If I could travel all the time, I would.
I won’t bore you by telling you how much I enjoy traveling. You can tell from my Instagram pages and Tiktok. I prefer beaches to cities, but I’d do either or. So, this adventure takes place in the beautiful city of San Diego. The plus is, it also comes with a beach. Win, win.
I began planning my trip a few months ago after seeing one of my homegirls post some dope pics. I had never even thought of visiting San Diego before. I began researching things to do. Boy, was I amazed.
San Diego is known for its beauty and its architecture.
I hopped onto my Expedia app and searched away. I didn’t want to copycat her trip, so I made sure to not book anything she already did. I booked my flight with American Airlines. It was only a 4.5 hour flight. FYI, you better pack a meal. They only give you some pretzels, unless you’re in first class. The jet lag will get you though. California is 3 hours behind North Carolina.
I found the most gorgeous resort. Plus, it’s super affordable. I stayed at Bahia Resort near Mission Beach. It’s in the heart of everything! At the resort, there are 3 restaurants, a pool, a private beach with cabanas (free of charge), tennis courts, shuffleboard, and a seal sanctuary. My room overlooked the bay. Gorgeous!
The meals at the restaurants on the property were great. They have a variety of menu options filled with many different cultural fares. The hummus…OMG!!! The drinks at the bar are strong, so you may want to just limit yourself to 1.
Now, usually, I just Uber in cities. But I do not suggest that. I suggest you rent a car here. The Uber ride from the airport was $25. And, the uber ride from the resort to the Gaslight district was $46. After the first day, we decided to rent a Jeep. I’ll explain why later.
We got in Friday afternoon. We used that time to familiarize ourselves with the resort. However, the next day, we decided to explore the Mission Beach area. We rented Birds, the electric scooter, and rode around. There are beaches that line either side of the main highway, Mission Blvd. I’m proud to say that I did not fall off.
Later that day, we took the most fabulous tour offered in San Diego. Let me backtrack. So, before coming out here, I asked all of my friends for suggestions. They mentioned the GasLamp District, La Jolla, Balboa Park, Coronado, etc. However, I did not know specifically what to do in those areas. So, I found this hop on, hop off City Lights tour that goes through all the major tourist areas. That way, I became more familiar with what’s offered in those areas without needing an Uber or driving. The tour was super affordable and had the best guide, Susie. Susie has won San Diego’s tour guide of the year award three times! She explained the history of San Diego and showed the beautiful architecture. She’s hilarious and plays a cool track (music) that matches every area she goes into. If you decide to do this tour, please tell her I said hello!
For the final day of our trip, we decided to explore the coastal highway. We rented a Jeep and drove an hour down the coast. The towns on Route 101, or Coast HWY, were absolutely adorable. We passed through Encinitas, Carlsbad, and La Jolla. We ended the first part of our drive in Dana Point, where we ate at Salt Creek Grille. The food is excellent and the portions are huge! After lunch, we headed back to San Diego, following our same path. We stopped at some of the beaches along the way to take pictures. We passed the Marine training facility. FYI, the seagulls are huge.
Once we made it back to San Diego, we visited Sunset Cliffs Beach. Yes, it’s a legit cliff and there are no guardrails. So, be careful. I would not advise letting kids go up there. California, I think you may want to put something up there besides just a sign. Just saying.
For our final night in San Diego, we did a sunset cruise on Mission Bay offered by our hotel. It was only $10. I was like, wow, that’s super affordable. Then, I realized why. They legit just took you out onto the water for 45 minutes and brought you back. No music, no history, nada. Just a boat ride. The plus, however, is they did have snacks. Alcohol and chips. Not dinner, but enough to hold you over.
Overall, this was a great trip! I would highly recommend visiting San Diego. I plan to come back and bring my children. With the kids, I’d probably rent an Airbnb on the beach. They’re getting big and I need some space. I’d love for them to visit Sea World and the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum.
Where should I go next?
Shana Hannibal 