Updated: June 2020
San Diego, my little piece of paradise. Growing up my family took trips to San Diego multiple times a year and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve made sure to keep it up. When planning our last trip, we knew it would be the perfect place to escape Arizona’s heat and relax on the beach.
San Diego is taking some cues from LA and is quickly becoming a city full of cute coffee shops, adorable stores, and breathtaking hotels. With the overwhelming amount of things to do, I figured I would put together a little list of some of my favorite spots.
Ahh, the Hotel Del Coronado. Coronado Island happens to be one of my favorite places on Earth. In fact, I am going to own a house out there at some point in my life (putting that into the universe right now). Not only is the beach great but the hotel is absolutely stunning and there are so many good restaurants nearby. It’s really the perfect place to spend an afternoon sipping a piña colada and soaking up the sun.
Okay, ya’ll this might be the cutest coffee shop that I have ever seen. I mean coffee plus flowers and knick-knacks in one place? I’m sold. On top of it, the coffee is delicious. I got the lavender honey latte and it hit the spot. Plus it makes for some great photo ops.
You a plant mama or dad? If so, this place is for you. Heck, even if you can’t keep a cactus alive, this is a cool place to stop by. Located right next to Communal Coffee, this nursery has tons of plants and cute pottery. I honestly wanted to buy it all
Okay, so I’m pretty sure we spent like 2 hours in here because I had to look at every little thing. They’ve got plants, shirts, journals, jewelry, party goods, and literally everything else you can imagine. If someone were to ask me to describe my idea of heaven, I would just say Pigment. That’s how much I loved this place. Go in prepared to spend some money because you are going to want to buy absolutely everything.
I’m still just getting into this matcha thing but when I saw this place, I knew I had to go. We ended up getting a charcoal lemonade that was a lovely $10 but sitting here and enjoying it was well worth it.
If you’re looking to get a little exercise in, look no further. Torrey Pines is the place for you. Throw your bathing suit and tennis shoes on and hike up the multiple trails along the reserve to some of the best views in San Diego. Once you’ve worked up a sweat, head down to the beach for a dip. It’s a win, win for everyone.
This is hands down one of my favorite coffee shops in the world. And I mean in the world. I’m not a huge coffee drinker so when you can make coffee taste a little less like mud, you’ve won me over. And that’s exactly what Better Buzz has done. My favorite is the caramel buzz. It tastes like ice cream.
If you’ve read any of my blog posts than you’ve probably learned by now that I am a sucker for a good hotel I can sneak into. In fact, maybe that’s all I should write about… Anyways, this holds true even when on vacation. This time was the La Valencia in La Jolla. This pink beauty offers the perfect backdrop for photos, a killer pool, and it’s right on the water.
I think out of all the beaches in San Diego, this might be my favorite. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. They’ve got surfing, swimming, and even offer scuba lessons. I will say though, out of all the beaches we went to, this one was the busiest. And we went on a Tuesday afternoon. So be prepared for some crowds, especially during summertime.
Sitting on the sight of the former Naval Training Center, Liberty Station is a shopping center full of great eats and lots of cute boutiques. It houses one of my favorite coffee shops, Moniker General along with another insta-worthy Pigment location. On weekends they have markets where you’ll find vendors selling homemade goodies that make the perfect souvenirs.
Do you have favorite spots in San Diego? If so, comment and let me know! I’d love suggestions for the next time I go back!
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Loved this post!! Thanks so much for the pearls of wisdom, I am headed to San Diego in March and reading this has made me so excited 🙂
Thank you so much! Hope you have fun! 🙂