How to Have a Spontaneous Trip to San Diego

Traveling should be more about the memories you make and less about the stress of getting to your destination. We’ve partnered with men’s lifestyle and travel writer Joe Miragliotta from Joe’s Daily to teach you how to make every trip a memorable one.

If you’re anything like me, then chances are that you’ve woken up before with a random urge to travel. Maybe you’ve had a stressful week and want to get away, you just need a change of scenery, or a trip just really sounds good. The last time this happened to me, I decided to drag my fiancée on a weekend trip down to San Diego. As this was a spur-of-the-moment excursion to somewhere I’d never been before, I was understandably a little nervous about how things would pan out. Let me tell you, I had nothing to worry about. The city is the perfect combination of exhilarating, beautiful, and chill, with its relaxed vibe and endless things to do. Whether you’re going for a week or a weekend, making sure you have a great time is very easy in San Diego.

Breweries

From the moment you arrive, it’s easy to appreciate the great atmosphere and how gorgeous the city is. The trip began with a lunch visit to one of San Diego’s amazing craft breweries. If you’re someone who is even a little bit into beer, this scene is definitely something you should check out. We chose Ballast Point in Little Italy, where we tried several unique, limited edition beers, and probably the best “bar food” we’d ever had. If you’re able to make your way over, I highly recommend the blue cheese duck nachos!

Shopping

There are lots of different reasons for why a person would go shopping when they’re on vacation. Maybe they’re the type that just HAS to come home with souvenirs, the location could be known for its one-of-a-kind shops, or shopping could just be one of their favorite things to do. As for San Diego, it’s perfect for every kind of person, and every kind of taste. With there being so much to discover, it’s usually best to pick a shop or two to start, and then leisurely see what else is close by. As for us, we try to begin with an antique. They’re great for finding unique items from the area with a story.

Gaslamp Quarter

To be totally honest, the touristy thing is generally not our style, but in the case of the Gaslamp Quarter, we were happy to make an exception. This historic area is packed full of so many amazing restaurants, bars, shops, nightclubs, and attractions that it can be difficult not to spend the entirety of your trip here. In fact, everywhere you go here you’ll find it difficult to leave, but we did our best to see as much as we could with the time we had. Once dinner came around, we made our way to the stylish Rustic Root for an incredible meal made from local ingredients. Next, we hopped over to The Field Irish Pub for an Old Fashioned and Lilac Rabbit, and then ended our night with a couple of sidecars at the U.S. Grant Hotel.

Balboa Park

Just like with the Gaslamp Quarter, it wouldn’t be right to take a trip to this city and not do something in Balboa Park. The museums, Botanical Building, San Diego Zoo, the grounds themselves – it’s absolutely amazing! Tickets are available for both single-day and multi-day admission. Of course, it would be worthwhile to spend a good amount of time here, but for those of you (like us) who only have a couple of hours, there are several things to experience that are absolutely free.

Can’t Wait to Go Back

It’s definitely worth mentioning that there are tons of things to do in San Diego that I won’t be able to go in depth about: delicious brunches with live music, tandem bicycle and surrey rides, THE BEACH. No matter who you are or what you’re into, this place can be tailored for a vitalizing, relaxed, and unforgettable stay. While my fiancée and I usually try to pick a new place every time we go somewhere, I can confidently say that we will definitely be going back as soon as we can!

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