My First Visit to San Diego, 2002 – the suite life of travel

It’s hard to believe it has been fifteen years since I first visited San Diego. I remember how much I fell in love with this city. Its history, weather and scenic views were the reasons I returned so often each year and eventually moved to Southern California.

Attending a conference with several colleagues, I always welcomed their recommendations for an amazing hotel and fabulous restaurants. We spent many a night at Old Town Mexican Café and Restaurant drinking margaritas and noshing on chips and salsa.

Although we spent the majority of our day at the San Diego Convention Center, we had some time to entertain our clients and plan dinners with potential customers. Each time I visit San Diego on business, I extend my trip to catch up with friends, hike and explore new places.

My first weekend stay was at the Catamaran Resort Hotel on Pacific Beach, about twenty minutes from the trade show. I loved the location because it was on the water, it offered privacy from the convention and I wanted to learn how to surf. Pacific Beach, known as PB to the locals, is the perfect getaway from business meetings and events. While it is known as the “party beach” for the twenties crowd, I enjoyed its laid-back atmosphere and spectacular sunsets.

One of my favorite places to visit is Balboa Park, a short drive from downtown. A mega-complex with seventeen museums and extraordinary gardens, it is also home to the city’s famous San Diego Zoo. While I have not attend a cultural event here, I have strolled through its 1200 acres making a stop at The San Diego Museum of Art.

Within minutes from Balboa Park is the Bazaar del Mundo, a shopping plaza in the heart of Old Town. When in search of Mexican-inspired gifts, I visited Artes de Mexico and the Guatemala Shop with their colorful, hand-crafted souvenirs. For colorful, hand-painted ceramics and authentic Mexican salsas and sauces, Home Accents offers a variety of kitchen and home décor products.

After shopping for an hour or two, I looked forward to stopping by Old Town Mexican Café to watch them prepare the tortillas in the window. For lunch or dinner, I always start with a margarita and an order of their traditional Molcajete or chicken tamale.

My final weekend visit was a trip to Torrey Pines State Park located north of San Diego in the upscale town of La Jolla. Sitting on 2000 acres along the coast, this amazing oasis of hiking trails is perfect for watching the whale migration from December to April. I spent the afternoon exploring the park and packed a picnic lunch for the afternoon before returning back to PB for dinner.

San Diego is one of my favorite places to visit and with beautiful weather all year long, there are plenty amazing outdoor adventures and excursions to experience.

What are some of your favorite places to visit in San Diego? I would love to hear from you if you will kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my visit to San Diego and wishing you many Happy Travels!

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What to See and What to Do:

Balboa Park: There is no fee for visiting the park, but there are additional fees for visiting the museums.

San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: 619 232 7931

Admission Fee: Adults: $15, Seniors (65+) and Military: $10, Students: $8
Hours: Open from 10AM to 5PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Open from 12PM to 5PM on Sunday and closed Wednesday.
Amenities: Daily docent tours, Museum store, restaurant, mobile app, parking
Length of Visit: Over 3 hours
Tips for Your Visit: Check for discounts. San Diego city and county residents enter for free on the third Tuesday of each month. February is Macy’s Museum Month and all participating museums are half price entrance with coupon. Check the website for rotating and visiting exhibitions prior to visiting. During the summer, visit Balboa Park for Food Truck Friday. Bags can be checked at the front door of the museum.

Bazaar del Mundo
4133 Taylor Street
San Diego, CA 92110
Telephone: 619 296 3161

Admission Fee: There is no charge for visiting Bazaar del Mumdo
Hours: Open Sunday and Monday from 10AM to 5:30PM and Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM to 9PM
Amenities: Shopping, restaurants, events
Length of Visit: 1-2 hours

Torrey Pines Natural Preserve
12600 North Torrey Pines Road
San Diego, CA 92307
Telephone: 858 755 2063

Admission Fee: The facility use fee depends on which parking lot you use. South Beach parking during high season (starting at Spring Break until the end of September) costs $15 from Monday – Thursday and $20 from Friday – Saturday. Low season begins in October until Spring Break where fees are $12 from Monday – Thursday and $15 from Friday to Sunday. Note that high season prices may be charged during holidays, so be prepared. For parking on the North Beach, high season (from Spring Break to end of September_ are $10 from Monday – Thursday and $15 from Friday – Sunday. Payment is accepted at the Automated Pay Machine if no staff is available at the kiosk. Low season rates are $3 from Monday – Thursday and $10 from Friday – Saturday. Annual passes are available for $195.
Hours: Open all year from 7:15AM to sunset
Amenities: Visitor center, museum shop, guided nature walks, fishing, parking
Scenic View: Gorgeous views of the coast from the hiking trails and this is the perfect place for watching the sunset.
Length of Visit: 3 – 4 hours, but there are hikes that will take under 1 hour
Tips for Your Visit: This is a popular location for sunset and holidays can be extremely busy. Bring water especially if you are hiking. Food and drink (with the exception of water) is not permitted on the Reserve, but are permitted on the beach. No alcohol on the Reserve and the beach. Dogs are not permitted and there is no smoking allowed. Drones are also banned from the Reserve and beach.

Where to Stay:

Catamaran Resort Hotel
3999 Mission Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92109
Telephone: 858 488 1081

Where to Eat:

Old Town Mexican Restaurant and Café
2489 San Diego Avenue
San Diego, CA 92110
Telephone: 619 297 4330

What to Eat: