San Diego, CA

There are some places that are sunny all year round, and that make you happy as soon as you step off the plane. Places where everyone smiles and says hi as they go about their daily lives, and that you just enjoy being in.

And San Diego is one of them. A short distance from the Mexican border, San Diego is a gem in California that often gets overlooked by its bigger siblings; Los Angeles for the glamour of Hollywood and the draw of celebrity, and San Francisco for its cosmopolitan, boho air.

But San Diego is a home from home for me, and I love it. So when I was there last I decided to see all it had to offer, rather than using it as a base to visit other places in Cali. And I’m so glad I did because I got to see the inner workings of one of the best cities in the world.

I decided to go to the old town and take the San Diego Trolley to see an overview of all the SD had to offer. You can hop on and off wherever you like; downtown, Fifth Avenue, the Bayfront or the zoo, whatever takes your fancy. When on the trolley the tour guides point out lots of sights and give you little titbits of information which I found to be great fun!

I got off and had lunch at the Coronado, which is currently the second best beach in the US after a recent poll. And you can see why! The white sandy beaches and pristine and the food served in the Hotel Del is second to none. It’s like being on a paradise island but you can step back into the city whenever you like!

I visited the San Diego Zoo, which is world-famous and saw the polar bears, pandas and all the conservation projects that they have working. I don’t often like zoos because I hate to see trapped animals, but to give them their dues, there is plenty of room for them to stay happy. It’s really family friendly and it was so cute to see the little children running around with their animal masks on or getting their faces painted. 🙂

Del Mar is one of my favourite areas in San Diego. I love how everyone is really surfy, happy and laid back, and nothing is too much trouble. Walking along the bluffs on the coast is my favourite thing to do, but I have to be careful of burnt shoulders and nose as my skin is so far. Honestly, if you ever get the time to visit the city then kick off the flip-flops and take a stroll along the bluffs. Its heaven on earth.

I obviously had to go to Seaworld too, as being English I had a)never seen a killer whale and b) only ever heard fabled tales of Shamu. I was a little disappointed as the trainers didnt actually get in the water with the whales (probably due to one dying the previous year) but I think that had I not been an adult I would have loved it. You can feed the Manta Rays and watch displays with all the sea animals It is quite exciting!!

I did make sure that I had travel insurance though as American healthcare is soooo pricey. I went with Swiftcover in the end as I thought their deal seemed the best for me.