48 Hours in San Diego

 

TO STAY

Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

The best part about the Marriott Marquis is the location. Our Executive Suite with grand balcony on the 13th floor faced straight to Coronado Island. We watched the boats in this San Diego Bay while we sipped champagne and marveled how even our toilet had a killer view. Find yourself minutes away from the Seaport Village, Petco Park, the Gaslamp district, and the San Diego Convention Center.

FullSizeRenderBesides all the conveniences in the hotel like Starbucks, fitness classes, a massive pool, and several restaurants, healthy vacationers can now workout with a view without leaving the comfort of their own room. Marriott’s in-room yoga program delivers yoga mats to your room while allowing you to stream original content from the onsite Wellness Warrior Hella Neumann. You can select six workouts including sunrise yoga, morning flow, sun salutations, meditation, core session and cool down.

End your Zen workout with healthy food and drink options at Marina Kitchen. Sample some honey-infused recipes or honey beer from the property’s very own beehives! Marina Kitchen also offers Monthly Wine Dinners with famed U.S. winemakers. The new Tasting Bar in Marriott’s Marina Kitchen offers a new large walk-up tasting bar and wine tastings too. Roy’s known for their Hawaiian fusion food is just right outside next to the pool.

13177785_10156890571345471_8145996987125341674_nBy June the Marriott Marquis will have completed a $107 million dollar expansion in its events space with a brand-new two-level stacked ballroom (the largest on the West Coast) along with Marina Terrace, a grand outdoor area right on the bay, coupled with a stunning public walkway, Marina Walk. The new space will blend technology with design as you can marvel at a 16-screen video wall system and a unique Swarovski crystal ceiling installation.

FOOD + DRINK

Just a few minute walk from the Marriott Marquis you will find yourself in the heart of expensive and cheap eats in the Gaslamp Quarter’s 16 ½ block historical neighborhood. You can bump into just about every American chain or find something uniquely San Diego. If you have a night and a day, you may enjoy the following:

Searsucker – Sample zesty, discounted craft cocktails and gourmet bites and come early for their Happy Hour menu. Steal another drink at Bang Bang close by or walk to Bice (Italian fine dining) or Oceanaire (seafood) if you are looking for fine dining.

Ciro’s Pizzeria – For a late night slice o’ cheese and garlic knots, stumble behind Searsucker and Bang Bang for a crisp slice with any topping.

Barley Mash – Right across from Searsucker lies a beer drinking sports loving bar.

Hash House A Go Go – For utter brunch indulgence, drive a short distance to Hillcrest on your way out of the city for a glutinous nosh session including a tower of sage fried chicken and bacon waffles, S’more Mochas, and portions that will be make you take a day off from eating. Too long of a wait? Try The Tractor nearby with similar menu items.

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Hash House A Go Go in Hillcrest in San Diego. (Photo credit: Melissa Curtin)

For rooftop cocktails, try the Hard Rock Hotel, the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp, or the Andaz San Diego.

If you have more time, we heard Phil’s BBQ and Lolita’s Taco Shop are a must.

EXPLORE 

If you are driving from the Los Angeles area, stop in La Jolla, just north of San Diego. Stretch your legs and scan the Pacific Ocean horizon at La Jolla Shores or La Jolla Cove where you can hopefully secure a spot at George’s at the Cove for a drink. Windansea Beach nearby is the best spot to watch surfers, and soak up a sunset at this local coastal community.

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Windansea Beach in La Jolla, just north of San Diego. Photo credit: Melissa Curtin

If you have just a day in San Diego, pick one of the following ways to explore the city:

Take a water taxi or ferry for a quick ride to charming Coronado Island. Eat lunch or walk the beach in front of Hotel Del Coronado.

Sample Italian bites in the best Little Italy in America.

Try a guided culinary walking tour with BiteSanDiego.

Rent electric bikes and cruise up hills easily, and spend more time watching the scenery than pedaling with San Diego Fly Rides.

Walk around Balboa Park. Duck into one of many museums or art galleries or spend time at the zoo.

Walk around the Seaport Village.

Hike in Torrey Pines State Reserve for cliff hanging ocean views.

Watch a sunset at Sunset Cliffs.

Rent a yellow Go Car to zip all over the city and zoom to Point Lomo. The world’s first GPS guided tour car will definitely be an adventure.

Kayak in Mission Bay, then walk, skateboard, roller skate, or bike the scenic Mission Beach boardwalk along the ocean front landscape.

All photos courtesy of Melissa Curtin.

 

 

 

Melissa Curtin

Melissa Curtin's globetrotting and love of learning was fueled after traveling around the world on Semester at Sea in college. She is the co-founder of LaLaScoop, an online hub sharing the beauty and vibrancy of LA life through a plethora of reviews on LA’s hottest trends, places, products, people and happenings from the coastline to the Hollywood Hills. She has been a passionate educator for over seventeen years. Melissa taught in England in 2004 thanks to a Fulbright scholarship. After teaching in the Maryland public school system for almost a decade, she left the conservative East Coast environment in Washington, DC, for West Coast living. After 8 years in Los Angeles, she is officially a proud, happy, warm Angeleno. Some of her favorite destinations include Formentera Island off of Ibiza, Myanmar, Loreto, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Fiji, Morocco, Vietnam, Belgium, Italy, Sicily, Prague, Egypt, Greece, and Paris. She delights in dogs that smile at her, vintage hats, hiking, exploring, dancing, and basking in Malibu sunsets.

One response to “48 Hours in San Diego

  1. Pretty nice write-up! I used to live in San Diego and I miss it so much! We lived in the Gaslamp so Ciro’s pizza and Searsucker were definitely our places. There are so many great restaurants in that city. My favorite place in ALL of San Diego though is the Hotel Del Coronado. That place is so magical, especially when you catch it for sunset and share it with a cup of strawberries and cream on the beach.

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