Quote:
Originally Posted by nickw252
Just doing some sight-seeing with the wife. No kids and no partying/nightlife. Breweries sound fun though.
We are staying on the north side of Fiesta Bay.
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Well since it's with the wife and it is your first time to SD, I'd recommend staying in the high traffic areas first before you venture off to other neighborhoods. I got a lot of recommendations, hope this helps!
If you're into physical activities and the weather cooperates:
Hiking: Mission Trails Regional Park or Torrey Pines like VLJ said
Biking: Bay front, Ocean front of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach and a great way to get around and site see.
Snorkeling/Kayaking: La Jolla Cove
"Children's Pool" in LJ is a good spot for picture taking at near sunset, no children allowed to recreate on the beach anymore, protected for the seals.
Harbor Tour: Hornblower off Broadway Pier, 1 or 2 hour tours, snacks and drinks on board.
Mt. Soledad: if you drive up to La Jolla and it's clear, take the scenic route and stop off at Mt. Soledad, awesome vistas at the top. You can see Tijuana to the south, Camp Pendleton to the North, Snow to the east, and great views of the ocean.
If the weather is not ideal:
Balboa Park has about 15 museums and attractions all clustered there.
Mission Valley: sprawls-ville, chains, big box, big malls, movie theaters. Fashion Valley/Mission Valley malls within a mile of each other. Good place to kill time if its pouring.
Dining: There are a lot of great places for a date night with the wife
George's at the Cove in LJ is an excellent restaurant with ocean views. Good shopping/dining in La Jolla Village.
PB (one of the highest concentration liquor licenses per capita in CA):
a younger crowd, but there are some good restaurants sprinkled in amongst the casual beach bars and clubs (which are fun). Cafe Bella Italia on Garnet is great. World Famous (steaks/seafood) on the boardwalk where Pacific Beach Dr. terminates and JRDN in Tower 23 hotel, north of the Crystal Pier along the boardwalk has a nice atmosphere.
Ocean Beach: casual, older, hippy-ish, gritty. CASH ONLY at most places, but some good spots on Newport Ave. Pizza Port on Bacon St. has some interesting beers and awesome pizza.
Gaslamp: It's a totally different scene than the beaches. It's a big mix of people, ages, incomes etc...Typically, there are dress codes and has the sophistication of a city atmosphere. Searsucker on 5th/Market is always a popular restaurant, Osetra on 5th/E is known for their seafood and wine tower at the bar.
Coronado: Very clean, very safe, nice little cafe's and restaurants on Orange Ave and of course, the historic Hotel Del on the ocean side. You can take a ferry from Downtown SD to Coronado for a couple bucks and explore around the town on foot or rent a bike. It's like taking a trip back in time to the 1940s.
Old Town: Touristy, but cool if you like history. You'll learn much about SD's history. Large cluster of Mexican restaurants particularly along San Diego Ave. Cafe Coyote, Casa Guadalajara and Miguel's come to mind. Also the location of Old Town Transit Center, busses connect to the Blue and Green line trollies if you're looking to go DT for cheap.