I can’t believe that I’ve been in California for almost a month already. Last summer, it was such a trip coming home for the first time in 2 years (Just Visiting: Coming Home after Two Years Away). This summer, I’ve brought my partner home and it’s been so fun to play tourists in my home city. 

During our second week in California, we took a lovely road trip to San Diego. We stayed for three nights in a super cute Airbnb camper. The camper was on a nice property near another camper with a shared outdoor patio space. I loved the vibe, plants, decorations, and location. My only complaint was that the bathroom in this camper was separated from the main space with only a curtain, bringing our relationship to a whole new level. 

On Thursday, we drove from L.A and stopped to have my boyfriend try his first In-N-Out burger. He was not impressed, but I was happy to have animal-style fries for the first time in years. He was, however, impressed by his first Starbucks drive-through experience so at least we had our first road trip win there.

We rested for a bit in the camper before driving to a hiking spot nearby. We started hiking Cowles Mountain, which was recommended by our Airbnb host, around 7:30 PM and had a beautiful hour-long sunset hike. We didn’t complete the hike because it was getting dark but we picked up Mexican food from Sombrero before heading back to our little camper. 

On Friday around noon, we drove to Old Town San Diego and walked around before stopping for lunch at Casa de Freds, Tacos y Tequila. I definitely wasn’t expecting much from a Mexican restaurant called “Freds” but we were so hungry we were willing to try anything. My wet burrito ended up being super delicious and I devoured it in minutes. 

After totally stuffing our faces full of burritos, chips, and queso, it was time to head to La Jolla for our kayaking expedition. We booked a cave kayak tour through Airbnb with Everyday California. It was a super fun experience but I definitely would have been a bit bored and impatient if I wasn’t with my boyfriend. We paddled out for maybe 20 minutes and spent most of the time waiting for each kayak group to tour the cave. We spent maybe an hour waiting outside the cave so I was lucky to have him because we chatted and did a little photo shoot on the kayaks to pass the time and get some use out of my waterproof phone case. 

The cave was very cool but we weren’t able to stay inside for long and I wasn’t able to get any photos because of the tight squeeze and waves crashing. The appointment was from 4-5:30 PM but we ended up getting back at 6:30. When our guide asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to be the first team to head back to shore I immediately volunteered because we are not the best at sitting around and waiting. I would recommend this experience to people who are very interested in caves and those who are not too confident in their kayaking abilities because it felt like a very safe trip. I would think it would have been a bit boring and slow for those more experienced. 

After kayaking, we drove to Del Mar to have a quick visit with a college friend at Viewpoint Brewing Company. I loved the outdoor space there and the sunset was super beautiful. After the sunset, they lit a little fire in the middle of the table and the vibes were perfect. I had a kombucha and salad and we split a brownie for dessert. 

Saturday morning we decided to do the Cowles trail again because we didn’t get a chance to make it to the top the first time. It was a super nice hike but I recommend that you go when it’s not too hot, either early morning or evening for beautiful sunset views. I got an acai bowl from a shop next to the trailhead and then we headed back to get ready to go visit some family friends in Encinitas. 

In Encinitas, I met my parents, dog, cousin, and extended family at their house and it was super nice. We hung out with my dog by the pool for hours and we had delicious food from a place called Flower Child, all the veggies were delicious and the veggie wrap was so good. 10/10 recommend. 

For dinner, we went with my parents, cousin, aunt, and uncle to Vigilucci’s Seafood & Steakhouse and I ordered the only vegetarian thing on the menu that wasn’t a salad and split it with my boyfriend. The food was really good but the place was a strange mix of country club lounge meets the beach and it wasn’t exactly my vibe. I think because it was near the fourth of July it was way busier and we were sitting in a stuffy room on a plastic fold-out table with a fancy tablecloth, granted I was the only one who noticed the plastic table. Also, I eat mostly vegetarian/vegan so seafood isn’t generally something I like.

Sunday we went to my aunt and uncle’s new property in San Diego and I played pickleball for the first time! I also played with my cousin against my parents and it was hilarious. We had a lot of fun. We had lunch and snacks from Trader Joe’s. My mom, dog, boyfriend, cousin, aunt, and uncle went on a nice walk by Lake Calaveras and Cerro de la Calavera which is an ancient plug dome volcano. 

Then we headed back to L.A with my cousin in tow. We stopped at Chipotle on the way home (my boyfriend’s first time) and he was skeptical at first but later decided it was delicious. 

All in all, we had a great time in San Diego and will return for more hikes and burritos.