San Diego was a blast! Yes, I was working, but I had enough free time to fit in some really exciting adventures. I was able to stay right on the bay in a high rise hotel, which meant some incredible sunsets!
Sunset from my room
Staying on the bay, near the Gas Lamp Quarter is a phenomenal location. This location allows you to do a lot without the use of a car. I was able to walk down and visit the USS Midway Museum (the actual ship), walk the rest of the boardwalk (lots of shops and restaurants), take a quick ferry back and forth to Coronado (closest beach), and make it through some of the Gas Lamp Quarter. Honestly, the Gas Lamp was a lot dingier than I expected and I did not feel the desire to spend much time there. The water and military activity were quite exciting! I even stumbled upon a classic car gathering which was a nice treat!
So many classic cars!
The last couple days I was in San Diego, I had a rental car (upgraded to a mustang, o yeah!) so I was able to get out and about. I REALLY wanted to go paragliding at the Torrey Pines Airfield, but unfortunately the winds were too calm to do so L. Instead, I hiked down to the beach below… it was quite a hike! And I shortly noticed that it was a nude beach, so my stay was VERY brief!
Hiking down to the beach at Torrey Pines
Next, I went to La Jolla beach to visit the seals. This was my favorite stop. They were quite stinky but extremely cute. You can get much closer to them than I expected. I was able to park along the street for free and walk to the La Jolla Cove to see people swimming right next to them! Apparently the sea life up there is very interesting, containing octopus, etc. Next time I might have to brave the cold water and take a look for myself.
Seals!
I ventured on down to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and took a hike around. There is a staircase at the north end of the park where you can climb down to the beach. The tide was too high for me to do so when I went, but I had a good time climbing around the cliffs and enjoying the view.
Sunset Cliffs Park
I made it to the Cabrillo National Monument 10 minutes before they closed. I was going to just come back the next day, but the guard kindly informed me that my $10 entry fee was good for the rest of the week. So I drove around and got the lay of the land. I decided to come back the next day during low tide… boy I’m glad I did! Unfortunately, it was not an extremely low tide, but it was just about low enough. If you go to the tide pools here, and pass the sign that says “Do not pass or you will be prosecuted,” there is a cave you can visit. I was not going to do this by myself. No way. No how. But I found a couple young people who were and invited me along 🙂 I got a very unique experience and some very wet sneakers. I did not actually go into the cave due to the tide, but the other, braver (or dumber?) souls did.
Entrance into the cave
Next time, I would love to go to the Zoo. It is quite expensive, at around $50/ticket, so you would definitely need a whole day to spend there. The Air and Space Museum would also be quite exciting. I can’t wait to go back and visit!
Stay adventurous
-PG