Pros and Cons
San Diego is a fabulous get-away spot for Phoenicians. Surf, sand and cooler temps less than 6 hours away by car (I swear, we went from Mesa to Mission Beach in just under 6 hours and we even stopped at the Mickey D’s in Yuma); how can you beat that? When you get there, I have a little advice.
Things I recommend in San Diego:
1. Surf Lessons – My sister, brother, father and I took a lesson one day last week while my mom stayed back at the house with my kids. It was awesome. I’ve always wanted to surf, but never had the chance to take a lesson before. I was sure it was one of those impossible things that there was no way I’d be able to do the first time, but our instructors were awesome and all of us got up and rode waves in. It was quite a workout, but the rush of standing on top of a wave as it approaches the shore is well worth it.
2. Kayaking – This activity we did minus my brother (he had to come home for work), plus Jason (he had just come up from work). It was spectacular and relaxing. We paddled along the coast and admired the stunning cliff-side homes (our tour-guide pointed out Dr. Seuss’s former home, his widow still lives there). We sidled up and chatted to the sea lions who lounge near the La Jolla caves. We sat in the middle of a kelp forest that was so huge and far from the shore that I felt like I was on another planet.
3. Sea World – I’ve already posted a bit about the fabulous time we had there, so I won’t go on. Just suffice it to say, it’s totally worth the cost. Do it. Sea World rocks.
4. Mizu Sushi – We LOVED this restaurant. We cooked almost all of our meals while we were in San Diego (our beach house had a great kitchen), but we wanted to do one night out at sushi. We chose Mizu pretty much singularly because it was close. It was awesome, though. Not crowded, great food, not super pricey. The bay-side walk there and back only added to the experience. So nice.
Things I do not recommend in San Diego:
1. Eating sand –
EW.
2. The Red Tide – We were told that the dark red, cloudy water was a result of bacteria interacting and that it brings the jellyfish out in droves. Basically, it was a bummer on all fronts. My dad, our surf instructor and my sister’s boyfriend were all stung by the jellyfish. We weren’t able to do the ‘snorkeling’ side of our kayaking and snorkeling tour because the visibility was about 3 inches. My sister ended up with a hideously itchy, dark red rash from the bacteria getting under her skin. The Red Tide is just no good at all. Boo!
3. Driving home in the first monsoon of the season –
OK, so that’s more of an Arizona thing than a San Diego thing, but still, it was spooky.