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Posted: 2/25/2024 12:33:38 PM EDT
I asked this before but I cannot find the post and I thought I would get some more info. We are going next month and the wife wants to visit a lot of the usual tourist spots like the Midway, Balboa park, Sea World and the Zoo and we are both 55 and no kids and we would like to also see the beach.
We are looking for a place to stay that is of course safe and has parking and we realize we will probably pay more for that. We don't want to pay Hotel Coronado prices but will bite the bullet if needed to be near things and convenient. We aren't into the typical resort amenities like spa, massage, pool or nightclub. We will probably take Uber most places to avoid parking and driving. Any recommendations where to stay Are the beach front stores and beaches safe to be after dark Any hidden gem attractions we should see |
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Best bet is get something in Hotel cirlcle in mission valley area bro. Easy access to all the places you want to go and pretty chill area from what I remember.
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I just spent a week in Carmel valley. It nice, quiet and very pretty. Would have been a great time if the family Drama Llama didn’t start inventing problems for all of us
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Drive out to Point Loma and the National Cemetery. Fantastic views. Same with Mt Soledad.
Go up in the mountains to Julian and out to Borrego Springs in the desert. While in that area check out the Palomar Observatory. |
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Imperial Beach maybe?
Not sure if the current is coming from the south or the north right now, from the south is bad. |
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Quoted: Imperial Beach maybe? Not sure if the current is coming from the south or the north right now, from the south is bad. View Quote No. Not IB as a place to stay. The post above referencing Hotel Circle is decent advice for a tourist. Close to a lot of stuff. A bit more expensive, but I also like the bayfront along Harbor Drive; Grand Hyatt, Embassy Suites, Marriott Marquis, etc. Mission Beach and up to La Jolla (Windansea, La Jolla Shores, etc) are all fun beach areas. |
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How is the traffic, is it even worth the hassle and risk of trying to drive from our hotel to the Midway museum or other places?
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Quoted: LOL WTF does this have to do with San Diego? View Quote ETA traffic isnt too bad if you avoid rush hour times. IE 6:30-9 am. and 3:30-6pm. M-F. weekends are mostly chill. |
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Stay in Coronado.... beaches, hotels, a few good restaurants, quiet, safe, etc.
8654 |
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Definitely stay on shelter island. You can wake up in the morning. Have your coffee and watch the navy and marines do they're drilling off of coronado.
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Quoted: How is the traffic, is it even worth the hassle and risk of trying to drive from our hotel to the Midway museum or other places? View Quote Yeah it's worth it. Honestly San Diego traffic isn't all that bad...usually. I live in north county and can make it to the Midway in about 45 minutes- you're going to be MUCH closer. Of course there are days when traffic is awful, but you'll be close enough it won't matter all that much as long as you understand that the obvious times like Friday afternoon are going to be pretty bad. |
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Quoted: How is the traffic, is it even worth the hassle and risk of trying to drive from our hotel to the Midway museum or other places? View Quote It's predictably heavy during morning and afternoon rush-hour commute times. Generally northbound is worst in the AM and southbound is worst in the PM. Afternoon rush hour, say coming down from La Jolla to downtown area, starts to get bad by 2:30 PM M-F. On weekends it's rarely bad. Here's a site where you can scope it out in advance, either when you are here or before you come: Sigalert San Diego Google Maps also has a traffic overlay. ETA check out the Paradise Point resort for a place to stay. It's in the middle of Mission Bay, not far from the airport and many attractions. |
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Quoted: if its in the price range this would be, as he said quiet and safe. only down side is cost, and bridge traffic can be insane at military base start and stop times. View Quote Don't have to stay at the Del... stay across the street at the Glorietta Bay hotel. There are others as well. 8654 |
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Call the Crystal Pier hotel and see if they have any cancellations.
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As a kid we would visit my uncle's ship in the harbor via launch. We'd go to the Zoo and Presidio. La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines beaches. Old Town for mexican food. Anza Borrego Desert for camping. Julian for apples. Camp Cuyamaca as kids for summer camp and winter to play in the snow.
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I've stayed there a dozen times - outstanding hotel right next to Seaport Village (tourist shopping). The Omni is a bit cheaper and right next to the ball park. I've stayed there a couple of times and it was nice as it sits at the end of the Gaslamp Quarter |
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Quoted: My favorite places to eat on Coronado would be Peohe's a upscale fusion restaurant on the bay and Miguel's a casual open Mexican sit down. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Don't have to stay at the Del... stay across the street at the Glorietta Bay hotel. There are others as well. 8654 McP's is a lot of fun and has some decent food too. |
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In for the recommendations. I attended a conference at the Catamaran Resort years ago, brought the family with. It's on Mission bay, adjacent to the beach as well. It was a blast and if you ask them today, it was one of their favorite vacations. They had a courtyard full of parrots, and a lady would do demonstrations of them talking. Not sure how it holds up today, but assuming all is well, I would go again.
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Quoted: In for the recommendations. I attended a conference at the Catamaran Resort years ago, brought the family with. It's on Mission bay, adjacent to the beach as well. It was a blast and if you ask them today, it was one of their favorite vacations. They had a courtyard full of parrots, and a lady would do demonstrations of them talking. Not sure how it holds up today, but assuming all is well, I would go again. View Quote The Catamaran has been remodeled recently. I've heard it's very nice. One of its amenities is the Bahia Belle cruise boat that goes to various spots around Mission Bay. Not a big time commitment and it's kind of fun. |
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Go watch a sunset from Sunset cliffs, parking is problematic as it is mostly pure residential area, only a couple of lots. There is a pretty hippy atmosphere so it can be interesting.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hEUEWekiBCywNATs6 +1 on Point Loma for awesome views. Midway is definitely worth the effort that parking might make it. |
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Quoted: My favorite places to eat on Coronado would be Peohe's a upscale fusion restaurant on the bay and Miguel's a casual open Mexican sit down. View Quote Absolutely, Peohe's is great on the north end. I like a late breakfast at McP's... or a dinner outside. Both with a Guiness in my mug. I need to get back there and blow the dust out of it. 8654 |
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Drive up to George's on the Cove in La Jolla for a nice dinner with your better half.
8654 |
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Catamaran Resort is on on the list we are looking at. Their rooms are reasonable and the reviews are good.
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Quoted: Catamaran Resort is on on the list we are looking at. Their rooms are reasonable and the reviews are good. View Quote When we stayed at the Catamaran my kids were 10 and 12 or so. While I was at the conference, they went to the beach and to Sea World. Each night after the conference we walked to different restaurants and hung out on the beach, watch sunset. We are flatlanders so the beach consumed more time than perhaps normal as they had never seen one before. We hung around the following weekend and went downtown. This was before the Midway was open. But we went on a harbor tour and downtown and whatnot. Last year my daughter went back for a visit. They rented jet skis in the bay, I think that would be a blast. |
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In you wind up near Ocean Beach, this is a small little bistro to check out for dinner.
3rd corner wine shop and bistro. It's OB, so it's casual. Make a reservation. |
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Quoted: No. Not IB as a place to stay. The post above referencing Hotel Circle is decent advice for a tourist. Close to a lot of stuff. A bit more expensive, but I also like the bayfront along Harbor Drive; Grand Hyatt, Embassy Suites, Marriott Marquis, etc. Mission Beach and up to La Jolla (Windansea, La Jolla Shores, etc) are all fun beach areas. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Imperial Beach maybe? Not sure if the current is coming from the south or the north right now, from the south is bad. No. Not IB as a place to stay. The post above referencing Hotel Circle is decent advice for a tourist. Close to a lot of stuff. A bit more expensive, but I also like the bayfront along Harbor Drive; Grand Hyatt, Embassy Suites, Marriott Marquis, etc. Mission Beach and up to La Jolla (Windansea, La Jolla Shores, etc) are all fun beach areas. Last year it was in the Gaslight and we had a blast, but I left the family at home. |
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Quoted: Here are some onion rings at McP's. ETA also a gin & tonic and water back. I think I was killing time while my wife was at an extended dental appointment a couple of blocks from there. Far better to go to McP's or walk around the Del rather than sit in a dentist's waiting room for two hours. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/1087/McPsOrings-3140987.jpg View Quote Love the patio in the evening. 8654 |
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Bahia resort is on misson Bay, and has a private beach, very quiet. The real ocean is a 10 minute walk. Only downside besides price is it's isolated from the rest of San Diego by a bit.
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Quoted: trust doc on this one morning: take the Coaster north 20 miles to "Encinitas Station" walk one block west to good food and browsing walk another two blocks to Moonlight Beach watch the sunset take the Coaster back south You can thank me later. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/183309/swamis_sunset7-3141039.jpg View Quote I spent on summer back in the '70s renting a granny flat about a block north of the Self-Realization Fellowship, shown in that image. I've never been in there but know a few people who have. The beach below there, known as Swami's, is a very good surfing spot. |
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Quoted: take a good north/northwest swell https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/183309/swamis_surf3-3141048.jpg View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I spent on summer back in the '70s renting a granny flat about a block north of the Self-Realization Fellowship, shown in that image. I've never been in there but know a few people who have. The beach below there, known as Swami's, is a very good surfing spot. take a good north/northwest swell https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/183309/swamis_surf3-3141048.jpg Nice. The Self-Realization Fellowship appears in an opening scene in the 1972 "rockumentary" movie Rainbow Bridge, which is about Jimi Hendrix. A woman is seen hitchhiking in front of the gilded gate of the Fellowship. Audiences around here were always delighted when it was shown in theaters. |
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Quoted: Nice. The Self-Realization Fellowship appears in an opening scene in the 1972 "rockumentary" movie Rainbow Bridge, which is about Jimi Hendrix. A woman is seen hitchhiking in front of the gilded gate of the Fellowship. Audiences around here were always delighted when it was shown in theaters. View Quote lived there from '70 to '80 had some fun |
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Courtyard Downtown in the old bank is cheap and in the middle of everything.
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Wife and I honeymooned in SD in 2014 and have been back 2-3 times since, she is from SD. Mission beach is where we have stayed and rented bikes and rode up and down the boardwalk. World Famous restaurant is good for breakfast. If you need any info reach out to me and my wife can tell you all you need to know about the area. Pic of the house we rented for our honeymoon in 2014. Attached File
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Ocean Beach and Mission Beach are Caliwacko zoos.
Go north at least to Del Mar Coaster runs multiple times a day |
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The Scripps aquarium used to be really cool. Then walk around La Jolla afterwards. Dr. Seuss gallery and some really good restaurants.
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Quoted: Ocean Beach and Mission Beach are Caliwacko zoos. Go north at least to Del Mar Coaster runs multiple times a day View Quote All that plus more San Diego is awesome I usually go with no plans or destination and always have fun. Completely safe unless you take my other advice and journey to TJ. If married or with GF skip TJ. I don't like California but San Diego is the shit. |
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