As my readers know, most of my travels are international. What made me travel to San Diego? Last winter, on a snowy day, I googled, Where is it 65 degrees today? Two results came up; one was San Diego, and the second was the Gran Canary Islands. Armed with this information, I was scouting for a future winter respite. Besides pleasant weather, I needed a location that my certified service dog could.fly to without a demanding flight time. San Diego was it.
We stayed at the Wyndham Bayside Hotel. Not a high–end hotel, but it had everything we needed. The service was excellent. There is a restaurant where you can have breakfast and American fare throughout the day. The location is perfect because we were right on the bay. This is a beautiful walk, and my pooch Penny loved seeing all the people and their dogs.
https://welcometosandiego.com/buildings/bayside-san-diego/#img0
https://www.wyndhamsandiegobay.com/
San Diego Seaport Area
Along the bay there is the aircraft carrier the Midway, and the Disney Cruise ship docks along the bay when it sails from San Diego. We walked to Seaport Village. There you have cute shops and restaurants. We bought a few things and planned to return one night to have dinner.
https://www.seaportvillage.com/
San Diego”s Old Town
The next day, we traveled to Old City. We were told you can take the trolley there. What San Diegans call a trolley, we call a train. So there was confusion, but we found our way and headed to Old Town. It appears like a Mexican village. Novelty shops, small businesses, and restaurants cover the area. We headed back on the trolley and booked a boat tour around the bay. The sites are military–related. It was fun to see the Navy Seals practicing their drills on the water. After a lovely afternoon on the water, we headed back to Seaport Village for dinner.
What the Hell Travel Event
Sometimes a What the Hell moment happens when we are traveling. Unfortunately, my husband was having dental issues, so we had to deal with that. After researching, I found a dental urgent care. Thus was a first for us, but it was a significant find. The dentist was wonderful, and with his help, we could enjoy the rest of our trip.
Now that they addressed the tooth problem, we went to the Little Italy district. As the name indicates, this is where you find all things Italiano. There are many restaurants, and with San Diego’s temperate weather, many offer outside dining. We brought Penny with us, which turned out to be a perfect spot. As a native New Yorker, suggesting Italian food is tough, and being part of an Italian family makes this even harder. Read reviews, check menus, and discover what appeals to you. It was walkable, and we all had a lovely evening strolling back to the hotel.
Balboa Park, San Diego
On our last day, we went to Balboa Park, which is a beautiful area of the city. There is way more here than grass and trees. Inside are many impressive cultural institutions. We choose to explore two of them. The first was the Museum of Natural History, and the second was the Japanese Gardens. Being a service dog, Penny was welcome to both facilities.
San Diego Museum of Natural History
The museum has a modern ambience with a large variety of exhibitions. There are dinosaur bones, some real, and others that were fabricated. The basement has a library of life, where visitors can explore items that are not being shown that are housed. We watched a film titled Wild San Diego; this connects modern–day and historic California. Our visit was educational and recommended.
San Diego Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens have beautiful examples of Japanese wisteria, cherry trees, and a bonsai garden, and only a small sampling. There are also Japanese woodblock prints. A visit here is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
Conclusion
We enjoyed our time in San Diego so much that I already rented an apartment for a month during the winter. The incredible, consistent year–round temperature is a big draw for me. A city on the water with many activities to do is what I choose as an ideal vacation destination. I had an idea, then checked it out, and for that I say, “WTH.”
1 thought on “Why San Diego?”
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