When we moved to Phoenix we had no idea how nice it would be to live six hours from San Diego. It’s become one of our favorite places for a quick weekend getaway.

Here are some ideas for what to do if you ever end up in San Diego.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines is a little slice of heaven. There really isn’t anything better than hiking WITH ocean views. The entrance fee the day we went was $20 (it varies) and we were able to park near the Torrey Pines Lodge. The younger kids did a Junior Rangers Activity book and earned a pin while the rest of us wandered around reading signs and learning about the history of Torrey Pines. I have no idea what trail we did. We kind of just wandered around and followed signs until we were tired and turned around and went back. There were plenty of places to stop and rest and for the kids to climb.

Torrey Pines Beach

This beach ended up being a nice low key spot to set up at and hangout for the afternoon. There was plenty of parking, restrooms, and a few food trucks set up in the parking lot. The kids boogie boarded and played in the sand while I relaxed and read a book. Definitely my kind of beach vibes.

San Diego Temple

Have you ever noticed the castle-looking building off the freeway? It’s a temple (place of worship) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anyone is welcome to walk around the outside and enjoy the grounds. We stopped on Sunday after church and the bright white exterior and spires are stunning in real life!

La Jolla Tide Pools

The traffic going into La Jolla was rough. Maybe it’s always like that but it was so bad the day we were there. The least busy place we found was the La Jolla Tide Pools. We had fun finding all sorts of creatures and splashing around. Children’s Beach or Sea Lion Caves would fun in a less crazy day.

Food

We aren’t big foodies but we have had some very delicious food in San Diego. Our favorites are chicken sandwiches from the Crack Shack, ramen from Steamy Piggy, and churros from El Mercadito. I’m open to any other food recommendations you might have!

Mission Beach

This was a good spot to walk along the boardwalk, shop, and watch the sun set. Lots of people out riding bikes, playing sand volleyball, and visiting Belmont Park (an amusement park). It got a little too crazy for our family after it got dark so we opted to go back to our hotel for the rest of the evening.

Coronado

Coronado was an unexpected favorite for all of us. The beach was perfect for boogie boarding and building sand castles. We also enjoyed driving around looking at all the beautiful homes and day dreaming about moving.

Downtown San Diego

We stayed at a Springhill Suites in downtown. While we would have preferred to stay closer to the beach, this is a what was available for points and ended up being just fine. My husband and I went on a few walks around the bay and visited the big statue near the USS Midway. When picking hotels we solve for space for our family of six and breakfast over location. Having a great view of the Sea World fireworks at night was a plus!