Starting point San Diego
Sep 18th, 2012, 11:26 AM
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Starting point San Diego
Flying to San Diego next week and would like to rent a car and travel up the coast as well. Any suggestions on the best places to stay and visit for a couple of nights? My fiance just turned 30 and this is his birthday gift. We plan on traveling the first part of the trip and then back to San Diego for the weekend when our friends are off of work. Also, our friends just moved to San Diego so are not so familiar with places to eat and drink and visit. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Sep 18th, 2012, 01:24 PM
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You can see a ton of things in San Diego. There's not much of what I would call coast until you get further north of L.A.
Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, which is huge and world famous.
A day trip up to Temecula, with some wine tasting.
See a Padres game.
For eating, pick up a Zagat Survey at the airport. Give it to your friends after you've used it.
Go to the gaslamp district for food and atmosphere.
San Diego has an Old Town. A bit touristy, but still OK.
Go to Coronado Island, check out the Del Coronado. Get some rays on the beach.
Bring a picnic and listen to Coronado's Summer Concert Series in Spreckels Park on Sunday evenings throughout the summer.
Check out La Jolla, where there is excellent dining and great views. Watch the Sea Lions. Drive to nearby Torrey Pines, take a hike if you want to.
There's a million things to do in San Diego.
Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, which is huge and world famous.
A day trip up to Temecula, with some wine tasting.
See a Padres game.
For eating, pick up a Zagat Survey at the airport. Give it to your friends after you've used it.
Go to the gaslamp district for food and atmosphere.
San Diego has an Old Town. A bit touristy, but still OK.
Go to Coronado Island, check out the Del Coronado. Get some rays on the beach.
Bring a picnic and listen to Coronado's Summer Concert Series in Spreckels Park on Sunday evenings throughout the summer.
Check out La Jolla, where there is excellent dining and great views. Watch the Sea Lions. Drive to nearby Torrey Pines, take a hike if you want to.
There's a million things to do in San Diego.
Sep 18th, 2012, 01:49 PM
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Rasta needs to put down the Hooka/waterpipe 
- and drive from SD - starting along the Coast at Sunset Cliffs - and heading north - along Mission and Pacific Beachews, past La Jolla and Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Solano Beach, the miles of beach at Cardiff - up to Encinitas/Leucadia - going into miles of beach by Carlsbad - and tell me how many miles of Coast he does not see!!
You can also drive over to Coronado and head south for miles and mile of beaches/coast.
And yes, there are many other posts in here on SD Accommodations and dining - but there are so many different options - it really comes down to what do you like? View, luxury, just basic/cheap/clean? Gourmet, fresh fish, Italian, Steak, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and on and on.
As for driving further up the Coast - you can get as far as the Cambria/San Simeon - easily under six hours, unless you hit the morning traffic in LA. If you left here by say 8:30 - you should be fine, and you might stop for lunch in Danish themed Solvang, and visit a winery. Think the movie - Sideways. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/
From San Simeon - where Hearst Castle is located and worth a tour IMO http://www.hearstcastle.org/tours - you are about 2 plus hours going through beautiful Big Sur into Carmel/Monterrey if you want to go that far.
- and drive from SD - starting along the Coast at Sunset Cliffs - and heading north - along Mission and Pacific Beachews, past La Jolla and Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Solano Beach, the miles of beach at Cardiff - up to Encinitas/Leucadia - going into miles of beach by Carlsbad - and tell me how many miles of Coast he does not see!!You can also drive over to Coronado and head south for miles and mile of beaches/coast.
And yes, there are many other posts in here on SD Accommodations and dining - but there are so many different options - it really comes down to what do you like? View, luxury, just basic/cheap/clean? Gourmet, fresh fish, Italian, Steak, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and on and on.
As for driving further up the Coast - you can get as far as the Cambria/San Simeon - easily under six hours, unless you hit the morning traffic in LA. If you left here by say 8:30 - you should be fine, and you might stop for lunch in Danish themed Solvang, and visit a winery. Think the movie - Sideways. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/
From San Simeon - where Hearst Castle is located and worth a tour IMO http://www.hearstcastle.org/tours - you are about 2 plus hours going through beautiful Big Sur into Carmel/Monterrey if you want to go that far.
Sep 18th, 2012, 02:01 PM
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tsd - you don't even like your own city?
God - send them to the tourist spots of Solvang and Cambria?
Solvang is pure 50s and a bit trite for me. Cambria is one long tourist trap, IMHO.
My wife is an SD native and she still has family in Carlsbad. Might as well go to Legoland.
Methinks mr. tsd had more puffs than I ever did.
God - send them to the tourist spots of Solvang and Cambria?
Solvang is pure 50s and a bit trite for me. Cambria is one long tourist trap, IMHO.
My wife is an SD native and she still has family in Carlsbad. Might as well go to Legoland.
Methinks mr. tsd had more puffs than I ever did.
