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Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Why you should visit California's largest city park right now (no, not Griffith)
The trail is short but steep, and it smells of sage. A few hundred feet below, I see moms with strollers on a path beside the San Diego River. Above, I see granite cliffs and hear the hollers of unseen climbers. 'Rope!' says one. 'Hey,' says another. 'There's a ram's horn down here!' This is the Climbers Loop Trail at Kwaay Paay Peak, one of my new favorite spots in the biggest city park that you've never heard of: Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. No, this park is not downtown like its more famous sibling, Balboa Park. But Mission Trails, eight miles northeast of downtown and 15 miles from the beach, is the biggest city-owned park in California. Along with the trickling river and a dam that dates to the early Spanish missionary days, the landscape includes 65 miles of trails on more than 8,000 acres of rugged mountains, hills and valleys. It looks like a healthy slice of Arizona, and it covers more territory than Balboa Park, L.A.'s Griffith Park, San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and Irvine's Great Park combined. Also, it used to be my backyard. Throughout my teen years, my family lived on a cul-de-sac at the base of Cowles Mountain, the highest summit in the park and the city. The chaparral began 40 feet from my back door. Almost as often as we loitered at the mall and ogled the guitars at American Dream Music, my friends and I wandered the mountain slopes, wading through the sagebrush and nosing around the granite boulders, sidestepping coyote scat, and generally walking that fine line between high jinks and delinquency. Officially, the park was younger than we were, having been established in 1974. But it contained such deep and obvious history, even the teenage me could appreciate it. For millennia before the Spanish showed up and built a dam to serve their first Alta California mission, the Kumeyaay lived in these hills. During World War I, the Army used the area, known as Camp Elliott, for tank and artillery training. During World War II, the Marines did the same, leaving plenty of ordnance behind — including some that exploded in 1983, killing two boys. (Even now, after various cleanup efforts, signs warn that unexploded shells 'might still exist.' If you see something suspicious, report it and don't touch it.) Once military officials decided they didn't need the land, local leaders stepped in and began putting together a park in the 1960s and '70s. The city added Cowles Mountain in 1974. The visitor center followed in 1995. The Cedar fire of 2003 burned about 2,800 acres, which have long since regrown. I had a great time brushing up on that history and wandering Mission Trails for two days this spring — my longest spell in those hills since high school. Overnight I slept in a cabin at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, about two miles east of the park, where several recycled-water lakes are surrounded by well-kept fishing spots, walking paths, playgrounds and a campground. Also, I have to note that I was in Mission Trails for more than three hours before I saw any graffiti. I'm not sure that's doable in Griffith Park. It's unlikely many people outside San Diego County know this place exists. But local hikers and birders turn out in force. Climbers like Kwaay Paay Peak (elevation: 1,194 feet) and mountain bikers, equestrians and anglers have their own favorite park territories. You can camp at Santee Lakes or, on weekends, put up a tent in the park's Kumeyaay Lake campground. Mission Trails has the highest peak in the city (Cowles Mountain at 1,591 feet). It has the compact Kumeyaay Lake and the larger Murray Reservoir (a.k.a. Lake Murray), which has fishing, kayaking and canoeing about three miles south of the park visitor center. But many would say the park's Main Street is Father Junipero Serra Trail, a paved path that runs alongside the San Diego River, mountains rising on either side. 'I just started coming in the last few weeks,' hiker Sumeya Sayd, 23, told me one day as she stepped off the Serra Trail. Like me, she had hiked Cowles Mountain as a youth and overlooked the rest of the park. Now, inspired by a Muslim American Society group chat, Sayd has been hiking the Serra and Climbers Loop trails more often and thinking about the Mission Trails five-peak challenge — five peaks in the park, each over 1,000 feet. You can walk or pedal on the Serra Trail, which stretches 2.6 miles and connects the park visitor center to the Old Mission Dam. (Ordinarily, there's a lane open to vehicular traffic, but because of a sewage-line improvement project, cars will be banned until summer of 2028.) 'This is Desert Wishbone-bush,' I overheard Justin Daniel saying one day along the trail. Daniel, who held aloft a purple flower, was leading a group of about 15 people from the California Native Plant Society. Soon the group moved on to the California Buckwheat and Daniel added that 'we have the most native plants in California for one county,' along with 'more native bees than you can shake a stick at.' How urban is this urban park? Not very. No museums, no zoos, no restaurants. Still, its busiest trail gets an estimated 780,000 hikers a year. That's the route to the top of Cowles Mountain from Navajo Road and Golfcrest Drive. When I lived in the neighborhood, many people still called Cowles Mountain 'S Mountain,' because just about every fall from the 1930s into the 1970s, San Diego State freshmen used lye and white paint to make a big S near the top, 400 feet high and visible for miles. Now the S is long gone, but through the years I've seen foot traffic grow. I've hiked it solo, with my daughter and with a friend facing a profound loss. Even though the route to the top from the Golfcrest trailhead is just 1.5 miles, every time it's a bit more challenging than I expect — 950 feet of elevation gain, irregular steps, crumbling rocks. In the old days, I used to get up and down in 90 minutes. Nowadays, my knees complain and the round trip takes two hours. Fortunately, the view from the top still hits me like a surprise every time: the hills of Mexico to the south, the coastline to the west, the miles of undeveloped slopes and valleys to the north. In a perfect hiker's world, maybe there would be no line of utility towers slicing through the Fortuna Mountain portion of Mission Trails and no humming radio towers atop Cowles Mountain. But this is a city park after all. In this vast expanse of nature, that's easy to forget. Mission Trails Regional Park has nearly 65 miles of trails. Here are some to try. Down the road, there may be new challenges, because the park is still growing. In the last year, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation executive director Jennifer Morrissey said, the park has added more than 100 acres through a pair of acquisitions at its northern edges. Eventually the park may also add a safe river-crossing near the visitor center — a possibility rooted in tragedy. In early 2021, 21-year-old trailrunner Max LeNail died in a sudden storm while trying to cross the San Diego River near the visitor center. His family is hoping to build a footbridge in his memory, but for now, the nearest crossing is several miles away.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Portraits of San Diego: a culture of happiness
National Geographic Photographer Kiliii Yüyan is no stranger to travel, often spending months around the globe to understand the world through storytelling and photography. His adventures have taken him high above the Arctic Circle to the depths of tropical waters, capturing imagery of lionfish and other animals. On a recent trip to San Diego, California, he took his storytelling prowess across the city to learn more about the culture, green and blue spaces, and community. What he found was that the city's infectious optimism offered a different kind of thrill. 'It's really hard not to feel the joy,' Yüyan says of his time in America's finest city. 'It was all around, all the time. I don't think that sort of unadulterated joy is everywhere.' From a smiling guitarist in Balboa Park to a child running in and out of the Pacific Ocean at La Jolla Cove, Yüyan encountered San Diegans finding happiness in the simple act of being outside together. Those random interactions, he says, are just as meaningful for visitors who want to connect with the city. 'I think my San Diego experience would have been very different if I hadn't connected with anybody,' says Yüyan, who was trying to capture the cultural hub through his lens. 'I'm looking for intimate moments that are real, and there were lots of them to be had.' Albert Lin and the Joy of Cultural Connection To better understand the rich historical layers that shape San Diego's diverse cultural and ecological landscape, Yüyan meets with National Geographic Explorer Albert Lin. A scientist and storyteller, Lin has spent his career uncovering ancient civilizations around the world. Here in Albert's hometown, he brings that same passion for discovery to help Yüyan connect with the region's past to its vibrant present. 'Every year I spend here, I feel like I'm discovering something new,' says Lin. The city is a cultural hub (almost 700,000 immigrants live here) and remains the most biologically diverse county in the continental United States. Some of that diversity is on display at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. Here, exhibits showcase fossils of prehistoric sea creatures that once swam the waters covering the region, alongside a wealth of native plants and wildlife displays that reflect the county's varied ecosystems. Lin also introduces Yüyan to the museum's focus on the area's deep indigenous roots, including the Kumeyaay tribe, who've lived here for over 12,000 years. In nearby Mission Trails Regional Park, Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, the Director of Kumeyaay Community College, shows how tangible those historic Indigenous connections remain when he takes the duo to well-worn, communal spaces where families ground local acorns into food sources for their families. 'That's part of the beauty of indigenous knowledge. It's all about place, and your connections to that place,' he says. 'He painted the picture for us, and I can just envision how beautiful that was.' San Diego's breadth of diverse ecosystems still encourages community gatherings. Locals often take to these same green spaces for hiking and mountain biking. A reminder that centuries after the first people came through here, the land continues to serve the people who live here today. Tara Monsod and the Joy of Community At the open-air Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, Yüyan meets local executive chef Tara Monsod while she speaks with local fishermen and inspects spiny lobsters and uni. It is clear that the two-time James Beard-nominated chef visits for the community connection as much as the fresh, local ingredients themselves. 'The camaraderie here, it makes me happy,' says Monsod, who credits time with the fishmongers, farmers, and fellow chefs for her culinary success. 'I really enjoy my job. I just feel blessed every day to be able to do that.' At the restaurants where she is the executive chef, Le Coq and Animae, Monsod mixes cross-cultural influence and local produce that comes from nearby farms. The combination of her culinary training, access to fresh ingredients, and inspiration from the community allows her to play with her food in bold and creative ways that are typically San Diegan, says Yüyan. '[San Diego is a] place that you can allow your curiosity to roam,' says Yüyan. 'There's a lot of genuine joy and happiness, and people just letting down their hair, willing to be vulnerable in front of each other.' Rob Machado and the Joy of Natural Spaces At La Jolla Shores, Yüyan connects with environmentalist and former professional surfer, Rob Machado. Fans–young, old, and new–bashfully approach the icon and are met with warm hugs and a wide smile. Community connection is at the heart of his passion, says Machado, who works with two charities, the Rob Machado Foundation and Challenged Athletes Foundation, to help others find the joy that surfing in San Diego has given to him, and to foster a love for the land. His work with the Challenged Athletes Foundation empowers differently abled youth to embrace surfing. 'For me, sharing the stoke of surfing is the greatest gift to give someone,' says Machado. Machado's joy was palpable, says Yuyan, who spent time watching Machado interact with the young athletes. 'The joy on Rob's face. [He's] so, so proud of them. It's so pure,' says Yüyan. This connection between Rob and the athletes, along with the way surfing integrates mind, body, and soul, is a reflection of how so many San Diegans approach life—living with presence and joy. Whether in its parks, on its shores, or in its kitchens, Yüyan found the people of San Diego have captured the unique ability to be fully present in their joy. And visitors who want in on the action are welcome. 'San Diego makes me optimistic,' says Yüyan. 'This is a place where people can live, work, play, and feel like a community. You rarely see that in any large place in a big city, and it helps you see the world a little differently.' Funded In Part With City Of San Diego Tourism Marketing District Assessment Funds.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
San Diego could soon have a new official flower
(FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego could have a new official native flower if the city council approves the designation on Tuesday after a months-long campaign by a group that included public votes. The campaign for a new official flower started in late winter under the name, Your City, Your Flower, by the San Diego Bird Alliance. •Video Above: Campaign for a new San Diego official flower (from March 2025) A bracket-style competition was included, with blue-eyed grass named the winner in mid-April. The current official flower is the carnation, which was adopted by the city council in 1964. Organizers of the campaign said the choice of flower helps promote the importance of native plants and wildlife, along with recognizing the Kumeyaay Native Americans who have long lived in the region. Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) is also known as 'pasto de ojitos azules' in Spanish and kuushaaw in the Kumeyaay language, and is one of only two Irises native to San Diego. It grows to about one foot in height, has purplish-blue flowers and grassy leaves, and is found throughout California, including elevations as high as 8,000 ft. The city council will vote on the designation at its 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, Earth Day. If approved, the blue-eyed grass will join other flora symbols of the city, the Torrey pine and the jacaranda. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
We planned the perfect day in San Diego for 3 types of travelers
While Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo failed to find an all-water route—the mythical 'Strait of Anian'—across North America in 1542, he did discover San Diego Bay, which he remarked was 'a very good port.' The Indigenous Kumeyaay people had already lived there for thousands of years. Cabrillo still claimed the land for Spain, beginning a tumultuous period where San Diego would be under Spanish, then Mexican, and ultimately U.S. rule. Just 20 minutes from the border, Mexico has helped shape the city's culture and cuisine. Other events and movements have impacted San Diego, too, including the city's strategic importance as a naval base and the surf culture that exploded in the '60s. With 70 miles of coastline, surfers, stand-up paddle boarders, kayakers, and boaters can find a place to play every day of the year. 'San Diego is a city on an edge. There's this distinct energy,' says San Diego-based architect Jennifer Luce, who has been behind many transformational civic projects in San Diego including the renovation of the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Explore San Diego's diverse neighborhoods, and you'll find historic architecture and thought-provoking art galleries, family-friendly activities, and multiple ways to get outside and enjoy the city's fine weather. Here's how to have a perfect day in San Diego. (Related: The essential guide to visiting San Diego.) MorningEarly city leaders had the foresight to set aside around 1,200 acres for a public park. Horticulturist Kate Sessions began planting trees throughout Balboa Park in the late 1800s, turning the arid site into a fragrant oasis of green with eucalyptus and acacia trees, flower gardens, and wide lawns. Join the active locals running and walking through the park in the morning and saunter through the Alcázar Garden on your way to the Mingei International Museum's Craft Café. It serves San Diego and Hawaii-roasted Dark Horse Coffee, pastries, and heartier fare like toasted focaccia with shakshuka with poblano peppers and labneh. The entry-level of the airy and modern Mingei—which is devoted to folk art, handcrafts, and design—is always free to the public, while the second-floor exhibitions level requires a ticket. Visitors admire permanent art installations like the Dale Chihuly chandelier dangling from the historic bell tower and rotating exhibitions showcasing the beauty of everyday items like American quilts to wooden African butterfly masks. AfternoonHead south of the park to Barrio Logan, San Diego's epicenter for Mexican American culture. One of 14 designated California Cultural Districts, it's filled with art galleries, coffee shops, and authentic Mexican eateries like Las Quatro Milpas. Founded in 1933, the restaurant serves a simple menu of border classics like pork and cheese burritos wrapped in house-made flour tortillas. Many of the neighborhood's vacant warehouses have been turned into funky, creative spaces. Bread & Salt, a former commercial bakery building, hosts art exhibitions and concerts. Massive concrete pylons that support the San Diego-Coronado Bridge are covered with colorful murals with pre-Colombian, colonial, and modern motifs in Chicano Park, a National Historic Landmark. EveningIf you still have an appetite for more art, you can make a slight detour to Jaume Plensa's 25-foot-tall Pacific Soul sculpture near the waterfront before dinner at the downtown hotspot Callie. Chef Travis Swikard worked with chefs like Daniel Boulud in New York for a decade before opening this buzzy Mediterranean restaurant. Standout dishes include uni toast with jamón Ibérico de bellota and lemon saffron linguine. (Related: The best restaurants to experience the San Diego's diverse culinary scene.) MorningOrder a black sesame kumquat cream bun or strawberry pistachio croissant and feel the sea breeze from the Wayfarer Bread & Pastry patio in Bird Rock. Many of San Diego's best waves are nearby. Walk just a few doors to the family-owned Bird Rock Surf Shop, which rents everything from beginner soft tops to premium surfboards. Tourmaline Surfing Park is just a mile drive south on La Jolla Boulevard and is known for mellow, consistent waves. More advanced surfers may want to head 10 minutes northwest to Windansea in La Jolla and its powerful reef break. The beach, with sandstone rocks for sunbathing and a historic surf shack, is one of San Diego's most photogenic. AfternoonOscars Mexican Seafood on Turquoise Street serves the fresh casual fare San Diego surfers love, like Baja-style battered fish tacos and bluefin tuna ceviche. Upscale La Jolla is one of the best places in San Diego to embark on a watery adventure. Surrounding the coastline, the 6,000-acre La Jolla Underwater Park is a thriving underwater ecosystem with one of California's highest concentrations of sea life. The ocean adventure company Everyday California operates out of La Jolla Shores and offers action-filled tours of the marine reserve, including guided visits to sandstone sea caves. The outfitter donates a portion of every purchase to environmental nonprofits and uses only human-powered kayaks and paddleboards to minimize pollution and disturbances to wildlife. Kayakers are almost guaranteed wildlife sightings like sea lions sunbathing on rocks, leopard sharks swimming below, and bright orange Garibaldi in La Jolla Cove. Kayak tours can also include snorkeling and whale watching. EveningA flurry of new La Jolla and Bird Rock restaurants have reinvigorated San Diego's dining scene. In the midcentury Piano Building, the menu at Paradisaea, is elevated California coastal cuisine, like Hokkaido scallops with parsnip purée and a pork chop for two with tomatillo relish. The historic Whaling Bar at La Jolla's La Valencia Hotel reopened in 2024. Belly up to the bar as famous La Jolla residents like Gregory Peck and Theodore Geisel once did for a dirty martini or old-fashioned. (Related: Don't leave San Diego without trying these 9 experiences.) MorningFueling up before visiting the renowned San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is wise. The breakfast and brunch-only Morning Glory in Little Italy, initially established in the early 1900s as an Italian and Portuguese fishing neighborhood, serves dishes kids and adults will love. Try the German pancakes with extra butter and ginger fried rice with pork belly, bok choy, and an egg sunny side-up. It would be easy to spend the entire day at the zoo, home to 3,500 rare animals and more than 700,000 exotic plants. To avoid burnout, prioritize must-visit exhibits. Africa Rocks showcases six different African habitats and animals like green-eyed leopards and social Hamadryas baboons. The Wildlife Explorers Basecamp keeps kids engaged with natural play areas built around animal habitats. AfternoonMilitary history is an integral part of San Diego's identity. Liberty Station in Point Loma was a training center for U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve officers until the '90s. Today, the Spanish Colonial Revival buildings are filled with art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and a lively food hall, Liberty Public Market. It's one of the most family-friendly places to eat in San Diego. Everyone can choose what they want, from empanadas with chimichurri to Maine lobster rolls. The upper walls of the center's former mess hall, a space that houses several vendors, including Landini's Pizzeria and a seating area, are lined with original naval murals from the 1950s. Pop into shops like Moniker General and the artsy design store Pigment, which stocks everything from modern furniture to stylish children's clothing. EveningIf your brood still has energy, do an early evening round of mini golf at the Loma Club originally part of the historic San Diego Country Club. Point Loma has many great options for dinner, but Cesarina is a standout for its lush patio and open-air pasta factory where guests can see chefs make strips of bucatini and gnocchi. (Related: 10 experiences families shouldn't miss in San Diego.) San Diego is a convenient destination with daily non-stop flights from major hubs like Dallas, Seattle, and New York. There is public transportation to and from San Diego International Airport, located three miles northwest of downtown. Metropolitan Transit System Route 992 takes travelers from the airport to the Santa Fe train depot, where they can connect with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and the local commuter rail, COASTER. If you want the freedom to explore the city's diverse neighborhoods, which are spread through the city's 372.4 square miles, renting a car is a good idea. All airport rental pick-ups and drop-offs happen at the Consolidated Rental Car Center. San Diego has mild and pleasant year-round weather, but it can be cloudy in May and June when cool ocean water and a strong marine layer create gloomy skies. Summer is the peak travel season. The best time to visit San Diego is the fall shoulder season (September through November) when the weather is warm, but there are fewer tourists and better deals. San Diego has many hotels, from upscale resorts to funky boutique hotels. Hotel Del Coronado, a beachfront mainstay on Coronado Island since 1888, has undergone a $550 million restoration project over six years that restored its historic Victorian façade and 19th-century lobby details. Architects have added more contemporary guest rooms in 'neighborhoods' throughout the vast resort with calming colors, and balconies or patios. Across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla Campus, Orli La Jolla is a boutique hotel with the convenience and privacy of a homestay. The hotel in an Irving Gill-designed treasure has 13 rooms and suites. Service is mainly contactless. Guests enjoy perks like kombucha and coffee in the lobby and complimentary guest activities like yoga and Pilates. (Related: The best San Diego hotels for every kind of traveler.) Casey Hatfield-Chiotti is a West Coast-based writer and editor who covers outdoor adventure, design, and family travel. Follow her on Instagram.
National Geographic
21-04-2025
- National Geographic
We planned the perfect day in San Diego for 3 types of travelers
While Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo failed to find an all-water route—the mythical 'Strait of Anian'—across North America in 1542, he did discover San Diego Bay, which he remarked was 'a very good port.' The Indigenous Kumeyaay people had already lived there for thousands of years. Cabrillo still claimed the land for Spain, beginning a tumultuous period where San Diego would be under Spanish, then Mexican, and ultimately U.S. rule. Just 20 minutes from the border, Mexico has helped shape the city's culture and cuisine. Other events and movements have impacted San Diego, too, including the city's strategic importance as a naval base and the surf culture that exploded in the '60s. With 70 miles of coastline, surfers, stand-up paddle boarders, kayakers, and boaters can find a place to play every day of the year. 'San Diego is a city on an edge. There's this distinct energy,' says San Diego-based architect Jennifer Luce, who has been behind many transformational civic projects in San Diego including the renovation of the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. Explore San Diego's diverse neighborhoods, and you'll find historic architecture and thought-provoking art galleries, family-friendly activities, and multiple ways to get outside and enjoy the city's fine weather. Here's how to have a perfect day in San Diego. (Related: The essential guide to visiting San Diego.) Visitors to San Diego can't miss a trip to Balboa Park, home to 18 museums, including the Museum of Us, devoted to anthropology. So, it's no surprise that the park's Plaza de Panama is a popular spot for tourists. Photograph by Michael George, Nat Geo Image Collection For culture hounds Morning Early city leaders had the foresight to set aside around 1,200 acres for a public park. Horticulturist Kate Sessions began planting trees throughout Balboa Park in the late 1800s, turning the arid site into a fragrant oasis of green with eucalyptus and acacia trees, flower gardens, and wide lawns. Join the active locals running and walking through the park in the morning and saunter through the Alcázar Garden on your way to the Mingei International Museum's Craft Café. It serves San Diego and Hawaii-roasted Dark Horse Coffee, pastries, and heartier fare like toasted focaccia with shakshuka with poblano peppers and labneh. The entry-level of the airy and modern Mingei—which is devoted to folk art, handcrafts, and design—is always free to the public, while the second-floor exhibitions level requires a ticket. Visitors admire permanent art installations like the Dale Chihuly chandelier dangling from the historic bell tower and rotating exhibitions showcasing the beauty of everyday items like American quilts to wooden African butterfly masks. Afternoon Head south of the park to Barrio Logan, San Diego's epicenter for Mexican American culture. One of 14 designated California Cultural Districts, it's filled with art galleries, coffee shops, and authentic Mexican eateries like Las Quatro Milpas. Founded in 1933, the restaurant serves a simple menu of border classics like pork and cheese burritos wrapped in house-made flour tortillas. Many of the neighborhood's vacant warehouses have been turned into funky, creative spaces. Bread & Salt, a former commercial bakery building, hosts art exhibitions and concerts. Massive concrete pylons that support the San Diego-Coronado Bridge are covered with colorful murals with pre-Colombian, colonial, and modern motifs in Chicano Park, a National Historic Landmark. Evening If you still have an appetite for more art, you can make a slight detour to Jaume Plensa's 25-foot-tall Pacific Soul sculpture near the waterfront before dinner at the downtown hotspot Callie. Chef Travis Swikard worked with chefs like Daniel Boulud in New York for a decade before opening this buzzy Mediterranean restaurant. Standout dishes include uni toast with jamón Ibérico de bellota and lemon saffron linguine. (Related: The best restaurants to experience the San Diego's diverse culinary scene.) A surfer paddles out off the coast of San Diego's La Jolla neighborhood. Photograph by Rachel Dowd, Alamy Stock Photo Helmut Igel is among a small subculture of surfers who ride waves along coastlines, from San Diego to Sydney, after sunset. Igel prepares to paddle out into the surf near San Diego. Photograph by Donald Miralle, The New York Times/Redux For adventure seekers Morning Order a black sesame kumquat cream bun or strawberry pistachio croissant and feel the sea breeze from the Wayfarer Bread & Pastry patio in Bird Rock. Many of San Diego's best waves are nearby. Walk just a few doors to the family-owned Bird Rock Surf Shop, which rents everything from beginner soft tops to premium surfboards. Tourmaline Surfing Park is just a mile drive south on La Jolla Boulevard and is known for mellow, consistent waves. More advanced surfers may want to head 10 minutes northwest to Windansea in La Jolla and its powerful reef break. The beach, with sandstone rocks for sunbathing and a historic surf shack, is one of San Diego's most photogenic. Afternoon Oscars Mexican Seafood on Turquoise Street serves the fresh casual fare San Diego surfers love, like Baja-style battered fish tacos and bluefin tuna ceviche. Upscale La Jolla is one of the best places in San Diego to embark on a watery adventure. Surrounding the coastline, the 6,000-acre La Jolla Underwater Park is a thriving underwater ecosystem with one of California's highest concentrations of sea life. The ocean adventure company Everyday California operates out of La Jolla Shores and offers action-filled tours of the marine reserve, including guided visits to sandstone sea caves. The outfitter donates a portion of every purchase to environmental nonprofits and uses only human-powered kayaks and paddleboards to minimize pollution and disturbances to wildlife. Kayakers are almost guaranteed wildlife sightings like sea lions sunbathing on rocks, leopard sharks swimming below, and bright orange Garibaldi in La Jolla Cove. Kayak tours can also include snorkeling and whale watching. Evening A flurry of new La Jolla and Bird Rock restaurants have reinvigorated San Diego's dining scene. In the midcentury Piano Building, the menu at Paradisaea, is elevated California coastal cuisine, like Hokkaido scallops with parsnip purée and a pork chop for two with tomatillo relish. The historic Whaling Bar at La Jolla's La Valencia Hotel reopened in 2024. Belly up to the bar as famous La Jolla residents like Gregory Peck and Theodore Geisel once did for a dirty martini or old-fashioned. (Related: Don't leave San Diego without trying these 9 experiences.) Families with children should not miss a ride on the Skyfari Aerial Tram at the San Diego Zoo for incredible views of the zoo and Balboa Park. Photograph by Littleny, Alamy Stock Photo For family fun Morning Fueling up before visiting the renowned San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is wise. The breakfast and brunch-only Morning Glory in Little Italy, initially established in the early 1900s as an Italian and Portuguese fishing neighborhood, serves dishes kids and adults will love. Try the German pancakes with extra butter and ginger fried rice with pork belly, bok choy, and an egg sunny side-up. It would be easy to spend the entire day at the zoo, home to 3,500 rare animals and more than 700,000 exotic plants. To avoid burnout, prioritize must-visit exhibits. Africa Rocks showcases six different African habitats and animals like green-eyed leopards and social Hamadryas baboons. The Wildlife Explorers Basecamp keeps kids engaged with natural play areas built around animal habitats. Afternoon Military history is an integral part of San Diego's identity. Liberty Station in Point Loma was a training center for U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve officers until the '90s. Today, the Spanish Colonial Revival buildings are filled with art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and a lively food hall, Liberty Public Market. It's one of the most family-friendly places to eat in San Diego. Everyone can choose what they want, from empanadas with chimichurri to Maine lobster rolls. The upper walls of the center's former mess hall, a space that houses several vendors, including Landini's Pizzeria and a seating area, are lined with original naval murals from the 1950s. Pop into shops like Moniker General and the artsy design store Pigment, which stocks everything from modern furniture to stylish children's clothing. Evening If your brood still has energy, do an early evening round of mini golf at the Loma Club originally part of the historic San Diego Country Club. Point Loma has many great options for dinner, but Cesarina is a standout for its lush patio and open-air pasta factory where guests can see chefs make strips of bucatini and gnocchi. (Related: 10 experiences families shouldn't miss in San Diego.) Getting to San Diego and getting around San Diego is a convenient destination with daily non-stop flights from major hubs like Dallas, Seattle, and New York. There is public transportation to and from San Diego International Airport, located three miles northwest of downtown. Metropolitan Transit System Route 992 takes travelers from the airport to the Santa Fe train depot, where they can connect with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and the local commuter rail, COASTER. If you want the freedom to explore the city's diverse neighborhoods, which are spread through the city's 372.4 square miles, renting a car is a good idea. All airport rental pick-ups and drop-offs happen at the Consolidated Rental Car Center. San Diego has mild and pleasant year-round weather, but it can be cloudy in May and June when cool ocean water and a strong marine layer create gloomy skies. Summer is the peak travel season. The best time to visit San Diego is the fall shoulder season (September through November) when the weather is warm, but there are fewer tourists and better deals. Where to stay San Diego has many hotels, from upscale resorts to funky boutique hotels. Hotel Del Coronado, a beachfront mainstay on Coronado Island since 1888, has undergone a $550 million restoration project over six years that restored its historic Victorian façade and 19th-century lobby details. Architects have added more contemporary guest rooms in 'neighborhoods' throughout the vast resort with calming colors, and balconies or patios. Across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla Campus, Orli La Jolla is a boutique hotel with the convenience and privacy of a homestay. The hotel in an Irving Gill-designed treasure has 13 rooms and suites. Service is mainly contactless. Guests enjoy perks like kombucha and coffee in the lobby and complimentary guest activities like yoga and Pilates. (Related: The best San Diego hotels for every kind of traveler.) Casey Hatfield-Chiotti is a West Coast-based writer and editor who covers outdoor adventure, design, and family travel. Follow her on Instagram.
