We love San Diego!
It works out well too, because we have a bro/sis-in-law who live right in the middle of sunny Little Italy. They are experts in all things fun and good times, and therefore, have shown us so many amazing places, things to do, and restaurants across the city.
Hopefully, we can get them on the blog for a Q & A some day!
We were there for my birthday weekend this year, and had a blast. Here is what we did over the course of a Saturday thru Sunday morning, PLUS a bonus list of our other favorite things to do and places to eat.
Saturday
Grab lattes from Portal Coffee. I love the Orange Cardamom latte with oat milk and prepared “less sweet”. The ordering here is all by computer screen, and I love the option to choose “less sweet”.
Head to the Farmer’s Market in Little Italy. There are tons of delicious food options, beautiful looking produce, flowers, and my bro/sis-in-law’s favorite card shop where cards are handmade in Temecula, California. The best things to buy are Majestic Sprouted Hummus (honestly, the best hummus we’ve ever had) and Maya’s vegan cookies. 🙂
Eat brunch or lunch at Cafe Gratitude in San Diego. Ah, our favorite restaurant in San Diego. They’re dishes really make vegetables and plant-based foods shine with so much creativity and variety.
At this point, our baby desperately needed a nap. So we went back to the condo for a few hours to rest up for the rest of the day. If you need an afternoon siesta, take one! If not, you could always walk along the bay near Little Italy.
After we rested up, we drove out to Mission Bay beach. We parked along a side street and walked next to the beach. It was breezy here, and wow, did our daughter love the breeze. I think she spent the entire hour (or longer) squealing, laughing, and smiling with the breeze hitting her face and flowing through her hair. It was adorable.
After Mission Bay, we went to Plant Power Fast Food. Yes, we have one in Las Vegas, but it worked out well for us this evening. It was already late, the food was fast, and we were able to get home before the baby got too tired/needed bed time. PLUS, for my birthday, I got a free milkshake which are normally around $5-6.00!
After we got home, my husband and his brother worked out getting a birthday cake – double chocolate, vegan and gluten free – from Hazel and Jade. As if we did not have enough sweets for the day, but this cake was so delicious. It was a great finale to celebrating my day too!
Sunday
We knew we had a five hour drive back to Las Vegas ahead of us, so we did not want to stay too long. However, we did end up putting together quite the action-packed morning!
Head to the playground at Waterfront park. Obviously, this only makes sense if you have a child. 🙂 But in the morning, the playground was not very busy, and we had lots of fun. We love checking out new playgrounds every where we go now.
Grab another coffee from Portal Coffee. Portal Coffee is conveniently located across the street from Waterfront Park, so it only made sense to head back there.
Drive out to South Park for brunch at Kindred. Another all-vegan spot for brunch, dinner, and/or drinks (including mock-tails!). Delicious and in the heart of a very cute neighborhood. It really reminded us of the restaurant Coronado in Phoenix.
After brunch, we went our separate ways and headed back to Las Vegas.
Here are a few other bonus ideas for other fun things to do/places to see/restaurants to check out!
-Walk to Seaport Village for shopping, restaurants, and Ben and Jerry’s.
-Check out the sea lions at La Jolla Cove and eat along the water at a cute restaurant.
-Go shopping and indulge in Mexican Food at Old Town.
-Take a hike at Cabrillo National Monument.
-Take a stroll and pack a picnic (like a meal to-go from Evolution) in Balboa Park.
-Go to a Padres baseball game (my husband’s dream).
-Spend a day at the San Diego Zoo.
-Hike the Ho Chi Minh Trail out to a beach!
-Have a beach day at Coronado Beach
More ideas for you!
Taking a trip to San Diego pairs well with:
- A visit to Idyllwild, California: a quirky, artsy mountain town that elected a golden retriever as mayor, and is filled with locally owned shops and restaurants. Also located near so many hiking trails
- A stay in Palm Springs
- A trip to Joshua Tree National Park
OR check out more city guides and other weekend trip ideas.
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