I took the kids to San Diego for spring break. Our original destination was New York City, but the sketchy, unpredictable weather on the East Coast made me rethink those plans.
San Diego seemed like a great backup choice. We stayed on Shelter Island at the Best Western Plus Island Palms Hotel & Marina, which was perfectly fine for the price and the convenient location.
While there are certainly traffic jams in some areas, you can get to most places in San Diego within about 20 to 30 minutes, which I really liked. It’s also a clean city and incredibly picturesque, with all the bays, harbors, and marinas. And I just love that Pacific Coast weather!
We visited Liberty Station, La Jolla Cove to see the sea lions, the San Diego Zoo (awesome), the USS Midway (very good), and the Birch Aquarium (a bit of a letdown, except for the penguins). We also rented speedboats on the bay, which ended up being the highlight of the trip. Luke especially loved seeing the sea lions at La Jolla.
One evening we met up with an old friend, Adam, who took us to Old Town for some excellent Mexican food.
After dinner, we visited the famous Hotel del Coronado, which was beautiful to walk around. We even had a bonfire on the beach and cooked hot dogs. By the end of the night, we all smelled like campfire smoke, but it was worth it.
San Diego reminded me of Los Angeles back in the late 1990s—clean, relatively easy to get around, and not yet overwhelmed by overdevelopment, endless traffic, and homeless encampments.
And the Pacific coast weather—even during a heat wave—was just fantastic. There’s something about that climate that enriches the soul. If I lived there, I’d probably be outside every day walking, exercising, or just enjoying life. It’s one of those places that naturally makes you want to get out and do something.
