare’s Globe and has performing arts performances, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the Spanish Village Art Center which is a collection of studios over 200 artists that is free and open to the public.
There’s even a dog park if you want to bring your fur friends, an archery range, and more than 1200 acres to explore. In order to get around the park, you can ride the shuttle around the park if you’re not up for walking around the whole park. The shuttle is handicapped accessible. In order to save money, you may want to look into getting the Balboa Park Pass which allows for one general admission to the 16 museums in the park as well as admission to the zoo, aerial tram, and the guided tour bus. It really is well worth the cost if you plan on staying in the park for almost the full day.
There are suggested itineraries for visiting the park on the website, so if you’re not really sure exactly what to see in the time you have there, the pre-planned itineraries might help.
You’ll start to notice if you’ve read any of my other posts that I do love a good sunrise or sunset. San Diego is no exception and there are actually quite a few places to catch the sunset that will really help to finish one of your days in San Diego. I chose to experience the sunset at the accurately named Sunset Cliffs Park. If you’re trying to get there, I used the address 4596 Ladera St San Diego, CA 92107 in my GPS. Pretty much if you get to Ladera Street you’ll see it. All you have to do is walk toward the water once you get on Ladera. Point blank…this place is AMAZING!!! It’s exactly as the name states, a park on the edge of cliffs that leave an unimpeded view of the gorgeous sunset. I can’t even describe how wonderful the view is from here. I’ll just drop these photos in….
Seriously though, be mindful of your children or pets as there aren’t any guard rails or fences to keep them from tumbling over the cliffs. This also might not be a place to stumble upon if you’ve had a few too many alcoholic beverages to drink or you might be stumbling upon injury or death as you cascade down the steep jagged rocky abrasive cliffs. Otherwise, enjoy the sunset and head out. I really enjoyed watching the surfers from up high zipping through the waves as the blue waters take on the red-orange hue of the setting sun.
Overall, I really do like San Diego. Yes, it’s a little expensive in many areas but all the places I visited were free or low-cost with the exception of the spots in Balboa Park, the small entry fee of $5 to Torrey Pines, the fee for the U.S.S. Midway Museum, and a fee of about $5 for the Mission Basilica. I spent less than $200 for my whole two-day trip which included all excursions, rental car, accommodations, and food which I think is pretty good. There are definitely so many more places to see in San Diego so I will go back for another adventure.
Keep your eyes peeled in the future or let me know, in the comments, of any other places I should check out the next time I’m in San Diego.
San Diago looks like a great place to visit! Campbell was there for a day a few years ago after he spent 6 weeks looking at it working from a boat haha! Will need to keep those rattle snakes in mind for when we do decide to go though haha!