Issue 43 / What You Can Do With 48 Hours In San Diego

by Vallisa Chauhan

What You Can Do With 48 Hours In San Diego

Mar 29, 2016

After giving you a 48-hour guide of San Francisco and Las Vegas it's now time to head down to sunny San Diego.

As always, the first thing to do is to pick a hotel. Something central is always the best option but if you are on a budget then pick something out of town with access to downtown. Though San Diego has a downtown it's the outskirts that are more interesting and this is where your journey will take you.

^{Sunny San Diego.

Photo Credit: www.mappery.com}

Day 1

8 am: Rise and Shine

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel or a cafe nearby. Then head towards La Jolla, the jewel of Southern California and a 30-minute drive from downtown San Deigo. Pack your swimsuit; you will need it.

9 am: Take a Dive

La Jolla, with its clear water, is a great place to go snorkeling and kayaking. And don't forget to check out the beautiful sea caves. Getting here early means you're more likely to avoid the hustle and bustle of the locals.

^{Scuba Diving

Photo Credit: www.houseofscuba.com}

12 pm: Mission Bay Boardwalk

^{Mission Bay Boardwalk

Photo Credit: www.offmetro.com}

Head down the road to Mission Bay Boardwalk and take a stroll down the boardwalk and grab a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants.

Once you've had lunch, head over to Sea World. Whether you are an adult or a child there is so much to do here. The park is open until around 7:30 pm, depending on the time of year and the day, so you have plenty of time to check out the rides and shows.

^{Dolphin Show at Sea World.

Photo Credit: www.taketours.com}

8 pm: Food Time

Time to get a bite to eat before bed. I suggest either heading over to La Jolla Village where they have a number of commercially known restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen and Chipotle or if you want to take in more of the sea, La Jolla by the sea has a number of smaller restaurants.

Day 2

8 am: Land Animals

Yesterday you finished your day hanging around looking at sea animals such as dolphins and whales, today is about land animals. San Diego Zoo is based in Balboa Park and houses around 3,700 animals of more then 650 species. It is one of the few zoos that successfully breeds giant pandas.

^{San Diego Zoo

Photo Credit: www.thousandwonders.net}

12:30 pm: Food Time

There are a number of places to dine within the Zoo, but the two that stand out are Albert's, located in the Lost Forest, where you can experience an open-air experience watching a private waterfall, or the Sabertooth Grill which sources fresh ingredients from local farms and offers some breathtaking views.

^{Waterfall view from Albert's

Photo Credit: www.zoo.sandiegozoo.org}

2 pm: Embarcadero District

After leaving the zoo, head down to the Embarcadero District which is situated on the Broadway Pier on San Diego Pier. There are a number of things to do here.

^{Embarcadero District

Photo Credit: www.oyster.com}

The USS Midway Museum, where you are invited to learn about America's longest serving aircraft carrier with 35 exhibits and tours.

The floating Maritime Museum of San Diego, featuring one of the finest collections of historic ships in the world including The Star of India, one of the oldest active sailing ships.

Seaport village, where you will find a number of shops and restaurants. If you are in the mood to spend some money then this is the palace to head over to.

Harbor Cruise, if you feel like you would rather be on the water then make sure you take one of the harbor cruises and discover the bay.

8 pm: Food

If you are looking for some fantastic views to take in while having dinner then head over to The Glass Door Restaurant where you can chill on the balcony while enjoying some fantastic cocktails and food.

^{The Glass Door Restaurant

Photo Credit: www.glassdoorsd.com}

If Indian is more your thing there is an abundance of Indian restaurants depending on how far you are willing to travel.

Royal India is a bit of a drive but is dubbed one of the best Indian restaurants in San Diego. In 2014 it won the award for Best Restaurant in San Diego.

Chennai Tiffins specializes in South Indian cuisine, offering mouth watering dosas and sambhar.

^{Indian Dosa

Photo Credit: www.amazingtruelifestories.com}

Indian Grill is a little closer and offers top food near Sea World. Here they sell your normal curries such as madras, vindaloo and rogan josh at a reasonable price.

^{Main Image Photo Credit: www.sandiego.edu}

Vallisa Chauhan

Author

Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.