Remember when I said I was going to spend the summer going on a few adventures? Time to put my money where my mouth is! I bought a pair of neon pink running shoes and I’m going to use them to walk up and down a few amusement parks over the next couple of days. I won’t even try to put up a William Morris post on Thursday, because I know I’m going to be beat!
See you all Monday!
p.s. Can you recommend some great places to eat in San Diego? Bonus points if they offer health food options.
Have a great time! Way too hot and humid here to spend any vacation time outside. Great discussion yesterday and thanks for all the information about the author. Have we picked for next month? I can’t remember. Usually I get so excited I buy and read the book well in advance, but I don’t think I’ve done that this time.
Yes! We are reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I’m nervous! Nonfiction/journalistic writing are usually my “did not finish” books.
Yay! That’s been on my to-read list for a while. Thanks!!
Oh, I read that and really enjoyed it! But then nonfiction/journalistic books are my favorite kind. :-)
Have fun! This sounds like a great summer adventure :)
Hash House a Go Go – near the Zoo. It aint healthy – but it’s got fantastic breakfasts – think Snicker’s pancakes. And the portions are huge – so don’t order one entree per person – share!
Thanks! Duly noted.
Ditto on Hash House. Delish breakfast. For dinner, my favorite place is Banker’s Hill. I live abroad and need a good hamburger when I come home. This place does it so well, especially with the truffle fries. Everything else on the menu is great, as well. It’s very close to Balboa Park. Make reservations if you plan to go. Easy to get reservations, challenging to walk in. http://www.bankershillsd.com/
Looks like I know where we are going for dinner!
You won’t regret it! If it’s nice out, I love the outdoor patio. It’s got a great wall of plants that I would love to copy on my own patio (someday when I don’t live in a high rise sans balcony).
Have fun! And don’t forget…truffle fries!
There is a blog called Good & Cheap Eats and their family just did a staycation in San Diego. She did several restraunt reviews for the area. Have a great time!!!
Yes, I remember that about Oh Joy. I’ll have to check that out! Thanks for the blog rec, too. :)
San Diego! So jealous! Ride that tram at the zoo! Harry’s in La Jolla is a cool old diner. Think Oh Joy blog had some San Diego recs too…
Hah! Everyone remembers Oh Joy. I’m so lazy, I haven’t been through her archives.
GASP! What fun . . . have a fabulous time!!! (and by fabulous, I mean, fabulous . . . just look at those exclamation points!)
I’m going to SD in a couple weeks, so I can’t wait to hear about your trip! Have a great time.
We are so close to SD that it’s really just a staycation/day trip. We’re going to hit the Wild Animal Park, but haven’t decided on the day.
If you decide to go a little north of San Diego to Del Mar, I would recommend the Stratford Court Cafe. I worked there while in college, and I loved the food and people that would gather there. It’s all outdoor seating which leads to a very relaxed vacation-like atmosphere. Stratford Court Cafe only serves breakfast and lunch. For dessert in San Diego, try Extraordinary Desserts next to Balbao Park.
Wild Animal Park? Like 35 min. from my house. If I still had passes, I’d meet up w/ you there! Wave to me as you pass me by on the 15 frwy..I’m the last exit in T-Town. :-)
Jules, Since you are kinda one of my blogging idols I nominated you for a Sunshine Blogger Award- it’s a 10-question little survey that is nice for those days when you’re not sure what to write a blog post about. Feel free to change the questions to suit your blog :) http://notjustbrides.blogspot.com/2012/08/you-are-my-sunshine-10-question-survey.html
I am probably too late to do you any good, but I hope not.
I live in San Diego, right near the bay/Sea World. I hope that you have a really nice time down here. I think you will certainly appreciate the change in the temperatures you’ll experience here (at least along the beach side of San Diego) vs. the I.E.
I would definitely recommend you take your family to a little place called Lucha Libre – it’s a taco shop of sorts, with a Mexican wrestling theme in a tasteful and colorful way – if you call them in advance you can reserve the Champion’s Table for your family (it holds 4 and doesn’t cost extra – at least it didn’t used to cost anything extra) so that’s just perfect for you guys!). The food is delicious and made fresh and without lard, etc. It’s very family friendly, and they have a salsa bar that is so amazing. Try the cilantro salsa if you can. It is even better than the atmosphere.
Here’s a link: http://www.tacosmackdown.com/index.htm
Otherwise, visiting downtown La Jolla is a good option. Make a stop at the beautiful parish, Mary Star of the Sea – and park in this area, then head out for the sites and restaurants. There are really yummy places to eat there, too, (yes, with kids), like lunch at the Burger Lounge (YUM), a cupcake stop at CUPS La Jolla for an awesome organic cupcake (gluten free and vegan always on the menu – I recommend the bread pudding cupcake if you can get it, but here is a general list http://cupslj.com/flavors/). These are not typical cupcakes, and I mean that in a good way. However, if you are a die hard Sprinkles fan, you probably won’t like these as much (I’m not saying Sprinkles cupcakes aren’t tasty, but they are definitely more sugar sugar sugary). Breakfast at Cody’s La Jolla is awesome. You get a view of the ocean if you ask – though they generally do stick families out on the comfy patio with the view anyway, and then are right next to our favorite place to take our kids to let them run around – lots of climbing trees, a 100% chance to see seals and sea lions, and pelicans, and so on, as well as to walk down onto some beach inlets if you so desire). And they have a chocolate shop that makes amazing caramel apples, etc. It’s right near the Victoria’s Secret, which usually doesn’t have too scandalous a window set up.
For your best beach destination (it really was voted best beach and for great reason), drive over the free bridge to Coronado Island. Take the family to see the most lovely beach houses, dunes, mellow but fun enough waves, the hotel Coronado which was the inspiration for the Emerald City and where Mr. Baum wrote his famous book :O) They have really yummy ice cream at this hotel, and a very cool candy shop as well.
Another fun family place to stop is Sea Port Village. This is definitely a tourist type place, but you’ll have chances to see free magic shows, lots of Navy ships and sailboats, beautiful tropical birds brought out by people who just really like showing off their birds, a carousel, and lots of little shops (toys, cigars, ice cream, candy, Christmas, nostalgia, etc.).
Anyway. Whatever you choose, and whether or not you stop at any of these places, I really hope that you have an enjoyable vacation, mama. You deserve it!
Also – sorry to send you such an Othello of a comment before! – if you’ll be visiting Balboa Park and like vegan/gluten free options, I highly recommend Evolution Fast Food which is located just outside of the park. I wish every city had one of these in it. It’s delicious, healthy food, at great prices. And their carrot cake cupcake, banana coconut cupcake, etc, are heavenly. It actually does have a drive through, but there is a lovely large patio as well as a more indoor eating area to share your meal together on if you’re not in a rush. Or just walk across the street to a super fun playground where your boys can exercise even more of their energy :O) Here’s the link: http://www.evolutionfastfood.com/
Okay, my commenting is getting to the awkward/creepy point, now that I’m on #3… Sorry, I’m happy to live in San Diego and very happy to share about great places we know and love here.
Some additional “healthy options”…
Prepkitchen locations in either La Jolla or Little Italy (if you visit Little Italy, do stop by Our Lady of the Rosary parish – I think it’s about the closest chance around here to something one might be blessed enough to see in Italy itself as far as frescos go inside of a church) are SO WONDERFUL. I’m never disappointed when we eat there. The food is local, fresh, whole, and tasty! I always feel good after eating at one of these locations, never heavy or regretful. My favorite one is in Del Mar, but that one is undergoing renovations due to a fire they had a while back :O(
Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza has a number of locations around here, but our favorite to visit is the one in Mission Valley. It’s roomy and always fully staffed so we never wait very long. My favorite salad ever (that I try to make at home all of the time) originated there (at least, it originated there for me). The organic beets and arugula salad (lunch portion is enough, honest!) sends me over the moon, and the chilled roasted vegetable salad is also yummy. They have kids great kids’ meals, too. If you want to try a yummy grown up pizza, go for the brie cheese and truffle oil thin crust pizza. It may not be the healthiest thing, but I’ll be darned if it isn’t tasty. Get that with a side salad and you’ll be doing well – their side salads are good.
Sorry if my zeal for food is getting obnoxious.
hey! sounds fun! have a great time…
We should meet up there sometime with the kids…Gabby would love it! we plan to take her in January when i am there for a work convention.
see you in a few weeks!! xo
I want to see the pink shoes!
Hey Jules – complete random thought, a book for your consideration ‘The Dragon’s Tooth’ by N.D. Wilson. It is the first of the Ashtown Burials Series and a fabulous read. The second one, ‘The Drowned Vault’ is due to be released in September. If nothing else, read these and save them for your boys. His earlier series, 100 Cupboards, is excellent as well. I’d be hard pressed to find anyone, especially a tween/teen boy, who wouldn’t love these books.