Spring Fling in La Jolla, California
What a time to get away from the snow and cold of Minnesota! Arriving at San Diego International, where a four hour flight equates to a 70 degree temperature difference, in a good way! The airport was easy to navigate and had a short walk to the rental car shuttle buses. From there we were shuttled to a parking ramp where most of the major renal car agencies are located. Within a few minutes we were off to explore.
For this adventure, we decided to spend a few days in La Jolla, a costal neighborhood located on the North side of San Diego. It was a short notice trip and I took to the internet a few days earlier to plan our adventure. With a reward milage flight on Delta and a fabulous townhome found on the Seabreeze Vacation Rental website we were off. What a treat, our townhome was located right on Costal Blvd. with a fabulous view of the ocean. A stones throw from Rocky Point and the Costal Walking Trail. We were just down the street from plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and store fronts, what more could we need?
Our first night in town was a nice evening with a late dinner at Candor by Giuseppe. Lucky for us, Giuseppe himself was making his way through the tables and struck up a conversation. We learned about his love for this neighborhood, places to visit and his favorite spots for dinning and relaxing. What a great way to start our adventure! If stopping here for a meal, you have to order the tomato bread, it cannot be replicated. Valentines Day evening brought us to George’s on The Cove. In person reservations that night were booked up so we ordered their Valentines dinner to go. The steak was so tender you could it with a fork. The deconstructed strawberries and champaign were a delicious way to end the evening. For breakfast, we were turned on to the Parakeet Cafe for their avocado toast and Caroline’s Seaside Cafe for eggs and potatoes. Yum! Based on the restaurants we ate at during our visit, I don’t think you will be disappointed wherever you dine.
I think the highlight of our vacation adventures was paragliding over the La Jolla landscape. Amanda took to the skies with a flight instructor at the Torre Pines Gliderport. The weather and winds were just right for a 25 minute glide over natural sand cliffs, ravines, beaches and a quick peak of the famous Alicia Keys Razor House. The flights are totally based on weather and cannot be reserved. Just call or stop by the Gliderport and find out if they are flying that day. Once your name is on the list, sit back and enjoy the view.
Another fun adventure we had was a great hike on the trails at Torre Pines State Reserve. Within its boarders, there are plenty of scenic marked trails for hiking and enjoying the views. Check with the reserve website for trail information. The ones we found were not overly difficult to navigate and hike.
A California vacation would not be complete without sampling some of the local fermented fruit. Yes, I am talking about the different varieties of grapes. Not knowing much about the area wineries, I picked one due to the location and the other due to its name. Our first stop was the Orfila Vineyards in Escondido. The wine and views were outstanding. But, how can you not have a good day when your sipping wine and looking over a beautiful rocky mountainous landscape. We purchased their balsamic vinaigrette and have since been using it at home, one of the best purchases ever! I didn’t know what I had been missing. The other winery we stopped at was Hungry Hawk Vineyards. The Hill Springs Chardonnay was tasty and we are waiting for a fun time to open our Estate Viognier that we brought home. Both vineyards had a relaxing, casual atmosphere and nice outdoor seating areas.
Coming from Minnesota, it was a treat to walk every morning, take in the sights and grab breakfast. We found it very easy to get around town with our own two feet.
For us, again, California did not disappoint. In four days we were able to take in the beautiful weather, hike in state parks, jump off a cliff (literally) and eat incredible locally sourced meals. La Jolla is definitely a place to put on your list to visit.
