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OT - San Diego trip

I know this is off topic but we are headed to San Diego for a little family vacation.  Staying at the Lowes in Coronado 2 nights and at the Hotel Del Coronado 2 nights.  Not too much planned - we'll visit the USS Midway and spend some time on the beach just relaxing.  Other than that - any must dos or places to eat while we are there?  

I spent some time in San Diego back in my Marine Corps days but haven't been there since 1992.  

Thanks.
XL BGE

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    Here's a link to a recent San Diego info request:  Hopefully some help:  (used the forum search function-there are more.)

    OT: Seeking San Diego suggestions  

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • stonewh
    stonewh Posts: 169
    Gaslamp Quarter, there is a rooftop bar at the Renaissance right by Petco field, cool place that overlooks the field. Liberty Station is neat
    Birmingham, AL
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,797
    If you are there on a Sunday, you can't beat brunch at the Hotel Del.

    If the Padres are in town, I have never seen better beer (great craft selections) and shorter lines (no line for beer) at any ball park.

    We rented bikes from the rental shop at Hotel Del and rode south to the San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge and then on to the Tijuana River Estuary.  Saw some cool flora and fauna - especially birds.   Then on the way back we rode up the beach and had fresh fish and/or beer on several piers in the beach towns.  Was a great day.

    We've also done the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park where they have a behind the scenes thing where you get to watch a cheetah take off at full speed from just a few feet away.  It's fairly pricey and you need a reservation.

    Some colleagues of mine have highly recommended the Prohibition Lounge which is a hidden "speakeasy" in the Gaslamp District that I hope to hit the next time I'm there.

    Peohe's is a good restaurant on the bay side of Coronado with a view of the San Diego skyline.

    The outdoor pizza wood-fired pizza place at Hotel Del is very good.

    There are boat, kayak, and paddleboard rental options if you are so inclined.  I rented a boat and went around the bay for a couple of hours one time and saw some seals on buoys and some other stuff.  It was worth doing.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    edited July 2017
    Get a 3 day bus pass also good on train to several coast town north. Add the zoo. Lots of good food. Love the place as car is not needed. 
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    Cross the border to TJ...........Gaslamp Quarter is a lot of fun
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • bigegger
    bigegger Posts: 87
    I visit my relatives in San Diego almost every year..might as well visit La Jolla Cove beaches to check out the seals and sea lions.
    My brother in law brings me downtown to the farmers market every Saturday morning to have fresh oysters and sea urchin for breakfast B)
    LBGE with 76" Challenger Cooking Island
  • tenpenny_05
    tenpenny_05 Posts: 286
    Just moved back to Kansas after working in San Diego for 3 years:
    Pizza Port is fun. board n brew is a great place for a quick lunch. The aerospace museum in balboa park would be a good compliment to the midway. Balboa park as a whole is a good way to spend an afternoon walking around. (avoid the car museum, it sucks) The Zoo Safari park is beautiful and not as crazy as the zoo downtown.
    Hodad's is a must, Solana Beach is beautiful. The beer is all good, but my favorites are belching beaver in North Park (try the peanut butter milk stout), Societe, and Alesmith. (Ballast Point is excellent, but they are also recent sell-outs to corporate beer pimps)
    Kansas City, Kansas
    Second hand Medium BGE, Second hand Black Kamado Joe Classic, Second hand Weber Kettle, Second hand Weber Smokey Mountain
  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,110
    Last time I was there we hit the Stone Brewery In Escondido.. meh.  The family I enjoyed the Mission Beach Area when we visited- great beach great little town
    XLBGE, LBGECharbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    bigegger said:
    I visit my relatives in San Diego almost every year..might as well visit La Jolla Cove beaches to check out the seals and sea lions.
    My brother in law brings me downtown to the farmers market every Saturday morning to have fresh oysters and sea urchin for breakfast B)
    As i recall the Farmers Market is at the edge of Little Italy. Not a bad place to be.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,821
    If you like Mexican food Miguel's Cocina is just to the north of the Hotel del Coronado. Walking distance easy.  Try the fundido de queso and the margaritas. Another good reason to walk.
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
  • Wolfie51sb
    Wolfie51sb Posts: 267
    This was my post this past spring after we returned from a week in San Diego. Fun fact not included in this recap: San Diego State University's track "stadium" is on top of a parking garage on campus.

    My family and I are back from San Diego, and it was a great one thanks in part to some of the tips in this thread. I got to thinking that I kind of "owe" it to report our experiences on the chance that it might be helpful to someone else in the future. So, in no specific order:

    -- Best "real" meal of the trip was at Asti Restorante in the Gaslight Quarter downtown. Really good Italian food. I had the seafood pasta, which had a whole lobster tail perched on top. Great service. Bill for the three of us was $130 before tip, which included two cocktails.

    -- Made one trip to Hotel Del Coronado, for a casual dinner at ENO Pizzeria. Nothing spectacular. Three pizzas, a cheese plate, one cocktail, one iced tea and one soda ran us $120, not including tip. Was thankful we went there only once.

    -- Ate once at Oceana Coastal Kitchen, which was at the resort where we stayed. Nice view, average food, below-average service. Highlight of the night was when I asked a server for refills on our water. He left, returned shortly and told us he instructed one of the other servers to refill our glasses. I guess grabbing the pitcher himself and bringing it on the return trip wasn't possible.

    -- Hitting the small Mexican joints for tacos and such was a highlight. We visited San Diego State University one day for my daughter, who's in high school, and at the end of the day ate at Trujillo's Taco Shop near campus. Daughter said the chicken tacos were among the best she's ever had. All the food was awesome.

    -- Near Mission Beach, our go-to spot was Cotija's Taco Shop, the only place on the entire trip we went to twice. The carne asada was second to none. Little dive located in a strip mall.

    -- La Playa Taco Shop was recommended to us, and it was good but not great.

    -- One morning we went to Lucky Donuts near Mission Beach. Nothing much to report, EXCEPT, it's worth a trip just to get one of their "burritos" that are stuffed with apple pie filling and topped with a cinnamon-and-butter mixture. Two people can easily split one.

    -- Only other breakfast experience was Kono's at the beach. It's a landmark to the locals, and the portions are huge, but otherwise just OK. We went early (7:45 a.m.) and had no wait. Late-morning lines stretch far out the door. That wait wouldn't be worth it to me.

    -- Baked Bear is a place where you can get custom-made ice cream sandwiches. Simple idea, I know, but WOW! Always a line, no matter what time of day. Reasonably priced guilty pleasures.

    -- We did quite a few touristy things, including a trip to the San Diego Zoo, where I was stunned to walk right in without having my backpack checked. What's up with that? I know California is laid back, but really?

    -- Also touristy but a lot of fun was the Segway tour we took of downtown. Lasted a bit less than 2 hours. They provide instruction so you're comfortable taking the Segways onto the streets, and you see quite a few places you might otherwise miss. I think it cost us $90 a person, and that was with a $20 coupon for each of us.

    Add all of the above to some surfing, indoor skydiving and a last-minute trip up the road to Disneyland and it was a packed week of fun.

    Rob

    Columbus, Ohio

  • SPRIGS
    SPRIGS Posts: 482
    Wow.  Thanks for all of the information!! Really appreciate it.  

    We we are doing the Sunday brunch at Hotel Del. It better be good for what they charge!! Ha!
    XL BGE