Good afternoon, everyone

My husband and I are attending a buddy's wedding at the end of September in San Diego. Since our first anniversary is the day after the wedding, we decided to extend the vacation through to the next weekend. We have reservations for a few days at the Omni for the wedding festivities but were wondering how to spend our time the rest of the week, Monday through Saturday. Our two main focuses are to relax and to explore... without encumbering the relaxation too much.

With that said, what is going on around this time of year in Southern California? I know this question is quite vague but we're at the beginning stages of planning, so we're open to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

Coronado is a nice, relaxing area to stay in - specifically the Hotel Del Coronado if it is in your budget. It is a historic hotel right on the beach - real seaside resort.

I stayed at the Marriot Coronado a couple years ago - used Priceline and got a nice rate. It isn't as charming as the Hotel Del, but it is nice and has a good location - overlooking the downtown skyline, nice pool area, etc.

Go hiking in Torrey Pines State Park(about 20 mins north of San Diego on Route 5) On the same trip eat in Cardiff on the Sea or Encinitas or Carlsbad. Visit Point Loma and the Cabrillo Monument..short hike there too. Visit Julian(in the mountains) and Palomar Observatory.

HI..
Everyone in SD is celebrating that the tourist have left after Labor Day but you couldn't come at a better time to visit SD... La Jolla is a must see and do..Gorgeous.. Hike Torrey Pines State Beach Park.. Padres hopefully will be in the hunt so catch a game at Petco Park Downtown..
Coronado is beautiful and you can take water taxi or take a tour of the bay..
There is so much to do but you are going to have a blast..Happy 1st anniversary..what a great place to spend it..

And the weather should be really great then.It could even be hot. The ocean water, however, will be chilly.

Wow, that's a great idea to spend an anniversary in SD. I agree about the hike through Torrey Pines Reserve and it's also a choice picnic spot too.

If I were you two and you were considering doing some sightseeing picking up a Go San Diego Card. The card gets you into the tourist attractions like Balboa Park Museums, the SD Zoo as well as some lesser known treasures. Since you're staying awhile you might get the better value

Also be sure to take the ferry to Coronado and tour the Hotel Del Coronado as well as stroll along the pathways together.

http://www.gosandiegocard.com

How tough are the hiking trails at Torrey Pines Reserve? I ask b/c I have arthritic knees. Thanks.

Torrey Pines has some very easy trails and the views are spectacular.

Ditto on Coronado and La Jolla. I also like Old Town and Balboa Park (museums & beautiful grounds).

We recently toured the Aircraft Carrier "Midway" which is open to the public and located right on the harbor just east of the Cruise Ship dock. It is interesting and you can go at your own pace. San Diego has lots to see and do - I am sure you will have a great time. You can always go a little farther up the coast and take in Dana Point and Laguna Beach (especially Laguna) for a day too. Have a great Aniversary!!

Thanks everyone for your responses... a few months late on the thanks, I know!

Anyway, my husband and I have a few things on the itinerary for our San Diego trip, some close to our hotel (The Omni) and some a little further out... like Torrey Pines and the La Jolla... my husband's #1 thing to do while we're there! We figure that we can save money on not renting a car during the wedding weekend but will need to rent a car afterwards as we start to venture outside of the places the trolley/walking will take us. My question is this: should we stay in the downtown/gaslamp area the whole trip or should we split it up between downtown and then move to a La Jolla hotel or another surrounding county since we will start to visit things a little out of hotel area? It is not 100% about convenience but also if there is another area outside of downtown that we shouldn’t miss staying in.

San Diego sounds so beautiful and we can not wait for our trip!

TahitiTams: we are hoping that the Padres are in the running and we can see a game. Maybe they will be playing our St. Louis Cardinals!

If you can afford it I would absolutly stay in La Jolla village. It is absolutely beautiful. Be careful as some of the hotels say they are in La Jolla but are a good distance from the water. Anything on Prospect Street, or near La Jolla Shores or even up by Torrey Pines is perfect. You will definitely need a car.

There have been alot of SD post recently so do a search and check out some of the hotel recommendations and dining options in the area.

You'll love Torrey Pines. You can park by the beach and walk up (not recommended if there are any health issues) or drive to the top and then hike on the bluff.

My favorite beaches are La Jolla Shores and Torrey Pines.

Another place to stay is the Dana Inn. It is on Mission Bay and rather centrally located between downtown and La Jolla. Pretty and a relaxing walking area.