San Diego in January
 

Hi:

We will be visiting San Diego for 4 days in mid January. We are looking for great scenery and photo ops since we have a new DSLR camera. Plan on visiting Balboa Park, Torrey Pines, Mission San Diego and La Jolla. Will any flowers be in bloom in January? We are two adults, no children. Love gardens, nature, wildlife, coastal areas.

Thanks!

For wildlife, obviously recommend the zoo. Would also recommend driving up to Cabrillo Monument on Point Loma.

Don't forget that mid-january is restaurant week here so be sure to have reservations if you want to eat at some of San Diego's better places.

I'll throw in Coronado and second Point Loma.

Thanks!

Will there be any flowers blooming at that time of the year?

Whether flowers bloom depends on our weather, once in awhile we get a heat wave and things start to bloom early. One nice garden is Quail Botanical Gardens up in North county. Another place to see flowers maybe the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. The Wild Animal Park might have some flowers blooming at that time. Also the gardens around Balboa Park can be lovely.

Good advice about Quail Botanical gardens.

You won’t be seeing spectacular shows of blooms in Jan but you’ll find a small assortment of plants in bloom now.
The typical winter flowers: Christmas cactuses, amaryllis, and poinsettias, birds of paradises.

It’s funny how we take these things for granted. The zoo has some really nice gardens and a variety of exotic plants and flowers in the Aviary.

So the answer is Yes, there will be some flowers but the only large backdrop of flowers will be some bouganvillas.

You should do the beach hike at Torrey Pines state park; it is just spectacular. From there, you should drive north along Hwy 101 or Camino Del Mar, same thing. Stop in Del Mar to stroll around and explore. Head north to Solana Beach and explore the Cedros district. Further north is Encinitas which is also a charming town. I believe some flowers are blooming in January but April is probably the best month when the flower fields in Carlsbad are blooming with ranunculus.

Thanks!

Now, I have to tell you that the last night it was in the high 30's during the night. If it doesn't freeze, which is rare, you should see some blooms. But get here quick b/c it's getting chilly :) brrrr!
I don't know where your from but you may want to bring a coat or at least a good jacket.

Hi:

We are coming in mid January from Ohio, your temp's above 30F will be great for us!

Nice and sunny today!

There's always something blooming in Southern California.

Do go up to the State Park as well the beach walk in Torrey Pines, the pines themselves are scenic.

If you like to hike you do a loop walk along the beach, up to the visitor center and back down (or the reverse). There is free parking on N. Torrey Pines Road near the beach/reserve lot, also on Carmel Valley Road at Del Mar Scenic Parkway/McGonigel. Or Pay Lots at top and bottom of the hill.

The lodge at the top is interesting, also.

San Diego in January: my least favorite month here. Bring a raincoat and umbrella, but pray for sunshine! If you're lucky you might get some sunny but cool weather. If you're unlucky it could rain for 4 days. We usually plan a sunny getaway for January or February to someplace like Hawaii! Check out the coast, as it's beautiful to walk on the beaches when they are empty of the summer tourists... I love the sound of the ocean on a winter day on a beach with wide-open spaces...
As someone mentioned, the good news today is it was sunny... Temps lately have been colder than usual for us... our thermometer has been reading anywhere from 43 to 74 degrees in the past couple weeks for our San Diego neighborhood.

I love La Jolla, Coronado, and Torrey Pines on the coast. Enjoy!

Bookmarking... I may have an upcoming trip to San Diego this month. Great ideas on this post!

Thanks for all the suggestions!