We arrived in San Diego Saturday afternoon and headed to our Airbnb in the University Heights neighborhood. For this three-week trip, we wanted to be able to cook and eat in as much as possible  because eating out for three weeks is not at all appealing, so we’re staying in Airbnbs or hotels with in-room kitchens. I have to say, the Airbnb has one big advantage over RoVer Too – there’s a dishwasher (and it isn’t me!)

I made a trip to the gym Sunday morning, and then in the afternoon we headed to Old Town San Diego and caught a trolley tour around the city. The trolley took us through a bunch of the key neighborhoods, by the waterfront, to Balboa Park, and out to Coronado Island. We learned about the city’s history and why it is known as the birthplace of California (the first permanent European settlement was here). We figured it was a good activity for our first day, to help us prioritize how to spend the rest of our four days here.

After the 2-hour trolley ride, we walked around Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; the area dates back to 1820-1870.

On Monday, we started our day at the San Diego Zoo and spent about four hours there. We visited once before, in 2010, on a very short trip to the area, and decided it was worth a return visit. The first hour or so were a bit disappointing, as it seemed like all the animals were in hiding or recovering from a rough weekend! It got better as the day went on, and we got to see elephants, giraffes, bears, penguins, apes, and my favorite, koala bears. We only caught a small glimpse of one of the pandas – they didn’t want to be seen today, apparently!

The zoo is located inside Balboa Park which is a massive 1,200 acre park and includes 18 museums, a bunch of gardens, and some really nice architecture. Many of the buildings were built for the 1915-1916 Panama-California Exposition which was held to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. After the zoo, I spent some time wandering around the park, taking pictures of the beautiful buildings & gardens while Mark rested his feet (we covered a lot of ground at the zoo!)

Tuesday took us to the waterfront and the USS Midway Museum. It was a fascinating look into life at sea on the country’s longest-serving aircraft carrier. The ship carried about 4,500 sailors at a time, and was named for WWII’s Battle of Midway. Interestingly, the ship was commissioned about a week after the Japanese surrendered in 1945 so it never saw battle in WWII; it served until it was decommissioned in 1992, after serving in Operation Desert Storm. It was truly a city at sea – we saw the mess halls, the laundry, the operating room, the barber shop, and much more. The volunteer docents throughout the ship, most of them veterans and many who served on the ship, were so helpful and friendly. It was a wonderful way to spend a couple hours.

After lunch, we walked along the waterfront, and checked out Santa Fe Depot which was built in 1915 and continues to serve Amtrak and the San Diego trolley. It was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the mid-70s and a nice breeze off San Diego Bay.

From there, we drove to Coronado Island (although it’s really a peninsula!) to check out the Hotel del Coronado (“the del”), a National Historic Landmark since 1977. It was built in 1888 and is one of the largest wooden structures in the US. Interestingly, it was used as the ‘model’ for the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World – I could definitely see the resemblance. We walked through the beautiful lobby and along the beach. Overall, a wonderful day full of sunshine, great architecture, and interesting history!

For our final day in San Diego, we started by visiting the oldest of the 21 missions in California, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala. Founded in 1769, it has a stunning bell tower, and is still an active Catholic parish. We toured through the buildings and grounds.

From there, we drove Southwest to Cabrillo National Monument which commemorates the landing of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay in 1542; he was the first European to set foot on the West coast of the US. The unit of the National Park Service is located at the Southern tip of the Point Loma peninsula, and beyond the historical significance, the location offers incredible views and scenery. We toured the Old Point Loma lighthouse, and visited the coastal trail along the Pacific Ocean.

We headed North on the peninsula, stopped for dinner, and then went back to the coast at Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset. Clouds moved in just before sunset, so we thought it might be a bust, but the clouds actually made it even better!

And with that, the 2nd leg of our trip has come to an end. San Diego is a fantastic city with beautiful architecture and gorgeous weather! “America’s Finest City” did not disappoint! Time to head North a couple of hours to the city of Angels…