San Diego Weekend Itinerary
I just got back from a girl’s trip in San Diego and wanted to put together a weekend itinerary. I went with a few of my girl friends and had so much fun! I think this is a great spot for a weekend trip with friends because there is so much to do. We went in February, so it was a little chillier and definitely not beach weather. It was nice during the day then would get pretty cold at night. If you want to go for warm summer weather, I recommend going in September/October.
We stayed in Pacific Beach because coming from NY we wanted to stay near the beach rather than downtown in the city. Pacific Beach is a cute and chill beach town with a younger crowd. It was great to stay here and be right on the beach, with a lot of bars and restaurants walking distance.
As for packing with T1D, I packed pretty much all the basics, which I detail in this blog post. This was my first trip on the Omnipod 5 so I packed extra pods and insulin as well. I had to change my pod twice while I was away, but I had no troubles, and it went pretty seamlessly! Being on the pump definitely made things easier on the trip.
What To Do
Balboa Park – Spend the day at Balboa Park to walk around and then head to the zoo. The zoo is huge so it will take up most of the day.
La Jolla – I really loved it here. The town is so beautiful. Walk along the coastline to see La Jolla cove which is absolutely gorgeous. You may even see the sealions sunbathing – they are so cute! Then walk up to George’s on the Cove and get lunch or a drink and enjoy the view. After, walk around La Jolla and do some shopping. It’s such a nice town.
Coronado Island – Spend the day on Coronado Island. It’s a cute beachy town to walk and shop around. Stop at Hotel del Coronado, grab a drink and enjoy the beach!
Where We Ate
JRDN – This restaurant is in Pacific Beach right on the water. Definitely more of a nicer place which I loved. It’s the perfect place to grab a drink and hangout. We came here for lunch on our first day and it was delicious. We got some sushi to share and I got the lobster BLT which was soo good. I really loved this place and would definitely recommend if you’re in Pacific Beach. I would go for lunch or dinner and sit outside so you can enjoy the beach.
Buona Forchetta – This was a smaller, low key restaurant, perfect for a chill first night. We had an early reservation the first night since we were tired from jet lag and traveling all day which was perfect. We went to the South Park location and it was good, but nothing to rave about. It’s a pretty basic pizza and pasta menu. We shared a salad, a pasta, a pizza and a bottle of wine. If I go back to San Diego I probably wouldn’t eat here, just because it’s the type of food I eat all the time in NY. I do think it’s one of those places that has other locations with consistently good food.
Waterbar – Also in Pacific Beach, this is a restaurant that turns into a rowdy bar at night. We came here after the zoo to grab small bites and a drink before dinner and I actually really liked it. We got some sushi to share and the lobster spinach dip which was to die for. It came with bread to dip it in but you could really just eat it with a spoon it was that good! They have tables that overlook the water and when it’s nice they open the windows and it’s just a really nice vibe. I would come here for a drink during sunset because the views overlooking the ocean are beautiful.
We also came here at night after dinner and it was definitely a younger, post college crowd. I loved staying in Pacific Beach but the crowds at night were a little too young for us. If you’re post college you would love the vibes here.
Callie – This was probably my favorite restaurant I went too. The service was excellent, the food was phenomenal, and I liked the vibe a lot. It was a Mediterranean place, so we started off with pita bread and hummus. The hummus was so creamy and flavorful. Then we ordered a bunch of entrees to share. We got 2 orders of the cacio e pepe (which might have been a special that night) because it was that good, a fish which was also a special, and then we got the lamb chops. Everything was so flavorful! The lamb chops were one of the best I’ve had. Then we ended the night with espresso martinis (also one of the better ones I’ve had) and the meyer lemon pavlova dessert. I would highly recommend this place and would definitely go back.
Parakeet Café – This café is in La Jolla and I loved it so much! They had such good coffee, lattes, and matcha. Their breakfast and toasts were amazing. I got an avocado toast with an egg and my friend got the mushroom toast and I couldn’t get over how good everything was. I liked this spot because it was a casual grab and go spot where you could still sit and enjoy your coffee and food. It wasn’t a sit down breakfast place that you needed to wait a long time to get in.
George’s at the Cove – Also in La Jolla, I definitely recommend coming here. After strolling the coastline, we walked up here to grab lunch and drinks. The view was phenomenal, and the vibe was amazing. This is a perfect place to grab a drink and enjoy the view. It was a gorgeous day and I truly felt like I was on vacation. We didn’t have a reservation, but they have a bar area with seats that we sat at. You will probably need a reservation to sit down and have lunch or dinner, but if you’re coming for a drink or a bite, the bar area is nice too. They do close their kitchen at I think 4 to switch to dinner, so I would make sure you plan accordingly if you plan to eat.
Lumi – This was a really fun rooftop sushi spot. They had loud music going and had good sushi. It was definitely a vibe. The restaurant is all outdoors so I would keep that in mind when making a reservation since it can get chilly at night. They had heaters but it probably would have been much nicer on a warm summer night.
The Henry – This is an American restaurant in Coronado, and it was delicious. We went on a Sunday and there was a very long wait (like 2 hours long), so I would go and put your name down, then do some walking/shopping around. We got lunch but they had a great brunch menu too. We got the pretzel bites, brussels sprouts, spicy tuna & crispy rice, and the seared tuna chop. And now I’m hungry thinking about all this food – it was seriously so good!
As for the nightlife, we were told pretty consistently by locals to go out in Little Italy since the crowd in Pacific Beach is a little younger. So if you do go to San Diego, check out the bars in Little Italy!
I hope this was a helpful itinerary for a weekend with friends if you do choose to go to San Diego!
xoxoxox
Gab
