I’ve already spilled the big news about our recent adventures in San Diego, but even so, there’s so much more that I want to say about this gorgeous and invigorating coastal city!

San Diego is a big city–the second largest in California, in fact! And it feels like it…but in the best possible way. It seems like there’s no limit to the food, nightlife, entertainment, and outdoor activity options in this city.

From the colorful seaside shacks and kitschy thrills at Mission Beach to the rocky coastline and multi-million dollar mansions of La Jolla, and from the trendy urban bars and restaurants of Little Italy to the wild nightlife scene in the Gaslamp Quarter, I can’t imagine ever finding myself without something to do in San Diego.

We rented a car for our California getaway, which made navigating between all of the neighborhoods a snap (and it’s a must for road-tripping up the coast, or checking out attractions outside of town). But if you’re planning to keep it local, Uber was also great for the occasions when we didn’t really feel like driving.

Where to Stay

We rented an Airbnb near the Mission Hills area, which ended up being perfectly centered between all of the areas we wanted to check out. It was just a 10 minute drive to the airport, 10 minutes to Mission Beach, 5 minutes to Little Italy and Balboa Park, and 20 minutes to La Jolla. Perfect!

The Airbnb and other rental options are plentiful, so I’d recommend going that route in terms of accommodation. Many of the neighborhoods where these Airbnbs are located are right in the heart of the action, and the ones that are located in more quiet and residential areas (like ours was) often have their own local bars, restaurants, and convenience stores nearby.

Just around the corner (literally!) from our Airbnb was a coffee and gelato shop, a taco stand, and several bars and restaurants. We had some truly delicious food there, without even having to venture out of the neighborhood!

Little Italy

Our first evening in San Diego was spent getting our bearings and figuring out the layout of the city. We had dinner at a casual English pub walking distance from our Airbnb, and afterwards decided to venture out to nearby Little Italy for a quick drink at one of the neighborhood’s many bars.

Little Italy instantly struck me as a very youthful, fun, and hip area.

We passed bar after bar that had either rooftop seating, an open-air section, or a large outdoor porch or patio. We all know how much yuppies and hipsters alike love drinking outdoors (heck, who doesn’t?) and not surprisingly, many of the bars and restaurants we passed were packed, even though it was still early in the evening.

There were all sorts of quirky local establishments to choose from (and not a chain in sight!), although we only ended up making it out to one bar that evening.

We opted for Kettner Exchange, a trendy open-air rooftop bar and lounge with a relaxed vibes. It felt stylish and smart, yet surprisingly casual. Comfortable couches and cabanas were situated around wooden tables and fire pits, and I spotted more Keds and leather jackets than heels and dresses.

We snagged some seating on a plush swing bed, topped off with a fur blanket and a pile of matching throw pillows, and spent the evening chatting and sipping on our freshly prepared cocktails. I chose the ¿Que Onda?, a zesty mixture of tequila, mezcal, lemon, ginger, strawberry, and soda water; Derek kept it classy with an Old Fashioned.

La Jolla

My previous San Diego post covers La Jolla, Carlsbad, and Torrey Pines pretty deeply in terms of photos and inspiration, so I’ll keep these sections a little lighter here and try to stick to just the key helpful information.

La Jolla was hands down my favorite beach area in all of San Diego. Unlike some of the other more central beaches, it was very rocky and steep, and the sandy stretches of beach were quite small and spaced out. The views were absolutely out of this world…I practically had to keep pinching myself to prove that it was even real!

We were up with the sun on this day, so we snagged a prime parking spot at La Jolla Cove (known for being one of the several beaches with an abundance of seals and sea lions). From there, we walked south for several miles, checking out the various little beaches and jaw-dropping scenery along the way.

It was so fun exploring the area, climbing over boulders and staring up at the rocky cliffs. It was honestly one of my most favorite travel days in recent memory, and I remember thinking that it was near impossible to give any of my worries and troubles a second thought when I was in a place as beautiful as that one.

We opted for lunch at George’s Ocean Terrace, which had some phenomenal seaside views and equally as impressive grub, before heading on to our next mini-adventure.

Carlsbad Flower Fields

We made it a priority to road trip up the coast to the little ocean-side town of Carlsbad, to see the “famous” flower fields.

I had seen numerous swoon-worthy photos of the flower fields on Instagram (I mean, for a blogger, twirling photoshoots in a field of flowers is the stuff dreams are made of, right?) and after reading online that the fields spanned 50 acres, I was itching to snap a few Insta-worthy photos of my own.

While ultimately I think my goal was achieved, overall I left the flower fields feeling slightly jipped. At $14 a pop, entrance to the flower fields didn’t come cheap. And once inside, I realized that getting that flawless photo wasn’t going to be as easy as I had assumed.

You’re not *technically* allowed in the fields, just next to them…which kind of put a damper on the whole “frolicking in the fields” scenario that had been playing out in my head. There was also a limited number of scenic photo-taking spots, which were all pretty packed with people.

Overall, knowing what I know now, I’d give the flower fields a miss. But hey, if you’re really keen to see one of the biggest fields of flowers you’ll likely ever come across, give it a shot anyways!

Torrey Pines

We wrapped up our first full day of adventures with a pre-sunset hike in Torrey Pines. And while I now have my own personal reasons for loving this gorgeous location, I have a feeling that anyone who visits will feel a similar magic spark based solely on the scenery itself.

Although it’s located directly adjacent to the ocean, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is an extremely arid, almost desert-like place. The strong, dry Santa Ana winds blow south from the nearby deserts and across Southern California, causing the local vegetation and landscapes to be drier than they would normally be.

There are 8 trails available to hikers, some of which lead to stunning viewpoints, and others that bring you down to the Torrey Pines State Beach. Whichever trail you take, you’ll be sure to be blown away by how wild and mystical the park feels, especially given its proximity to such a large city.

Mission Beach

I’ll admit it; I hadn’t looked much into the Mission Beach area before arriving in San Diego. Looking back, this seems like such a rookie mistake. After all, Mission Beach is probably THE most iconic San Diego beach, and while I can’t say it was my favorite (that title belongs to La Jolla, that gorgeous gem) I definitely loved exploring it!

Before I get into the beach itself, let me just say this: I am ALL about California’s obsession with acai bowls. Like, yes. Just YES.

We had our first run-in with the beloved acai bowl at Amazona Acai Cafe (technically in Pacific Beach, but I’m giving it a shoutout here anyways). Derek and I both got the Urbano bowl, which kept it simple and sweet with acai, granola, banana, strawberry, blueberry, and honey.

I could probably definitely eat this everyday!

Mission Beach itself was exactly what I had hoped to find in a California beach. It was colorful and stereotypically beachy, with just the right amount (i.e. excessive amounts) of color, kitsch, nostalgia, and retro vibes.

I half expected to see women in neon leotards, tights, and side ponytails rollerskating down the boardwalk, blasting upbeat 80’s tunes through their portable CD players.

In all honesty, I loved walking down the boardwalk and soaking in the fun and free atmosphere. The soft serve ice cream and snow cones, laid back beachfront bars and restaurants, families playing in the sand…and of course, Belmont Park.

Belmont Park is a collection of rides, games, and one wooden roller-coaster located right off of the Mission Beach boardwalk. It’s free to go in and walk around, but you can purchase tickets for the rides and games.

I loved the beachfront amusement park vibes; the sound of the rides whooshing past, kids throwing darts at balloons to win prizes, and all of the smiling faces.

So cheesy, so fun.

We decided to grab some food along the boardwalk, and wanted to find a place with good food, outdoor seating, and ocean views.

Enter Cannonball.

This rooftop restaurant (are you sensing a theme here?) offered a mix of Asian, Californian, and seafood cuisine. We decided to keep in light for lunchtime by splitting two appetizers.

The seafood ceviche was the perfect combination of citrusy and spicy, and the shrimp and white fish mixed with onion and avocado was absolutely fabulous. We also ordered the ahi poke, which came with seaweed, cucumbers, avocado, and a deliciously tangy Asian flavor.

We both ordered the Water Cooler to drink: a light and refreshing combination of vodka, watermelon juice, lemon, and cucumber.

All in all, I loved every second of my time in San Diego. In my opinion, it’s a perfect weekend getaway destination no matter what you’re seeking. Food, drinks, sun, sand, surf, nature…it’s all there!

From the kitsch and color of Mission Beach to the natural beauty of La Jolla and Torrey Pines, I fell head over heels for this pretty Southern California city. And when I left, I left knowing  beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d return one day, and that San Diego would likely be one of those cities that would call me back again and again throughout my lifetime.

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I’ve absolutely loved all of the stateside adventures I’ve been having since I returned home from my backpacking trip in Central America…Austin, New Orleans, and now San Diego! I’ve got a trip planned to South Carolina later this month…what other cities or states in the US should I check out soon? I’m open to inspiration and suggestions!