Travel Tuesday: San Diego Edition

This week for my new travel feature I thought I'd share the highlights from last month's trip to San Diego. I posted some of my outfit pictures already but not much about what we did while we were there. Take a minute and let yourself be mentally whisked away to the perfect weather and beauty of San Diego! Doesn't that sound good?! Here we go...

First of all, I want to recommend the hotel we stayed at because it was really nice and affordable! Below is a picture of the Sofia Hotel. It's located in the Gaslamp Quarter, within easy walking distance to great dining options, some of the city's major attractions, and public transportation. It's also right across the street from Horton Plaza if you want to do a little shopping. My husband was attending a conference during part of the week and it was a short walk from the hotel over to the convention center.



On our first day we took the light rail over to Old Town. Some people might think this is too touristy but I think it's a must see! Get a glimpse into the past and see what the original San Diego settlement was like. We had great Mexican food there, strolled along the old streets, browsed in the shops, got some toffee from the old-fashioned candy shop, and toured the McCoy House Museum. My husband got some cool shots of the storefronts and made the one below look old by changing it from color to sepia tone.



Any city guide will tell you that another must-see stop is Balboa Park and I agree! You could spend several days there visiting all of the gardens, museums, and of course the famous San Diego Zoo. We only had time for a quick walk before heading to the center of the park to the Old Globe Theatre for an outdoor performance of King Lear. This was heaven for me since I love literature and plays, but my husband enjoyed it too. There are three different venues on site and they often do non-Shakespeare performances, so check it out even if you're not into the Bard.



On our last full day there we took two boat rides. First was the ferry over to Coronado Island. It's just beautiful there! Things to see: beaches, shopping, dining, and great views of the city skyline from across the water. We ate lunch at the Coronado Brewing Company (YUM!!) and then went back over to the mainland to catch the harbor cruise. I recommend the Hornblower Sea Lion Harbor Cruise. They give you a great tour with lots of information about San Diego landmarks and history, you can take great photos of the city from the boat, and you get to see adorable sea lions. So fun!



Here's a beautiful shot my husband took of the city. That's Seaport Village on the right. If you're pressed for time, skip the village. I wasn't impressed with their food options (either over-priced fancier restaurants or poor quality order at the counter types). There are some cute shops but I would have rather spent more time on Coronado Island or in the Gaslamp Quarter instead.



On our last night there we of course had to squeeze in a game for my baseball-loving husband. I have to admit, Petco Park was pretty awesome. It's nestled right in the urban center so you get a cool view of the building surrounding you in the stadium. We were rooting for the Padres that night and they won big! Yay! :-)



I hope you enjoyed my little tour of the city! Several Anthro bloggers live in the San Diego area and you might remember my post about how I was lucky enough to get to meet up with Carol from In Pursuit of Pretty Things and visit an Anthro store with her. It was such a fun addition to a fantastic trip to what has become one of my favorite cities.

Stay tuned for next week's Travel Tuesday beach edition!