Please see the bottom of the post for a day-by-day itinerary.
I've always wanted to do a California road trip. When I told family and friends that I'll be driving from San Francisco to San Diego, the responses were the same; "you're going to have the best time" or "it's the most beautiful drive", "you're going to California!?", "you've never been to California!?". I even got a "that trip changed my life". I've been wanting to do that drive for a while. Why not cross another item off of the ever-expanding bucket list?
Here's a summary of the trip: San Francisco --> Carmel by the Sea --> Santa Barbara --> Santa Monica --> San Diego
San Francisco
San Fran has an east coast feel with some kind of charm I can't put my finger on. It's a really romantic city and I can't understand why; it has that je ne sais quoi. Perhaps that unknown is from the movies I've seen, maybe it's the Golden Gate bridge or the stories of Alcatraz or the amazing food and the historic cable cars. It's probably all of the above. I absolutely loved the views of the ocean from Lands End; the towering bridge on the bike ride to one of the cutest places I've been in, Sausalito; the seafood and wine-country. While it's not Silicon Valley itself, the tech scene is very visible and obvious here. It's not a relaxing city. It reminded me more of New York City than what I pictured California to be. However, the more south you go, the more "California" it gets.Visiting wine-country is definitely a must when you are here. Even if you're not a big connoisseur, go for the views, great weather and a good time. You'll be drinking wine all day...how bad can it get? Walking through the vineyards, the only thought in my head (maybe it was the only thought because I had too much wine) was that it doesn't get better than this.
Carmel by the Sea
Carmel by the Sea is a must-stop. This is the most Instagram-able place I've been to. Every building is like a work of art, beautifully decorated with flowers, colourful mosaic and window displays. The hotel was the most relaxing hotel I've ever been in. You could probably stay here for a week and not run out of restaurants to visit. The food was delicious, the beach looked gorgeous and everyone was relaxed. It's a great stop if you want to spend a few days on the beach, pamper yourself at the spa, do some shopping and eat really good food. It is also conveniently located just before Big Sur, which is a whole other jaw-dropping experience.The drive from Carmel through Big Sur is what you see in car commercials; mountains on one side, the ocean on another and nothing but the road ahead of you. The scenery, the hikes and waterfalls are magnificent. This is the number one spot you have to see.
Santa Barbara
I have to admit, the two reasons I stopped here was because 1) I had to do stop in a city that was the name of the only soap opera I ever watched...Santa Barbara - it was a bit of a check-mark; and 2) the drive from Carmel to Santa Monica is fairly long, so it was a great spot to break up the drive. It is also a beautiful city with Spanish-influenced architecture. Santa Barbara is home to delicious seafood, beautiful sunsets and gorgeous beaches.Santa Monica (Los Angeles)
On the way from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica, drive through Malibu and enjoy the ocean views and the enviable beach houses. As for LA itself, I have a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles. They say never meet your heroes and it's kind of how I felt after having visited here. I think I romanticised too much in my head. There are some iconic things to see in this city, one of them being the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and the Hollywood sign, of course, but I would have been very disappointed had this been our last stop. It's too much - too much traffic especially. It's also very dispersed. I didn't even see everything I wanted to because the need to escape was stronger! Did I miss something? Definitely. Am I upset about it? Nope! On to the next!
Laguna Beach
On the way from Santa Monica, another must-stop before San Diego (if you have the time and the budget) is Laguna Beach. Now THIS is a place where you should go. Skip LA and come to Laguna. I would have loved to spend a few days just lounging around in Laguna, exploring, spending a couple of days on the beach, relaxing. it's a beautiful town by the ocean with beautiful restaurants and jaw-dropping views. If you can't make the stop then definitely spend some time to walk through it and visit the beach.San Diego
San Diego was our last stop and it took me by surprise. It's a beautiful, clean city, with beaches and hiking for you to enjoy. From the hustle and bustle of the Gaslamp Quarter to the views of La Jolla and the hikes at Torrey Pines, San Diego will keep you busy for a while. The serene Coronado Island is just minutes away but you feel like you are a world apart. Coronado Island is where I would love to own a beach house and spend my summers here; reading, swimming, surfing, living.
Where would I live in California? Well, if I have to work, then San Francisco is probably my choice. There are many opportunities and it's an exciting city to be in. If I ever win the lottery...haha, yes, this is the type of stuff I think about, then I'd love to hang out in Laguna Beach for a summer (I'm obsessed) and maybe settle in San Diego (Coronado Island or La Jolla), in a beach house with ocean views, of course. They just have that beach-y, everything-is-great-all-the-time kind of vibe.
Oh man California...you kind of got me!
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This is a California itinerary for an almost two-week trip starting in San Francisco and ending in San Diego. You can definitely spend a whole month doing this trip. There is a lot to see and do, so the more time you can dedicate, the better.
Where to stay:
- We stayed at a hotel in Union Square called The Fitzgerald. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure. I think the hotel itself is good; it was clean, we had no issues. The rooms were a bit small, but prices do get high in San Francisco, so I guess you get what you pay for. I got this hotel for about $200 a night considering all the fees/taxes. It was definitely not worth $200 a night but this is a city where real estate is crazy. The hotel does have breakfast included. It's not so much the hotel I had a problem with but the area.
- Generally from my research it was recommended to stay either around Union Square or The Fisherman's Wharf. I would not recommend staying at Union Square for several reasons: 1) most of what we did was closer to Fisherman's Wharf and 2) Union Square is right at the border of Market Street, which you should not cross after dark (as many lyft drivers would tells us). It's not dangerous per se, just very sketchy. San Francisco does have many homeless people, which is another conversation in itself, but below Market Street you do see drugs and needles, so stay away from that area (south of Market Street) even during the day to be honest. Maybe this wasn't the best way to start an itinerary, but in my opinion where you stay can make or break a trip.
- I also read that Mission District is sketchy as well, but we didn't go that far south to check it out ourselves.
- So the Fisherman's Wharf or anywhere around that area I would say is a much better option.
Day 1: San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito
- The first thing we did was to take a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. Even people who hate "touristy" things have told me I need to ride the cable cars. Not only does it get you where you need to go, but you get to see the city and the views.
- There are a few things you need to know about the cable cars;
- 1) get on the cable car at either end of the line, not in the middle. They do get packed, so if you're getting on in the middle, you either won't have space or all the good spots are taken. It's also cool to see how the cable car turns around, so that is also something you get to see only at the end stops.
- 2) There are a couple of cable car lines that you can take. I highly recommend the Powell/Hyde line.
- 3) We got on the cable car at Market and Powell street (that's where they start). There is a booth that sells tickets right there. Each ticket is $7 USD. Yes, it's not cheap, but worth to do once. You can also get the tickets online through MuniMobile app. You will be asked to show your ticket once you're on the cable car.
- 4) Two lines start at the Market/Powell stop, so when getting on, check at the top of the cable car, which line it's on.
- 5) All the information you need to know about the cable car, including maps of the routes is here. Read it. It's super helpful.
- 6) The lineups do get long, but they do go fast, so be patient.
- We took the Powell/Hyde line to Lombard Street. Lombard Street is the most crooked street in the world. They made it crooked so that the cars wouldn't speed. Not sure if that's true, but that's what a local told us. I guess it worked, now there's just a lot of foot traffic. There is not much to do at this street, other than to walk down to see how really crooked it is. It also gives you a sense of elevation. It's worth a stop.
- Then walk down to Fisherman's Wharf
- On this day, we rented bikes and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Dress appropriately. It does get windy on the bridge, so a wind breaker and layers are your best bet.
- You haven't been to San Francisco if you haven't crossed the bridge (another thing a local told us). We rented bikes at Blazing Saddles, which has several locations around the city. Go to 2715 Hyde Street. It's close to the park where the trail starts, so you avoid having to bike on the streets. If you reserve the bikes online, they will give you a 20% discount. No payment is necessary for a reservation or even the time. You just pick the day.
- Bike to Sausalito. This is a cute little town where you get to enjoy the afteroon exploring the shops and restaurants and have drinks by the water overlooking the yachts. The people at the bike shop will tell you the route to take.
- There is some elevation you have to overcome to get to the bridge, but it's worth it.
- Before you get to the bridge, the ride is super relaxing, you'll be passing along some of the wealthiest areas in San Francisco. The houses are amazing. There are awesome views along the way (and yes washrooms). Once you get on the bridge, it's a little unnerving to be honest. You'll have professional bikers in the bike lane huffing at you that you're going too slow, so you kind of have to have good control of your bike and not swerve all over. I wouldn't recommend stopping at all on the bridge. Once you make it over, it's just about a 10-15 minutes to Sausalito and you're in good weather heaven. We got lucky on our trip with the weather, but apparently Sausalito always has good weather. by they way, I'm moving here (not really but I would if I could).
- You will get a map with your rentals, which will show you designated areas where you can park your bikes. We saw people park them at restaurants, but it was recommended we not do that.
- There is an official bike parking lot ($3 per bike for the day), so we played it safe and parked there.
- Have lunch at Napa Valley Burger. It doesn't have ocean views, but it is PACKED, which is always good in my book because it usually means it's good and it was! Delicious food!
- After lunch we walked along the main street and went to the end of the strip, where you can find several restaurants overlooking the water. You can grab a drink and have it on the patio. Joinery is the place we went to. Bar Bocce was also recommended to me by a friend.
- You have the option to bike further to several parks. It's up to you.
- When you are done, you can either bike back. I doubt you'll want to so you can take a ferry back. When you rent the bikes you will be given tickets for the ferry. If you don't use them just return them and you won't be charged. There are several ferries that leave Sausalito, one will take you to Fisherman's Wharf (where you started) and one will take you to the Ferry Terminal, which is a 15 minute bike ride from Fisherman's Wharf. Note you will have to bike on the street (in a bike lane).
- If you are hungry, eat around Fisherman's Wharf, at any of the stalls. They have delicious seafood. You can have calm chowder in the famous Sourdough bread-bowl. Honestly, I've had better clam chowder, so go for other seafood. There are also many different restaurants in Union Square. I use the Foursquare app to pick the best places. I highly recommend it.
- We didn't feel completely wiped so we decided to walk from the Fisherman's Wharf to our hotel in Union Square. "Let's just pick a street and walk" we said. We got "lucky" because the street we picked has some of the biggest elevation I've seen. If you want to see the up and down San Francisco is so famous for, go to Taylor street and walk all the way to Union Square. My calves were burning the next day and I work out every day.
- We were still jet lagged, so that was it for this day.
Day 2: Alcatraz and the Painted Ladies
- On the second day, I booked a tour for Alcatraz, which is a must-see. I recommend booking the tour (here) months in advance because they sell out quickly. I booked a 11:30 am time-slot which gave us half a day in the afternoon to explore.
- We walked from our hotel to Pier 33, which is where the tours leave from, along Market Street and Battery Street (to avoid the elevation). These were great streets to walk along from our hotel because there is no elevation. If you want to take a cable car, allow enough time. Also, Lyft or Uber are great options.
- We had a little bit of time in the morning before the ferry, so we walked to Pier 39, which is where you can see tons of sea-lions lounging around. It's a pretty entertaining sight. If you don't have time, you can do this after getting back from Alcatraz.
- You will board a ferry to Alcatraz. Once you get off, they'll provide an audio guided tour (included in the ticket price). Do this tour! It is the best part. I absolutely loved this.
- After getting back we went to have lunch at the Fisherman's Wharf (again, you can eat at any of the stalls). You can walk through Pier 39 once more if you didn't get a chance to do so in the morning, look at the sea-lions and explore.
- After lunch we took a Lyft to Hayes Valley. It's a cool little area with good food/shops and restaurants. If you can wait to come here for lunch, that's also a good option. From my research I saw that La Boulangerie has pretty good reviews, but we didn't get a chance to stop by. You can come to this area just for a drink as well.
- From Hayes Valley it's a 10-15 minute walk to the Painted Ladies. There is a gorgeous view onto the skyline from the park overlooking the Painted Ladies. I think it's worth it. You can even grab some food and have a picnic at the park, sit a while, enjoy.
- After the Painted Ladies, we did a short walk to the Full House, the house after which the Full House house was modelled after and slowly made our way to the hotel.
- We ended the day at Bar 587 close to our hotel. It's nothing special, casual atmosphere and the location was convenient for us.
- We didn't get a chance to go up the Coit Tower. The view is pretty good I hear, but the view from the Painted Ladies was also amazing, so we didn't feel like we missed out.
Day 3: Land's End
- I was lucky to have a friend living in San Francisco who works at Twitter. She was able to give us a tour of the offices and to be honest my mind was a bit blown. If you get a chance to take a tour of Twitter or Google or Apple at least once, do it!
- She also recommended we a do a hike at Lands End. The views from there are magnificent. It is windy, however, so dress in layers. We did the hike to Mile Rock Beach. It's short and easy. You can do a much longer hike all the way to the bridge if you're up for it/have time.
- On the way back, instead of going back to the beginning, we walked through the golf course and got a Lyft to pick us up from the Legion of Honor Art Museum to take us to Ghirardelli Square. We did not go into the museum but the view is pretty nice from there.
- At the Ghirardelli Square, have ice cream at the Ghirardelli market. Walk through the square and the shops. It's beautifully decorated and glows at night. The square is close to Fisherman's Wharf, so you can walk once again along that area, get a drink and some dinner. We actually ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp. The views from that restaurant are awesome. The food is "ok".
What we didn't get to see:
- Golden Gate Park - it's a huge park and perhaps the best way to see it is by renting a bike.
- Coit Tower
- Twin Peaks - for an evening/sunset view. However, we got to see the view from the park close to the Painted Ladies and the ferries we took from Sausalito and Alcatraz.
Other restaurants:
we didn't get to try
- Foreign Cinema - they stream old movies while you eat
- State Bird Provisions, The Workshop and The Progress - book well in advance
- Slanted Door - Thai in the ferry terminal
- Flour & Water - Italian
- Namu - Asian
Day 4: Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour
- I was thinking about the best way to do this and there are several options
- 1) You can rent a car, get a hotel close to the wineries and spend a night there. This way you do have to research yourself which wineries to go to. This adds additional cost of a hotel and renting a car.
- 2) You can also hire a driver to drive your rental car and take you around.
- 3) The third option was to take a bus tour. While I don't like having to take bus tours, it happened to be the easiest/cheapest way, an option with the least amount of hassle. I read a few reviews online regarding which tour companies are good and Extranomical seemed to have great reviews. It's one of the few that takes you to both Napa and Sonoma as well as Muir Woods. Our guide, Jake, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. You even get picked up at your hotel - very convenient. There were about 20 people on the tour and the bus was fairly comfortable.
- The first stop of the tour is at Muir Woods, where you get about 1 hour to explore. there is a simple path (most of it is a boardwalk) that you can hike in just about an hour. The entrance to the park is $10 per person and is not included in the tour price.
- Then you visit 3 wineries (Mayo Family Winery, Kieu Hoang and Cline Cellars ) with a lunch break in between the first and second wineries at Sonoma Wine Country Plaza with several great options for lunch.
- We stopped at La Casa - fantastic Mexican food. It has a beautiful patio in the back, away from the main street. Many people on our tour went to Sunflower Caffe, which also has great reviews.
- Farmstead - Really good for lunch. Everything is sourced from a local farm
- Ad Hoc - You can sit at the bar and order a-la-carte, otherwise it's a set menu
- Auberge du Soleil - This is a fancy place. It has a beautiful view.
- Hot Air Balloon Rides are also popular in Napa. You have to wake up before sunrise but it's a beautiful experience.
- I found the choice of wineries to be fantastic. The first, Mayo Family Winery was a boutique feel, smaller winery. Here you get to learn about the process itself. The second, was what you see in movies with beautiful views and an amazing patio. Finally, the third, Cline Cellars, is a massive winery where you get to try 6 different types of wine. I was very satisfied with the wineries chosen, but I must mention I'm not a wine connoisseur.
- Finally on the way back you will stop around the Golden Gate Bridge for some amazing photos. Our guide stopped at a place called Battery Godfrey. Even if you don't do this tour, make sure you come here on your own because the views are phenomenal. Dress warmly, it's very windy here.
- On the way back, the guide was flexible on where you get dropped off. You can either ask to get dropped off at your hotel or anywhere along the way. We got off at the Fisherman's Wharf and had dinner at Boudin Bakery.
Day 5: San Francisco --> Carmel by the Sea
When doing research for this part of the trip, check highway 1 road closures. A few years ago mudslides caused parts of highway 1 to close down and to date there is a still a portion of the highway that is impassable. This does affect your planning, big time. So research ahead of time.- On this day we drove from San Francisco to Carmel by the Sea. We picked a car-rental company (Alamo) close to our hotel and left in the morning.
- If you have the time, you can also do a detour to the Silicon Valley.
- When driving, stay on highway 1 or as close to the water as possible because the views are fantastic. The views open up pretty much right outside of San Francisco.
- Friends of ours recommended to stop at the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay for a drink, but we were on a tight schedule so we drove directly to Carmel by the Sea where we stayed at the Carmel Fireplace Inn, a very charming boutique hotel.
- This whole town is like out of a postcard. Every building is a work of art and beautifully decorated. let's just say it's the most instagram-able little town I've been in. There are so many restaurants and shops. If you are travelling in summer, I would recommend staying here for a few nights, to give yourself a few beach days. The beach is beautiful and vast. Generally there's nothing else to do here, but eat, go to the spa, shop and lounge around on the beach! But hey, that doesn't sound that bad.
- This is where planning gets tricky. Part of highway 1 was still closed and as a result we were not able to drive through Big Sur and further south. In April, we were able to get to Big Sur and even further than that, but to go further south, say to Santa Barbara, you would need to come back through Carmel by the Sea and take a detour.
- In an ideal world, I would spend the day in Carmel by the Sea (or two if you want to stay on the beach for a bit) and another day driving highway 1 through Big Sur to stay overnight at the opposite end of that stretch (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park). There are a ton of things to see here, waterfalls, hikes, different beaches and so on. Some of the places include Jade Beach, Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge. Here and here and here are good sites to start your itinerary.
- In my opinion, the best place to see the bridge is on the left hand side (as you are driving towards it from Carmel), past the main lookout area, which is going to be on the right hand side. Most people stop on the right hand side, but right before the bridge there will be a turn to the left and parking on top. The view from the top is the best.
- Unfortunately we only had a few hours to drive this stretch of the road as we had to come back to Carmel. We also wanted to explore Carmel for a bit and only had one night there. We didn't get to experience this part as I would have liked to. The views are gorgeous, yes, but I would have liked to do more hiking and to drive further south.
- I will admit I did not do a good job researching what hikes/waterfalls to do in this park, so make sure to not make this mistake. Some views here are breathtaking.
- After having driven for a few hours along this stretch of highway 1, we turned around to go back to Carmel. We stopped for lunch at a gorgeous restaurant called Dametra Cafe, recommended to us by a local. This was probably the best meal of the trip. It's a beautifully decorated Mediterranean restaurant with the loveliest owner. We even got a show with music and singing. To be honest, I feel like you can't go wrong with food in this town. I have a feeling it is delicious everywhere.
- There were two restaurants recommended to us by friendly strangers we met along the way: Cultura - Mexican food and La Bicyclette - sounds French? and Flying Fish.
- We spent the afternoon exploring the little town (many shops close early) and the beach. Unfortunately it was too cold to swim in April. We stopped for coffee at Carmel Coffee and Cocoa Bar, which actually has an extensive menu for food as well and is reasonably priced (including sandwiches, salads and ramen).
- As we had a late lunch, we just stopped by Brophy's Tavern (casual sports bar, which happened to be right across from our hotel) for a drink and called it a day. By the way, the rooms at our hotel were just a pleasure to stay in, relax, watch a movie.
Day 6: Carmel-by-the-Sea --> Santa Barbara
- Ideally this would be the day to drive through Big Sur, however, since we had to take a detour we decided to do the 17 mile drive on our way out of Carmel. Many people recommend this drive. To be honest I did not find this an interesting drive. It also costs $10.25 USD to drive through. You get a map and can stop along several historic points of interest. I do not recommend it. Check out the site here, to see if this is for you.
- Taking a detour to Santa Barbara, is a really uneventful drive, so buckle up and get some good music for a long drive.
- We got back onto highway 1 around Pismo Beach. We stopped for lunch at Ventana Grill, which has amazing views and food. I highly recommend it.
- In Santa Barbara we stayed at the Lemon Tree Inn. The hotel is nice and modern, but it's a bit further away from the main strip. All the action happens along State Street, just past W Sola Street and goes all the way to the wharf. We took a Lyft to the beginning of the strip (about $7 USD), so if you see good savings on the hotel, being further away is not a big deal.
- You can take your time, walk along State Street, explore, shop, eat. By the time we got to the pier, it was dinner time, so we stopped at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. The place had great reviews and a huge lineup. The seafood was amazing.
- The sunset views off of the pier were gorgeous.
- It was also recommended, by a local, to stop at Lilly's Taqueria for best bang for buck. We didn't get a chance to, but it has great reviews on Yelp and Tripadvisor.
Day 7: Santa Barbara --> Santa Monica and Venice Beach
- We started our day by having breakfast at Handlebar Coffee Roasters, which was right behind our hotel. It's a cute place with delicious coffee and croissants.
- We left Santa Barbara and were on our way to Venice Beach, our next stop. On the way, we stopped at Neptune's Net, which is a place from Fast and the Furious, where we had lunch.
- We also stopped in a few places around Malibu for the view. A famous spot to stop is Nobu. It has amazing views.
- I wanted to stay outside of LA to avoid traffic as much as possible. We stayed at Ocean Park Inn. It's about a 20 minute walk from Santa Monica beach. The hotel itself is fine, nothing special, but there are few options available for a decent price.
- If you can, I would recommend getting a beach house around Venice Beach instead. It was more enjoyable there than around Santa Monica.
- After checking in, we walked along the beach to Santa Monica Pier. You can rent bikes and bike along the beach or just get some ice cream and enjoy the sun.
- After taking a break, we were on our way to Rodeo Drive. It's a pretty impressive couple of blocks, but you can walk it pretty fast.
- We had dinner at Venice Ramen - absolutely delicious Ramen and caught a sunset at the pier at Venice Beach. Parking was $4 from 7-11 pm. Venice Beach also has several bars and restaurants and a lively atmosphere where you can get a drink.
- Gjelina - delicious dinner in Venice Beach
- Tasting Kitchen - Venice Beach
- Bestia - Downtown
- Egg Slut - Good casual breakfast
- Butcher's Daughter - This is very "LA", has good plant based dishes. Great for brunch
Day 8: Warner Brothers, LA --> San Diego
- We checked out and were on our way to Warner Brothers Tour. To be honest this was the highlight of our stay in LA. Do not miss this, you get to see movie studios and props and hear about some awesome movie history. I booked tickets here. I recommend booking in advance so you get the time that you want. There is also Universal Studios close by, but you can probably spend a whole day here.
- I couldn't leave LA without having seen the Hollywood sign, so after the tour, we drove to the Griffith Observatory, which is one of the better spots to spot the sign. The Runyon Canyon Hike is one of the best hikes as well for the view.
- Because of traffic and being pressed for time I gave up on seeing sunset boulevard. I just wanted to get out of there. So we didn't bother seeing much else. I'm sure there's a ton more to see.
- It took us a while to get out of LA, but we continued along highway 1 down to San Diego. On our way, we stopped at Laguna Beach. I wish I could have a couple of days in this gorgeous little town. It has beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants and insane views. Lauren Conrad has an awesome guide for this place as it's her home town. Check it out here.
- In San Diego, we stayed at a Best Western Seven Seas. I enjoyed this hotel. It felt like I was in Mexico. You do have to drive everywhere from this location, so if you want to be closer to the nightlife, I recommend staying closer to the Gaslamp Quarter.
- In the evening we went to a bar close to our hotel called InCahoots. It's a line-dancing bar, super awesome atmosphere. I highly recommend coming here for a fun night.
Day 9: San Diego - The Zoo and Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter
- Stop by for breakfast at Snooze. There is always a lineup, but if you put your name down on the wait-list at the front door and then at the bar, which has a separate list, your wait will decrease significantly.
- San Diego has a huge Park called Balboa Park. Its home to many gardens, museums and the San Diego Zoo. This is where we spent the first half of the day.
- After the zoo, explore the Gaslamp Quarter and have lunch at one of many restaurants along fifth avenue. It's several blocks of shops and restaurants. Very cool area, worth checking out.
- After lunch walk towards the convention centre and walk up the large flight of stairs. The view is very nice from up there.
- Take the stairs down towards the water and walk along the Seaport Village that has very cute restaurants and shops. Get some ice cream and do some souvenir shopping.
- This is a nice place to have dinner. The Edgewater Grill caught my eye.
Day 10: USS Midway and Coronado Island
- We had breakfast at Richard Walker's Pancake House and went on a tour of USS Midway Museum. This is a pretty impressive tour. I highly recommend. You don't need to get tickets in advance. There is also $10 USD parking beside it for 12 hours.
- After the museum, which takes about 2-3 hours depending on your pace, we went to Coronado Island, which is where you can have lunch. Unfortunately we went to a lunch place I would not recommend (before we got to Coronado Island), so I'll leave it at that.
- If you can, take the rest of the day as a beach day on Coronado. It has a gorgeous beach, beautiful views and a magnificent Hotel Del Coronado where Some Like it Hot was filmed. The town is really one main street of shops and restaurants. Get some ice cream at MooTime.
- If I could I would have loved to stay here for a few days in a house right on the beach...it's nice to dream.
- After Coronado, drive to Point Loma. It's open 9am-5pm. From here you can see the view of the entire city. Even if you don't get into the park itself, you will get to see the view along the drive itself.
- Finally, end the day with the most epic sunset along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Hill Street is where we parked and watched the sunset from. Take a blanket and enjoy the view. Come early to get a parking spot. We simply parked along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.
Day 11: Torrey Pines and La Jolla
- Torrey Pines is a beautiful park with several trails available to you.
- I recommend parking all the way at the end of the park (official parking at the very end) - $15 USD parking fee and walking up the hill to the start of the Beach Trail Hike.
- On your way up you will pass other trails that you can do. Most of them aren't long/difficult.
- Once you get to the Beach Trail, the whole way is down towards the beach. It's a short enjoyable hike with fantastic views. When you get to the beach, you can hang out and watch the waves and then walk back to the parking lot along the beach. This was my favourite part.
- After the hike you can go to La Jolla Cove and have a beach day. This place is also great for sunset watching. However, we liked Sunset Cliffs Boulevard so much we decided to go there again for one final sunset
- There is also a beautiful pier called Scripps Pier. It's beautiful for photos.
- After La Jolla, on the way to Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, drive to Mount Soledad National Memorial. Here, you'll get fantastic 360 degree views.
- There wasone place we didn't get to see called Del Mar. Another place of beautiful beaches and views.
Places to eat in La Jolla:
(from my research)The Taco Stand
Puesto - Mexican Street Food
Oscars Mexican Seafood
Jose’s
Other places for food around San Diego:
Grant Grill
Café Chloe
Bali Hai - have a Mai Tai
Sushi Ota
Sushi Tadokoro
Rubio’s
Stone Brewing Co
Kansas City BBQ – Top Gun Bar
Cafe 21
Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill
Cucina Urbana
Fall Brewing Co
Half Door Brewing Co
Budget (Canadian Dollars, early April trip):
Costs such as Car/Hotels/Gas can be split.
Flights (from Toronto)
$ 442.00
Accommodations San Fran ($1,100/2)
$ 550.00
Cable Car (one way)
$ 9.00
Bike Rental + ferry
$ 65.00
Alcatraz
$ 47.00
Wine Tour
$ 160.00
Car Rental ($465/2)
$ 232.50
Gas ($150/2)
$ 75.00
Lyft/Uber ($100/2 )
$ 50.00
Accommodations - Carmel ($167/2)
$ 83.50
17-Mile Drive
$ 14.00
Accommodations - Santa Barbara ($115/2)
$ 57.50
Accommodations - Santa Monica ($212/2)
$ 106.00
Warner Brothers Tour
$ 90.00
Accommodations - San Diego ($471/2)
$ 235.50
San Diego Zoo
$ 70.00
USS Midway Museum
$ 30.00
Food
$ 700.00
Cell Phone
$ 70.00
Total
$ 3,087.00
Flights (from Toronto)
$ 442.00
Accommodations San Fran ($1,100/2)
$ 550.00
Cable Car (one way)
$ 9.00
Bike Rental + ferry
$ 65.00
Alcatraz
$ 47.00
Wine Tour
$ 160.00
Car Rental ($465/2)
$ 232.50
Gas ($150/2)
$ 75.00
Lyft/Uber ($100/2 )
$ 50.00
Accommodations - Carmel ($167/2)
$ 83.50
17-Mile Drive
$ 14.00
Accommodations - Santa Barbara ($115/2)
$ 57.50
Accommodations - Santa Monica ($212/2)
$ 106.00
Warner Brothers Tour
$ 90.00
Accommodations - San Diego ($471/2)
$ 235.50
San Diego Zoo
$ 70.00
USS Midway Museum
$ 30.00
Food
$ 700.00
Cell Phone
$ 70.00
Total
$ 3,087.00