I took a trip to San Diego last month, and fell in love with Southern California. A family friend of our’s had moved down there a few years ago, and now I understand why. She let us crash on her couch, which helped with expenses. She lives in La Mesa so we were fifteen minutes away from San Diego. She was also nice enough to show us the sights, and help with our transit even though there is a trolley system.
We started off in Seaport Village just walking around, but had to stop at the Unconditional Surrender statue that honors the famous WWII photograph of the sailor kissing the nurse after victory was declared by the Allies. There are tons of people around this, but I managed to get a photo without anyone in it…good thing we came out early. There are lots of street artists around and small shops if you are a shopper. I’m not since I live in an apartment in the city with limited space. My favorite souvenirs are magnets since they are easy to carry and everyone has a fridge.
The coral trees near the statue are neat for someone from the Midwest so we took some silly pics climbing them…after we finished I noticed there was people lined up waiting to do the same. Along the pier there are also some interesting old ships like the replica of an eighteenth century Royal Navy frigate that you can ride…
After our walk, we decided to drive up to Point Loma to get some great views of the city. Cabrillo Monument is there, honoring Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who landed on San Diego Bay in 1542. There is also an Old Point Loma Lighthouse that you can look through and read about the history of the place. I have a thing for lighthouses since they remind me of things past. Later, we walked down to the beach and watched people surf, and listened to the waves crash. It was peaceful and beautiful…I was glad our friend took us up there since it was not only a photographer’s dream, but a great place to just let it all soak in…
We went to Ocean Beach to frolic on the beach, as well as try the famous Hodad’s burgers, which was delicious. I went with a bacon cheeseburger that I did not regret eating…much better then In and Out. Warning: there is always a line there, but it moves pretty fast. The place is decorated really fun with all these different licenses plates, and worth a try if you’re a burger fan. If your lucky you can sit in the car booth. Ocean Beach has neat shops, as well as street art…it’s a good area to people watch.
La Jolla was the next stop since I wanted to see the cove with the sea lions, as well as watch the sunset there. The sea lions just stroll along the beach, not caring about all the humans around. Please don’t try to touch them, they get upset when people get too close. I did my best to not get too close, but still got some pictures. My friend is a photographer and asked my sister and I to model. So we got to do some yoga poses on the beach with the setting sun behind us. The funny thing was that there was allot of photo shoots going on…it’s the place to model. When you go to the downtown, it’s pretty fancy and high end, and has tons of boutiques and expensive stores.
The next day we went to Balboa Park, which I think is another must see in San Diego. The park is named after the explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa. It is a park devoted to culture with many museums, gardens, paths to hike along, and green space. There is a theater you can see performances at…along with shops and places to eat. I had to walk the whole park to make sure I saw everything. The buildings are built in the Spanish architectural style, which adds a sense of going back in time. I think everyone takes a picture of the Casa de Balboa with the refection from the water.
I really enjoyed the Spanish Village since I love the painted tiles, and how colorful it is. The artists village is located here so you can buy amazing sculptures, drawings, paintings, etc. If you’re an art fan, you’ll love this part. The gardens are beautiful and you should take a stroll through; we went to the Alcazar Gardens and Japanese ones…there is also a desert one, but I went to a great one in Phoenix that I’ll have to post about later on. Even if you’re not into museums, just walk around Balboa Park and take it in…it’s a beautiful space you won’t regret visiting!
