High tide at the Point Loma tide pools under the bright blue sky facing the Pacific Ocean.

Goals of Trip: Take my best friend on their first-ever tour of the delights and highlights of my hometown, San Diego.

Keywords: Umami, Breeze, Salt

Time Visited: Labor Day Weekend/Summer

Don’t forget to pack:

Breathable linen and cotton for looking fabulous and staying cool
Sun protection (hats, sunscreen, sunglasses)
Light jacket for coastal chill at night

Travel

Fly into San Diego International Airport (SAN)
It is possible to stay local to downtown San Diego and take rideshare around town or use the ferry to cross to Coronado Island, but I prefer having a car to traverse the city and its suburbs to reap the most experiences for the trip.

Accommodations

Hotel in Downtown San Diego or Coronado Island: Pros would be location, views, Cons would be price, street noise
Airbnb in Imperial Beach: Chill beach community vibes plus easy proximity to Coronado Island
I can’t speak to this personally since I stay with my family in the suburbs, but if I was planning a trip without that, the above would be my strategies

Arrival, Friday - Day 1

Midnight - Late Dinner at IN-N-OUT

Flew in Friday night and grabbed a late burger at the iconic IN-N-OUT Burger to pay homage to my roots. There are many locations across San Diego, so there is no excuse not to get one! Long lines but they keep their operations fairly efficient.

Four juicy IN-N-OUT burgers pristinely in their travel box.

Cherished for their pared down menu, I never miss an opportunity for a juicy IN-N-OUT burger

I recommend the Double-double burger (2 patties) with fries or a cheeseburger if you are not as hungry.

Recommend the chocolate milkshake rather than the strawberry or lemonade if you do not prefer a milkshake.

Saturday - Day 2

8am – Coronado Beach

Stopped by Clayton’s Bakery and Bistro on Coronado Island to grab to-go breakfast: I recommend their Acai Bowls (wonderfully peanut-buttery), rich lattes, and hearty breakfast burritos!

Picnic, walk, or read on Coronado beach while it’s still cool, gray, and mysterious in the early morning (this is also the best time to snag whole sand dollars).

Moody, cloudy view of Coronado Beach, California with clouds and grey skies.

Admire views of Point Loma (Cabrillo National Monument) and if you’re lucky, views of hunky Navy Seals running down the beach.

12pm - Lunch at Pizza Port in Imperial Beach

Drive from Coronado Island to Imperial Beach using the scenic silver strand roadway- the atmosphere immediately changes from swanky coastal village to chill surfer town.

Enjoyed super fresh pizza with a menu featuring everything from a classic margherita to a seafood clam-and-shrimp extravaganza. You can choose to sit outside with the sea breeze or inside with colorfully decorated surfboards and TV’s for catching a game.

A personal-size margherita pizza in the foreground, with three other pizzas behind it.

A single size pizza is more than enough for 1 person, and they boast a rotating selection of local brews which even included a local seltzer.

3pm - Freshen up with a shower and/or recovery nap to prepare for nighttime activities!

7pm - Show at San Diego Civic Theatre

We planned our entire trip around seeing comedienne Ali Wong live at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

I highly recommend planning your trip around such an event as well - whether seeing a comedian, live music, or a sporting event, there is always something to see in San Diego.

The civic theatre’s rich red interiors, classic design, and tasteful beverage and concessions selection made this a highlight of the trip.

10pm - Late dinner and drinks at Yakyudori

We came here solely because we could get a table. Little did I know I would be dreaming of their soy wasabi fried chicken wings until the day I leave this earth!

This place was incredible, with a casual, izakaya vibe and fun, upbeat music. You place orders using a tablet and the small plates for sharing family-style are brought out extremely quickly.

Our mouthwatering recommendations from this place:

Beef yakitori – the fattiness of the beef cut with a light wasabi taste was absolute perfection.
Soy wasabi chicken wings – crunchy, but light with that same smooth wasabi flavor on the nose.
Agedashi tofu – comforting, piping hot soft tofu dish.
Miso glazed eggplant – savory and beautifully sauced.

11pm - Dessert at Somi Somi

Selected the soft serve ube ice cream topped with the taiyaki (fish-shaped waffle) containing custard – I’ve never had soft serve ube ice cream before and the light, nutty ube flavor wrapped in the smooth soft serve texture was immaculate.

Taikyaki waffle perched on top of soft serve ube ice cream.

Really appreciated that the taiyaki was very soft and fresh. I can see why this place is a hit!

Line often extends out the door, but it moves quickly due to the staff’s efficiency.

Sunday - Day 3

10am - Brunch at Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung has officially ruined me for any other dumpling house or similar cuisine. This is it- this is the pinnacle. Go ahead and make your reservation. We made our reservation 3 weeks ahead of time for a party of 6 at 10am.

We arrived at 9:30am and they opened the doors at 10am- despite the crowd of people, their staff were prepared with graceful precision to politely escort each party to their table. This was the most efficient restaurant logistics that I have ever witnessed. It was like a choreographed dance.

Order a pot of Jasmine tea for the table. This helps with digestion and gives you a caffeine boost right when you’ll need it after stuffing your face with dumplings and your post-prandial somnolence is threatening to overtake you.

Favorite Items (EVERYTHING!):

Pork and shrimp dumplings in a bamboo steamer basket at Din Tai Fung in San Diego, California. — Shrimp and pork dumplings – Tenderly wrapped and gently savory, the plume of steam coming off of the dumplings after they bring them to the table is officially my nirvana.

Woodear mushroom salad on a square white plate at Din Tai Fungin San Diego, California. — Woodear mushrooms – refreshing, pickle-y! We got 2 orders!

Pork and shrimp dumplings, also known as xiao long bao, at Din Tai Fung in San Diego, California. — Pork and shrimp xiao long bao – beautifully soupy interior, make sure you give them enough time to cool off before you eat them because they can be hot! Dip in the house recommended sauce mixture of 3 parts black vinegar with 1 part sesame oil for a maximum tsunami of umami.

Green beans at Din Tai Fung in San Diego, California. — Green beans- garlicky and tender, just as good as the hype said they’d be.

Cucumber salad on a white plate at Din Tai Fung in San Diego, California. — Cucumber salad – fresh and crunchy, with subtle seasoning.

Black Sesame Xiao Long Bao – the dessert to end all desserts. The Emperor of “sweet, but not too sweet.” Savory and gorgeously assembled, the black sesame flavor contains galaxies.

Alternatively: Order the chocolate Xiao Long Bao if you don’t think your party will appreciate black sesame flavors for dessert. Decadent and rich, these are crowd pleasers.

1pm - San Diego Padres Game, Petco Park

Whether you are a seasoned baseball fan or you consider Wii sports to be the extent of your spectator sporting experience, I encourage you to buy tickets to a Padres game.

San Diego Padres play baseball at PETCO Park with blue skies and wispy clouds above them.

With the most beautiful weather in the world and an insane lineup of high quality food vendors (Acai bowl with your 3rd inning, anyone?) from regular game hot dogs to Poke bowls, this beautifully designed stadium has it all.

Beverage options are infinite – from local brewery IPA’s to alcoholic Kombucha (Shoutout to the delicious Pomegranate Orange Guava from Juneshine, you have my heart forever) to a classic light beer served in a baseball bat-shaped gigantic cup, you are set.

My favorite detail: Petco park has a dog park, and there is usually a break during the game when they will zoom the big camera onto a dog in the dog park having the time of their life. Cuteness overload!

Monday- Day 4

9am - Point Loma (Cabrillo National Monument)

I highly recommend this park as the endcap for any trip to San Diego. Facing east, you can look out over the city, bay, and ocean and admire all the places you’ve visited. Facing west, you can peacefully reflect on your life while gazing at a perfectly blue horizon disappearing into the distance.

View of San Diego bay from Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument.

If you have a U.S. National Parks pass, this will get you into the Cabrillo National Monument at no extra cost!

During whale migration season, you have a chance of seeing the whales off the coast from this breathtaking lookout.

You can also learn about the lighthouse (with its accompanying adorable garden and cottage).

After you are done at the lookouts, lighthouse, and exhibits you can drive down to the tide pools – at low tide you can see the most wildlife.

The shore of tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, California.

Tide pool areas have uneven footing and stairs, so take care and it may not be the friendliest for folks with mobility issues.

1pm - Lunch at TJ’s Oyster House

You can’t leave San Diego without having fish tacos!

Chow down on a refreshing shrimp cocktail with light yet satisfying fish tacos, then wash it down with a michelada, mojito, or sweet horchata.

Take the rest of the day to finish packing and head to the airport!

San Diego Weekend Getaway