As I’m sure you’ve learned by now, this will not be a travel blog exclusively full of insider tips on making the most of San Diego. (Although I will absolutely make good on my promise to tell you where I’ve had the best tacos so far, eventually.)
New Yorker Goes West is a raw look into how I got here, and what it’s like to exist in an entirely new city after being intertwined in New York for almost three decades.
It’s about leaving the only life I’ve ever known behind, to create an entirely new one in an entirely new place. Because, well, I didn’t know how to be anyone other than a version of the person I’d always been - in New York.
It is true that “wherever you go, there you are.” But sometimes, new surroundings are just what you need.
This weekend, I’ll be posting Coronado pt. 2, the follow-up to a story I began telling last week about my very first trip to San Diego.
In the meantime, here is the original itinerary for my and my friend’s birthday trip. I thought it would be fun to share before I tell you what I actually did on that first fateful trip.
As you’ll see, I linked almost EVERYTHING, before I had to stop as I neared the Substack email limit 😂
If you’re wondering why I ended up straying from this original itinerary and going by myself – you’ll want to read Coronado Pt. 1.
Spoiler alert - I did not go alone because of anything that happened between my friend and me. I love her so much, and the circumstances that led to her not coming were out of our control. We plan, God laughs. I can’t wait to host her in San Diego someday soon.
Duration: Long Weekend. (Friday Afternoon - Tuesday Afternoon/Evening)
You could totally use this same itinerary for a different set of days, like Thursday - Monday!)
Accommodations: We originally planned to stay at an Airbnb in Ocean Beach that I’ve linked here. The host was incredibly kind, and we so looked forward to being in this area! They were also incredibly understanding and empathetic when we had to cancel.
Time of Year/Weather: March. I wore jeans and a T-shirt most days and carried a sweater. I think San Diego counts this as their “winter”? As an east coaster, it felt like late Spring/early Fall. The west coasters apologized to me a lot about the weather, which was so funny.
FRIDAY / ARRIVAL DAY / DAY 1
Arrival: Afternoon/Evening
Evening
Dinner at Cannonball (Sushi in Mission Beach) or Steak and Bones (Tacos in Hillcrest)
I have now been to both of these restaurants and highly recommend each of them! Steak and Bones is the more casual of the two, but Cannonball isn’t super fancy either. The views at Cannonball are also incredible - nothing like having sushi while watching the sun set on the ocean.
We didn’t plan much here because we were both coming off BUSY weeks and months, and likely would’ve put on a movie at the airbnb and napped. You could definitely fit an activity or outing in here easily, if you want.
SATURDAY / DAY 2
We imagined the morning being kind of slow and easy since we were just arriving/potentially jet-lagged, and also had a show in the evening!
Morning
Template Coffee (10-minute walk from our Airbnb)
Cute food and coffee and right by the ocean beach + the pier!
Little Lion Cafe (5-minute walk in the opposite direction, not near the beach but could be an easy thing nearby!)
Morning Activities
Sunset Cliffs (where my friend got engaged!)
We also planned to walk over to Ocean Beach and hang out there for a bit.
Lunch
Breakfast Republic in Ocean Beach
Mid-Late Afternoon Activity Options in La Jolla
Warwick Books (Oldest family-owned bookstore in the Country!)
I have been here and it’s great. Lots of staff recommendations!
Dinner Options in La Jolla
Fancy tacos!! Highly recommended by friends. We had a reservation here.
Amazing view. Same location as Puesto, in La Jolla
Could also go here for drinks before going somewhere else for dinner
Evening
REDWOOD with Idina Menzel @ La Jolla Playhouse
While you can’t replicate this part of the itinerary, I would recommend checking out what’s playing at La Jolla Playhouse while you’re visiting! “The Outsiders” had their pre-Broadway run there and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical of the Year. I also recently saw “Velour: a Drag Spectacular” which was brilliant and so much fun. It’s a great venue and a gorgeous location, and they seem committed to championing new work, which I love as a playwright.
SUNDAY / DAY 3
Morning
Brunch at Serea (Hotel Del, in Coronado.)
I have been here and it’s a MUST. Delicious. Save some time to walk on the beach after, and also visit the shops at the del - inside the hotel.
Also, save some time to find the actual restaurant when you get there. It’s a big hotel, and it can be a bit tricky getting around!
Afternoon
I did end up doing this, and enjoyed it! You can hop on and off at different locations, and see a lot of the city this way. I didn’t hop off and on because it was a very rainy day, but I still really enjoyed the tour and the insights that our tour guide shared!
Seaport Village (Tourist shops + Harbor boat tour)
Evening
STK Rooftop for Drinks
I actually did dinner here one night and loved it. They have outdoor heaters for the winter, and it was surprisingly not crowded at all for a weekend! Great food and drinks, really kind people. I
Dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter
I think we were planning on finding something fun in the area, if we didn’t want to stay at STK for dinner. So much to choose from.
MONDAY / DAY 4
Morning + Afternoon
Everything from Love Song - Meet Cute is in North Park! Such a cute and walkable area. I have been everywhere on this list and highly recommend everything. Not touristy at all.
Pigment Store (Multiple Locations)
They are actually not open on Mondays - which I clearly didn’t know when we made this itinerary!
As you walk around you’ll also come across and wander into!
No formal lunch plans because I think we assumed we’d just find something quick on the go. I’ve now gone to a place called Communal in North Park, which isn’t too far from Love Song, and they have DELICIOUS food. I had a ricotta toast that changed my life.
So looking back, this is probably one of the only things I’d change about the itinerary, because at this point in the weekend - we would’ve absolutely been a little too tired to fully enjoy Balboa! I did go, but I didn’t spend nearly enough time there. I could’ve even gone back a second time. It’s massive!
Some Itinerary Adjustments You Could Make To Spend More Time at Balboa
- One option would be to hit Balboa first thing on Monday, and then wander around North Park later (it is so close by) OR bump North Park to a different day, and just make Monday a full Balboa day. It’s seriously a BIG park, with multiple museums and a zoo!
- If we had both gotten into town in the early afternoon on Friday / Day 1 (my friend’s flight was set to arrive in the evening) we probably could’ve gone to North Park then and wandered around, to make more time for Balboa.
- You could also maybe move North Park to Saturday / Day 2, especially if you’re not seeing a show later in the evening like we did. But keep in mind, that’s the first full day of the trip so you could be jet lagged, depending on where you’re coming from.
Evening
OBSESSED with this restaurant. One of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Not as expensive as it looks. Some of the appetizers were under $10.
Highly recommend eating at the bar - I actually originally sat at a table and then asked to be seated at the bar because it was fun to watch the chefs do their thing, I even ended up making a new friend who was sitting nearby!
TUESDAY / DEPARTURE DAY / DAY 5
We (wisely) did not plan anything for this day so theoretically, we could’ve gotten up early to go to North Park on this day too. We likely would’ve used this day to have a nice breakfast and fit in anything else that we didn’t end up getting to.
A quick logistical note -Everything is near the airport. It is SUPER centrally located. So really don’t need to save too much time to get there, I promise!
I was scheduled to fly out in the mid-afternoon, and my friend was scheduled to fly out in the evening. On our trips, we typically just go to the airport together to split a cab, and the person with the later flight hangs out and waits – but if the original trip had happened, I would’ve convinced my friend to go to the beach or something, or grab a coffee near the airport.
The airport itself is also really nice, so you could hang out and be comfortable for a few hours. But it’s also kind of small, and I’d suggest hanging somewhere else and getting there like, maybe an hour before boarding.
Places We Looked Into that Didn’t Make It onto the Itinerary:
Food
Queenstown Public House (Little Italy/ Downtown)
Curryosity (South Park)
Thai Time (North Park)
Middle Ground Tacos - Cafe Coyote (Old Town)
Still on my bucket list!
OB Noodle House (Ocean Beach)
I’ve been here and LOVE the sizzling fish dish.
Cocktails
Part Time Lover (North Park)
Lafayette (North Park) - Cocktails, food, and vibes (I’ve been here and it is the vibeist place that ever vibed. So fun.)
Little Italy
Active
Indie Yoga in Ocean Beach
Hiking at Torrey Pines
Kayaking at La Jolla Cove
Views
Mt. Soledad
Cabrillo National Monument
This place played a HUGE role in my Coronado trip, and I cannot believe we didn’t have it on the original itinerary!
Miscellaneous
Hillcrest Farmers’ Market (Sundays)
Whaley House in Old Town - Ghost/Haunted Tours!
Street Markets in Ocean Beach (which I’m sure we would’ve gone to since our Airbnb was right there!
That’s it! Subscribe to make sure you get the revised itinerary, and learn what I actually did on this trip.
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And of course - if you have spots to add to this list, leave a comment please!!
Wow. You sound like a travel agent! You did a LOT of research for such a short trip!
It's so opposite to how I've traveled..."Steps off plane and wings it." Aside from accommodations, I've never been much of a planner. But with new places I like knowing a few things ahead of time for sure.