Sunny California

There’s nothing better than the warm sun shining on your face and the smell of the Pacific salty air. If I would have to describe the type of person I am, I would say I’m definitely a summer girl who loves the beach. Last weekend I finally had the chance to experience Southern California and all its great places. San Diego area had such a wonderful atmosphere, I never knew there were so many things to do there. It makes every other US city seem so small. Check out the amazing food and main places I visited below, hopefully it will give you some ideas on your next vacation!

This was the view from outside our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel right in downtown San Diego. There was a close strip along the bay where people were walking, running, and scootering around as soon as you step outside.

First stop on the list was getting a berry bowl at Beach City Smoothies in Carlsbad. I highly recommend, this was the perfect start to the day and it was so delicious! A very common treat in California.

P.s. I should have ordered a large.

For a second treat we went straight to donuts of course at Donut Bar. Red velvet, Cake Batter, Blueberry Glaze, Pumpkin Cream Cheese, and lots more! A must.

Once we finished walking around Carlsbad visiting all the shops and things we headed over to Mission Beach. Walking the boardwalk and enjoying the cool breeze. What a pretty view.

You guessed it, time for lunch and let me tell you it’s something to talk about. I’ve never had Mexican food like this. Honestly, I can definitely say this was the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. It was so authentic and the flavors were spot on, I’m glad we stopped in.

{San Diego sunset}

Day 2:

Of course we had to visit the San Diego Zoo! The San Diego Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world. It is one of the few places in the world that holds Panda Bears and works to successfully breed them. Among other things most of their exhibits are cageless and open-air creating a natural environment.

Polar Bear and Panda Bear

Baboon and Gorilla

Orangutan and Lemur

Flamingos

After the journey around the zoo we headed over to Old Town and had lunch, another Mexican fiesta! Yum!

Old Town is such a cool area, it takes you back in time to a western vibe. Nice place to shop around and stumble upon some desserts.

Old Town may have fun shops but Temecula has the wineries. I couldn’t go to California and not stop at a winery. We only made it to three, but that was good enough for us. We sampled all sorts of wines, some reds, whites and rosés. Out of all the places Europa Winery was my favorite. Next trip I will make a point to return and experience more places as well. The wine was excellent.

What a great day that was, I enjoyed every minute. Last and final stop was walking around downtown San Diego.

Day 3:

On the final day of visiting San Diego, La Jolla was the perfect place to be. To start, Richard Walker’s Pancake House. A mighty breakfast for a long day….so full.