a little known fact about me: up until last sunday, i had never been more west than memphis, tennessee. and that was when i was in college for a unc basketball game, so i'm not even sure if that counts.
so when i got the chance to fly out to san diego, i pretty much counted down the days. i'd like to take you through some of things i saw, ate, and did during my first trip to california. this post may be a long one, but these pictures will prove why i'm not going apologize for that.
day one:
first of all, that was the longest flight i have ever been on in my life. 5 hours. but once we touched down in the sunny state & 68 degree weather, it was worth it. i checked into my hotel and was greeted with beautiful views of both the mountain side & the water side. it's fascinating that you can look left & see one thing and look to the right & see the other.
we headed to the old town district and had some margaritas and enchiladas at casa guadalajara.
the rest of the day was spent exploring the old town area seeing different shops & architecture. check it out below.
that night, we dined at nobu sushi. i'm not really a huge sushi fan {insert long sigh}, but figured i could find something on the menu. we weren't disappointed. after some prosecco champagne, i ordered the shrimp & lobster with mushrooms & some crispy topping goodness. also ordered was the king crab dish. we finished with a drink at searsucker, a bar located in the gaslamp quarter, which is a popular place in SD.
day two:
well i woke up to this.
beautiful right? the sun was right over the mountains at around 6am {since my body was still on eastern time of 9am}. i met the girls downstairs and we checked out chocolat bistro for some egg & ham croissants & caramel latte's. the croissant had to have been glazed with a sweet honey sauce. perfection.
after shopping around at horton's plaza, an outdoor shopping mall, we dined at sammy's california woodfire pizza for lunch. i ordered the brie & mushroom pizza with truffle oil. we spent the remainder of the afternoon walking the streets and enjoying the sun.
that night we drove up to la jolla {pronounced "la hoy-ya"} to george's at the cove. this place, y'all. it was an ocean front restaurant where we got to drink an awesome sauvignon blanc by honig & ate the following. do not lick the screen.
day three:
we were pretty busy doing things we were sent out there for on day three, but later that night got to attend a party & see chris daughtry live! he puts on an awesome show.
day four:
hands down, my favorite day. they say to save the best for last and this does just that. we rented a car and drove up to four different destinations for the day. if you have a chance to visit san diego, these places are must. it was absolutely gorgeous out there.
destination one: del mar.
for lunch, we ate at brigantine. this overlooks the derby track, mountains, and the pacific ocean all in one. we had some amazing margarita's and fish tacos.
destination two: la jolla.
we went back mainly to see the seals in the daytime. this beach is gorgeous! with a cove that has beached seals, beautiful shorelines, and crystal clear water - it was breathtaking. words don't do any of these pictures justice, so i'll just let you see what i'm talking about.
destination three: mission beach.
surrounded by people on bikes, skateboards, and beach shops, this is where we decided to shop for a little san diego gear. i got lee and i a local shirt to take back home as a souvenir. we ventured over to cafe 976 for some coffee in this cute house a few streets from the beach.
destination four: coronado island.
this is the prettiest beach i have ever been to. with sand that felt like powdered sugar between your toes and a gorgeous sunset, i was in heaven. we ate dinner at a local burger joint which was a total hole in the wall. danny's palm bar & grill.
to end, we walked through the gorgeous hotel del coronado and the sun set on a perfect day.
until next time - you stay classy san diego! you have my heart.
xo,
-A
