[ad_1]
Most often, I vacation in a city I haven’t visited because I love the excitement of exploring a new place. But there is one place I keep coming back to: San Diego. The “sunny and 70” city not only offers a warm welcome, but also has the same lightheartedness as my hometown Denver, but with the Pacific and not the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.
I usually fill up my San Diego itinerary with some tourist traditions, such as watching the sea lions glimpse the rugged coastline of La Jolla, enjoying hearty pasta dishes on a red checkered tablecloth in the Little Italy neighborhood, and hopping on a ferry to the golden, wide sands of the island of Coronado. Nevertheless, even after several trips to “California’s Beach City”, I have the feeling that there is still so much to discover (Balboa Park alone has 1,200 hectares with 17 museums).
On my recent trip to San Diego with a friend, we split our trip in two and spent a busy couple of days in downtown Gaslamp Quarter before retreating to La Jolla, an upscale coastal village with postcard-perfect views in all directions. Here’s how to get two different vacations during a long weekend trip to San Diego.
Stay overnight in downtown San Diego
Nightly rates at the Pendry start at $ 276.
Brittany Anas for Hearst Newspapers
San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is a great base for a variety of adventures, whether it’s a food trip to Little Italy, a tram ride to the San Diego Zoo (there are giant pandas!), Or a trip to Coronado Island. The walkable core also has many restaurants, rooftop bars, and boutiques, and next to the Gaslamp Quarter is Petco Park, where the Padres play baseball.
San Diego Zoo tickets
Orbitz
$ 63.00
Where to sleep: The 317 room Pendry San Diego is located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. Striking a perfect balance between modernity and tradition, the hotel has a fireplace in the lobby for those chilly nights during certain times of the year, as well as artistic nooks perfect for a coffee break, like a carved art deco-inspired arch with a built-in sea-green bench. Because holidays are worth celebrating (especially these days), there is a Moët & Chandon champagne machine in the hotel’s high-end restaurant, Provisional Kitchen, Café & Mercantile.
The hotel’s rooms have quirky wallpaper, and if you look closely, you’ll see surfers and rabbits in the ornate design. Other in-room joys include preppy blue checks, fluffy bathrobes, turndown macarons, and one of the hottest hotel design trends: the exhibitionist shower (think: a walk-in glass shower just a few feet from the bed that has a shower) optional privacy curtain).
A crown jewel of the hotel is the pool area with turquoise striped parasols, a spacious jacuzzi and The Pool House, a place that serves dishes such as french fries and guacamole by the pool, tuna poke bowls, oysters on the half-bowl with champagne mignonette and cocktails, which you can order by the glass or jar, including mezcalitas (smoky mezcal margaritas). Definitely make time for an afternoon by the pool when you book here.
In addition, the hotel’s friendly concierge team will point you in the right direction. (That’s when we heard from An’s Dry Cleaning, what could be called a gelato whisper bar).
Nightly rates at The Pendry start at $ 276, book here.
Pendry San Diego – hotel room
hotels.com
What should I do: For a fun day trip, take the Coronado Ferry ($ 14 round-trip per person; kids 3 and under are free) and cross San Diego Bay to Coronado Island. The ride takes about 15 minutes, and when you arrive you’ll find yourself in a waterfront marketplace with shops, restaurants, slice of pizza and bike rentals. Coronado is best explored on two wheels, with scenic bike paths criss-crossing the island. Marvel at the architecture, a mix of styles including Victorian, Spanish, and Cape Cod-meets-California Coastal. Look out for the ornate and sculptural sandcastles of “The Sandcastle Man” that appear on the beach, often near the Hotel del Coronado (nightly prices start at $ 291). If you get inspired, the aforementioned sandcastle lover offers individual and group lessons. At Coronado, you can skate on a scenic ice rink on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Hotel del Coronado’s “Skating by the Sea” ice rink is open now through January 2nd (general admission is USD 35, including ice skates). Reserve in advance.
During your trip, allow some time for Balboa Park, arguably the cultural hub in San Diego and also the best place to go if you really miss being a kid and going on excursions. Tickets are on sale now for the Comic-Con Museum, a new place that celebrates comics, science fiction, films, video games and cosplay. The park has 16 other museums devoted to everything from contemporary art to photography to science and the history of trains, cars, and airplanes. In addition to the museums, the park has performing arts venues and beautiful gardens, including the serene Japanese Friendship Garden with a koi pond, water features, and cherry grove, which is a great place to hang out until your next passport stamp.
Comic-Con tickets
Comic con
If you can, combine your visit with a performance at The Rady Shell in Jacobs Park. The $ 85 million-dollar venue on the bay, which looks like a clam from the water, opened in August and is home to the San Diego Symphony. The 10,000-seat amphitheater has a great sound system and unbeatable views, and has been named the only permanent waterfront venue on the west coast. In addition to symphonies, the venue has hosted a wide range of shows, from comedy to bluegrass.
Where should we eat: You will know you have arrived in Little Italy when you smell the garlic! The neighborhood has classic Italian restaurants like Mimmos, which makes homemade pasta served in dishes like linguine with clams and baked lasagna.
For another option, Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy is known as “Top Chef Alley” because of the high density of restaurants run by celebrity chefs. “Top Chef” alum Brian Malarkey’s Mediterranean-meets-California spot, Herb & Wood, is here, as is “Top Chef All-Stars” winner Richard Blais’s Juniper & Ivy, which serves seasonal dishes.
Lumi in the Gaslamp Quarter is a classy Japanese dining experience featuring surf-and-turf sushi rolls and a Toki highball machine that uses Japanese whiskey to make cold, bubbly brews.
Stay in La Jolla
The garden courtyard of the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa.
Brittany Anas for Hearst Newspapers
Nicknamed “The Jewel” of San Diego, La Jolla is a stunning coastal village where sandstone cliffs hug La Jolla Cove and rare pine trees are preserved in the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Alongside the cliffs on the coast, La Jolla is home to art galleries, boutiques, and great restaurants.
Where to sleep: A hacienda-style retreat with Spanish architecture, the grounds of the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa will take you from zero to zen in no time. The hotel has 10 acres of lovely gardens and hundreds of trees – figs, olives, eucalyptus, and even a wishing tree to set your intentions on for 2022. For an extra touch of whimsy, uplifting quotes are painted on the corridors throughout the resort, leading to a fun scavenger hunt during your stay.
The hotel’s Haven pool area is typical of Cali, with towering palm trees, daybeds for sunbathing, and a tile-framed fireplace and heated saltwater pool. There is also a huge chess court, jacuzzi and pool bar.
The hotel also shines when it comes to creativity. (When I was there over Halloween, the resort held a “Bridgerton” themed ball with cirque acts, boozy ice cream, and a photo-ready queen commanding a throne). On the holidays, the fun continues in the hotel’s Greenfinch Bar, which throws out cocktails approved by Santa Claus on Fridays and Saturdays, such as the “Elf off the Shelf”, a tequila cocktail with matcha coconut cream and green tea boba. Estancia also hosts yoga in their gardens and a dinner series with local chefs.
Nightly rates at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa start at $ 229; book here.
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
hotels.com
What should I do: Weekend mornings are for energetic adventures. Or brunch. Maybe both? Book a fully guided kayak tour with La Jolla Kayak that will take you to the Ecological Reserve and along the La Jolla Sea Caves. Look for cameos of leopard sharks, sea lions, and dolphins. You can also see a Garibaldi, which looks like a giant goldfish and is the official state marine fish of California. In the colder months, you can rent a wetsuit for the tour, which is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours long.
La Jolla Kayaks – Book now
La Jolla kayak
For some entertainment, check out a show at the La Jolla Playhouse on the University of California San Diego campus. The show you see here might be Broadway-related as this Tony Award winning playhouse has a good track record of directing productions that later land in New York.
Where should we eat: For a special meal, make reservations at The Marine Room, famous for high-tide dinners when the crashing surf creates a dramatic spectacle outside the restaurant windows. The chef’s specialties include sea bass stuffed with crab, as well as pan-fried shrimp and scallops.
For a casual meal to satisfy your taco cravings (they’re a must-see in San Diego), head to The Taco Stand, a taqueria inspired by the taco stalls in Tijuana. Try the nopal taco with cactus, melted cheese, and coriander sauce in addition to the fish or pork tacos. There are also extras like carne asada fries and churros.
The author was moderated by The Pendry and Estancia La Jolla. However, the coverage of this story was independent and neither the hotels reviewed nor approved this story.
[ad_2]
Source link
