I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been to San Diego twice, but not in 5 years. We have a wedding early August and will be going for 6 nights. What is the weather usually like then? They are getting married on the military base. Our friend lives in Mission Bay. My husband has Marriott points to use, so we were looking at this hotel:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sanal-courtyard-san-diego-airport-liberty-station/
The day of the wedding (my husband's in it), do you have any suggestions of things I could do by myself? We're not doing the zoo, Seaworld, etc...b/c it is too expensive to bring my young kids-we just had a BIG trip to Disney this year (and they're not invited, so we'd need a babysitter), and I would be so sad to do that stuff without them. We'll definately be back with them when they're a little older.
Any good restaurant recommendations for two adults who haven't had a vacation without kids for 6 years
? We definately want to go to Old Town.
August weather is usually pretty hot. You'll probably be getting 85-90 degree weather, though sometimes it can reach above 90. It's not too bad, though. There isn't really humidity here, so it's a little easier to handle for most people than a summer in, say, Orlando (which I'm sure many of us have experienced.. myself included!).
As for things to do by yourself.. hmm. There's a lot! A few things that I can think up off the top of my head include:
- Check out Coronado, and make a stop at the Hotel Del Coronado
http://www.hoteldel.com/
We love starting at the Hotel Del, parking there, walking around the hotel and its shops, and walking around all of the stores within walking distance around the island. There are a ton of really cute little restaurants around that you can eat at or just grab a cup of coffee, smoothie, or ice cream come at! And honestly, the shopping at both the hotel and around the island, is some of the best in San Diego!
- Fashion Valley Mall
http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=765
This mall is definitely the most popular mall in San Diego. They have all of your normal stores.. Macy's, JC Penn, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, etc.. but there are also a lot of fun boutique stores that not many of us can afford, but many of us like to window shop at! They also have a really fun food court with a lot of unique places to eat there. It's a really pretty environment to walk around, actually.
- Balboa Park Museums
http://www.balboapark.org/
They have TONS of different museums and other attractions (including the San Diego Zoo that you did mention), and a free trolley service that will take you around to each different area. It's really beautiful to walk around, especially during the summer. If you wanted to do one or two museums, I'd highly suggest the Air & Space Museum, if you enjoy the history of flight, or the Automotive Museum. Even if you're not into cars, the Automotive museum is really fun to walk around. The museums in Balboa Park generally aren't too pricey. When you bring your kids, I'd definitely suggest the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center. It's a lot of fun and they have a lot of great hands-on things for kids to try!
- Seaport Village
http://www.seaportvillage.com/
Seaport Village is a great place to walk around. I go there alone all the time to just walk around and relax by the ocean. It's really beautiful to walk around, and there are a ton of really fun stores to walk around. They even have a really cute little kite shop where you can pick up a fun souvenir to bring home for the kids!
- Point Loma Lighthouse
http://www.nps.gov/cabr/historyculture/old-point-loma-lighthouse.htm
This is really close to where you're staying, and if you enjoy hiking, it's a great place to go. You take a nice walk up to the lighthouse, and there are a bunch of trails that will take you down to the tide pools and you can enjoy the wildlife there and just get your feet wet! It is a ton of fun and a great place to get photos of San Diego!
And for restaurants..
DH and I really like Island Prime
http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/islandprime/ It's on stilts in the ocean and no matter where you sit, you get a great ocean view. It's really pretty, and the food is wonderful. I'm a vegetarian, and I still found something really delicious to eat there!
Also, The Prado at Balboa Park
http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/theprado/ has some AMAZING food. The atmosphere is beautiful and all of the people there are very friendly.
If you're looking for something retro, fun, and honestly kind of random, I really love Maryjane's at the Hard Rock in the Gaslamp.
http://www.hardrockhotelsd.com/dining-&-nightlife/maryjanes The food is actually really great, and the menu is really interesting.. they have a lot of great options, including breakfast all day/night and some awesome vegetarian chili! They also have a very full bar with lots of drinks to drink off some of the stress!
If you like Asian cuisine, Nobu is awesome. The food is great, though a bit pricey.. and the service is also usually really good.
http://www.noburestaurants.com/san-diego/experience/introduction/
The Grant Grill is also a ridiculously yummy restaurant!
http://www.grantgrill.com/
Let me know if you have any more questions! You're also welcome to pm me too if you'd like
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