It didn’t take me long to say yes to my friend Grace’s suggestion to tag along on a short getaway to see her daughter Jackie in San Diego. I had only been there one other time, and a trip to perpetually sunny San Diego seemed like a nice diversion from the unpredictable weather of Chicago in May. Although the trip was considered a 4 day getaway, after taking away travel time, we would have 72 hours to work with, so Jackie built an itinerary around as many must-sees and must-dos as we could possibly squeeze in - wine tasting, beach, sight-seeing and of course cuisine!
Immediately after arriving in San Diego, we were in the mood for authentic Mexican dishes, so we dined al fresco in Old Town at Fiesta de Reyes on rolled tacos, quesadillas, homemade tortilla chips, guacamole and delicious margaritas! Fiesta de Reyes is surrounded by dozens of boutiques and historical sites so a little walking, shopping, and sightseeing helped burn off a late lunch.
You can't go to San Diego without visiting the Gaslamp Quarter! The Gaslamp Quarter in historic downtown is a 16 block walkable urban playground of restaurants, nightclubs, shops, boutique hotels and entertainment that’s definitely worth exploring. To experience a great view of San Diego (especially at sunset) visit Altitude Sky Lounge. Another rooftop destination with stylish surroundings and craft cocktails is Rustic Root. If you like country and western music, Moonshine Flats has live music, line dancing, and an open-air extension with backyard style games, tailgate food and various bars. (Don’t worry seniors - you see all ages!)
How do you visit California without wine tasting? About an hour north of San Diego is Temecula - a beautiful city known for it’s wineries (all 37). It’s definitely worth the drive. Select a few wineries to visit, take in the scenery, sit and taste wine and select your favorites to take home with you. One great thing about the wineries in Temecula is that they are close together - basically one right after the other - you don’t have to drive far to get from one winery to the next. We visited Wilson Creek and Ponte and loved both of them. Briar Rose Boutique Winery looked enchanting enough to see on the next visit! Tastings include a take-home wine glass so it’s kind of fun to collect wine glasses from the different wineries. Dinner in Old Town Temecula at the rustic-chic 1909 was delicious and a relaxing way to end our day. 
We started our Sunday with strawberry/mango mimosas and out-of-this-world lobster bisque at World Famous and a stroll along Pacific Beach. A trip to San Diego Zoo was a definite and we were not disappointed - so pretty. My favorite had to be the adorable koala bears. Your ticket includes a ride on the Skyfari aerial tram which takes you on a ride for a birds-eye view of the entire zoo. I love walking, so the walk through the zoo was perfect! Early evening, we took a journey to beautiful La Jolla Cove (loved watching the waves hit the rocks) to see the sea lions and seals sunbathe. For dinner, Jackie suggested Herringbone for martinis and small plates in La Jolla - magical atmosphere and yummy fare! 
The last few hours of the trip were spent shopping at Seaport Village. At Seaport Village, you can shop in dozens of specialty shops, eat, or just sit on the boardwalk and watch ships come into the harbor (or people watch). We had such a great time in San Diego, we have already planned our next trip! 
No comments:
Post a Comment