36 Hours (and the 10 top things to do) in San Diego
San Diego is a beautifully vibrant place, filled with nooks and crannies of adventures. With the weather being better than ever lately, there's no better time to take a stay cation or vacation to one of the most beautiful cities in California. Here, a San Diego insider and style blogger, Conni of Art in the Find, shares 10 of her favorite San Diego things to do...cause one of the best ways to get to know any city is from the people who love it most!
1 | Drink a Hazelnut Latte & eat a croissant at Extraordinary Desserts | I’ve never been a real fan of hazelnut. But for some reason, this particular latte has & croissant combo has me in love with the coffee + pastry combo.
2 | Take the ferry to Coronado, rent bikes, and ride around the island | From our place in Little Italy, we can walk to the ferry at the Embarcadero. Ferries leave every 30 minutes and it’s a 15 minute ride across the (gorgeous) bay to Coronado. From there, I love renting bikes for a few hours to zoom by all my future dream homes…
3 | Walk through Balboa Park near sunset then have dinner at Cucina Urbana | When Cucina Urbana opened up a few years ago, I knew I found a great spot to sit at the bar, have a sangria, followed up by a great glass of wine & pizza. They have a wine ‘store’ inside the restaurant, so you pay no mark up, only the corkage fee. Reso highly recommended, unless you show up right at 5!
4 | Have a champagne cocktail & Oysters at Ironside | One of my all time favorites for eye candy, Ironside has a great champagne cocktail list and their $1 oysters for happy hour can’t be beat.
5 | Have brunch at Cafe Chloe | I cannot say enough about how darling this gem in downtown San Diego is. They’ve been open for around 10 years and I think I’ve been dining there just about that long. Order a glass of rose, their cheese plate, and the Croque Madame.
6 | Sail on the San Diego bay | We are supremely lucky to have better weather in January than most. So sailing on the bay is a lovely option. For $80 a person, you can sail with Sail San Diego with up to 8 people (who can all be your friends!). Snacks and drinks are included.
7 | Drink a michelada & eat tacos at Puesto, then shop at Seaside Paperie and try cheese at Venissimo (at the Headquarters) | If you’re looking for a great place to find lovely shops, great food, and yummy cheese, the Headquarters, which opened last year, is a great place to hang.
8 | Hit up the Little Italy farmers market early then head to Queenstown for the weekend brunch | The Little Italy Farmer’s Market is another little gem in my book. But you have to get there early because it gets really packed. After a quick visit for some local produce, stopping at Queenstown is another favorite. Order the Elvis. Peanut butter, bananas, and waffles..done and done.
9 | Coffee Hop to all my favorite coffee places in San Diego, like Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, influx, Cafe Madeleine, and Tartine, just to name a few. | Breweries and coffee shops are stuff that dreams are made of and San Diego has a wide variety for every palate. As far as coffee shops go, I love that in every neighborhood, there are favorites, and each has a story.
10 | Order a Mona Lisa #12 Sandwich with pepperoncinis and fresh mozzarella, to go. | I mean, I can’t even begin to talk about Mona Lisa without starting to crave their sandwiches. I have them saved in my phone, it’s that good.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Conni is a native Californian and adventuring creative at heart. She started her blog, Art in the Find back in 2013, as a way to bring style and her sense of adventure to her readers. Conni is a full time personal wardrobe stylist and blogger who loves bringing everyday style to her clients. She is based out of San Diego and also creates style lookbooks for clients all over the U.S. Conni loves a good cup of coffee in the morning, can be found scouring the flea markets for creative projects, and won't turn down a glass of bubbly for anything!