How to Spend a Day in San Diego: My Adventure Bucket List
Aerial view of ‘America’s Finest City’
If you’re like me, the first thing you want to do when you travel is go outside. Checking nature out, photographing landscapes and exploring hidden gems are some of my favorite activities to do on vacation.
San Diego, one of my favorite cities on the West Coast, is always worth a quick weekend trip. The weather always seems to be perfect - not too hot and not too cold. The city is full of vibrant places and beautiful people. I went to visit my friend Jenn, who stayed by La Jolla. I was looking forward to tanning and swimming at the beach, but it ended up being a foggy, chilly day.
Sunny San Diego has a Dark Side
La Jolla on a foggy day.
Fog rolled out at sunrise. The seals and sea lions were close enough to our La Jolla Cove Hotel, that their barking woke us up. We had a full day of adventure ahead, so we geared up and headed out. The air was hazy and the fog was hovering low covering the tops of buildings and hills. It was hard to see the near distance in plain sight. It changed the whole vibe of the coast.
As we made our way up La Jolla Cove, we were greeted by smells of marine wildlife. Those seals are no joke. I tolerated the smell long enough to snap this gif of them and the seabirds living their best life.
The Cove is part of the coastal ecosystem of La Jolla Ecological Reserve and Marine Park.
Sunny Jim's Sea Cave
1325 Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
145 steps. 120 years old. One of seven sea caves in La Jolla, California; but the only one accessible from land. And a prohibition era tunnel that was used to smuggle booze.
How on earth do you get to this tunnel?
Hidden behind a souvenir shop called ‘The Cave Store” on Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA, lies an underground stairwell to Sunny Jim's Sea Cave.
This man-made tunnel was dug by two men in 1903 and has been a popular historic landmark ever since. With low ceilings, narrow walls, and slippery stairs, the journey down isn’t for everyone. What used to just be rope, are now solid railings your life depends on.
Sunny Jim's Cave leads you to a unique view of the Pacific Ocean - framed within a shape of a man's head - named after a guy on a British cereal box. The sea cave itself was formed and imprinted with the ocean’s natural formations. A sea lion swam up and plopped itself on one of the rocks in the cave.
I was so excited to get to this secret passage. It was only a 7 minute walk from our hotel. The Cave Store is open from 9am - 4:30pm. The entrance fee at the time of this writing is $10 for adults (18+) and $6 for children.
Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or just looking for a unique adventure, Sunny Jim's Cave is a must-see in La Jolla.
Next stop - Balboa Park to see the Japanese Friendship Garden.
Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum
2215 Pan American Road. E.
San Diego, CA 92101
The perfect way to unwind on a Sunday afternoon is at the Japanese Friendship Garden, a living sanctuary inspired by Japanese ecosystems. Located within Balboa Park in San Diego, this 12-acre Garden is home to koi fish ponds, bonsai trees, and if you catch it in season - cherry blossom trees.
The path takes you through colorful trees, waterfalls and exhibits. It was such a peaceful trail and we made it just in time before the Garden closed. (We actually were escorted out for taking our time enjoying the scenery.)
I swear you’d love it here too.
It’s open to the public daily from 10 am - 6 pm. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for students/seniors/military, and free for children 6 and under.