Helloooo, San Diegooooo!!! In late March, Kaveri, Ivory, and I took a peaceful vacation to the shores of La Jolla, which is a seaside village in San Diego, California. La Jolla is known for its rugged coastline, the Pacific Ocean views, and cheerful sea lions. San Diego is one of my favorite cities, and I was thrilled to come back again after eight years. The temperature in late March was in the high 60’s/low 70’s. If you go more inland like to the downtown part of San Diego, the weather is much warmer (wear layers!). At this time, California lifted the COVID-19 mask mandate, so wearing masks in indoor facilities are optional.
Flights from Chicago to San Diego are very pricey. Ivory and I ended up booking a flight through American Airlines; the flight back to Chicago was a red eye, landing in O’Hare International Airport at 5am. It was my first time flying American, but it wasn’t a bad experience. The only drawback was that there was not much space underneath the seat to store my carry-on suitcase.
We stayed at the Grande Colonial, which is a boutique hotel right in the heart of La Jolla. Our stay was pleasant overall; the hotel was accommodating and they provided a step stool for me to use in the room. One tip I’d like to give is that when you enter your accommodation requests in the online reservation, be sure to follow up with the hotel front desk directly to ensure that your requests will be met. The reservations department is not necessarily equipped to handle special requests, they only pass them along to the appropriate people. The Grande Colonial was within close proximity to many restaurants, shops, and the beaches, so we mostly walked everywhere. Even though the hotel is accessible, La Jolla is very hilly, so getting around may be difficult with the sloped streets and sidewalks.
Trip Highlights and Must-Sees
It was really nice just walking along the trails by the coast, seeing sea lions on the La Jolla Shores, and the many cliffs of Bird Rock (a neighborhood in La Jolla).
Bobboi – We hit this fabulous gelato shop at least three times on our trip. I had the unforgettable hazelnut dark chocolate gelato. A popular spot in La Jolla!
Open Aire Farmer’s Market – The farmer’s market is held every Sunday morning in La Jolla. We had a great time checking out the local goods here. Try the fresh roasted almonds if you go!
Sunset Cruise in Mission Bay – On one night, we went on a boat ride around Mission Bay to watch the sunset. Note that this boat company does NOT have wheelchair accessible boats, but if you call the number on the website, they can direct you to a boat tour that will accommodate.
The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch – About thirty minutes north of La Jolla are fifty colorful acres of giant ranunculus flowers. The flower fields were in full bloom when we visited; this was one of the most memorable parts of the trip for me. They have wagon rides and other family-friendly activities as well.
Japanese Friendship Garden – This serene garden is located in Balboa Park, which is home to many museums, cultural centers, and the San Diego Zoo. The park is located in the downtown area of San Diego, so we took an Uber to get there from La Jolla.
Restaurants: Oscar’s Mexican Seafood (tacos), The Cottage (brunch), Richard Walker’s Pancake House (you have to try their baked apple pancake!!!), Bistro Pazzo (Italian cuisine – I had the yummy lobster risotto) and Sugar & Scribe Bakery (brunch)
Just a Little Traveling... 