Greetings, readers.

As you all know from my recent Odyssey Online articles, I'm 4 for 4 for weekends away from Dtown LAX so far this semester (not that I don't love living in South Central, but there are places to be & things to see all over Los Angeles, California, and the world that I'm eager to, well, be at & see 😂). This past weekend, I went to San Diego determined to see the best the city had to offer in TWO DAYS. If anyone could do it, it would be me 🥑

There are 3 key aspects you need in order to truly have fun/be able to carry out your see-all-of-San-Diego plan:

1) A dope convertible to ride in so you can feel #SoCal as your hair blows in that sea salt air

BMW, preferably. 💁🏻

2) Well-thought out routes/plans for your trip.

You can make a dope Pinterest board to help yourself get organized prior. Also, use GoogleMaps to plan out the order in which you go to each of the destinations, because you don't want to be going all over the place, you really want to go in an order that makes sense (if you're coming from L.A., make it from north ➡️ south.

3) Your best friend, so you can make the most of your time down south.

Who else would you rather spend your weekend vacay with?! 👌🏽

That being said, if you're in down in SD for a couple of days (and if you're not... why TF aren't you?! Get DOWN THERE), here are the top 10 things you have to do/see:

1) Hike Torrey Pines State National Reserve

The ocean, nature, and cliff views are #stunning. 🏃🏻

2) Visit Cabrillo National Monument

It closes at 5 PM (b/c it's a gov't facility), but you can get in before then and just stay until the sun goes down 😍 It's sooo worth it, especially with that full-coast view.

3) Interact with the sea lions at La Jolla Cove

Sea lions are the hallmark of San Diego. Here, you can get within 2 feet of a ton of them on the rocks and even see the waves crash right in front of you for free. You can also see the whole coast ☄️

4) See the hang gliders at Black's Beach

Yes, this is a famous nudist beach 😏, but the main attraction for me was seeing the aerial artists do their thing!

5) Hang out at the Hotel Del Coronado

The famed Hotel Del is an architectural marvel during the day, so imagine how amazing it looks lit up at night 😎

6) Watch the sun set at Sunset Cliffs

As the name suggests, this is the place to watch an absolutely beautiful SoCal sunset with scenic views 🙌🏼 Being the #hippiechick who I truly am on the inside, I watched the sun set instead of watching the Super Bowl LI. Sue me, LOL 🤣 It's all about enjoying life, and I find taking in a breathtaking sunset more significant than sitting on a couch watching grown men run at each other.

7) Get a 360 view of all of San Diego from the top of the Grand Hyatt in Seaport Village.

Nestled in the dope downtown district, this building has unique vistas of all of San Diego... The trick is, getting on the elevator with someone who actually has a key card so you can get up... 😅 😉

Note: This is not gonna be fun for those afraid of heights! 😬

8) Climb up the North Bluff Preserve above Dog Beach in Del Mar

The way up is pretty slippery, but the gorgeous panoramic views are so worth it. 💯

9) See the art and architecture of Balboa Park

The well-known museum, restaurant, and shopping complex makes you feel like you're in a small village! It is crazy huge and reminds me of the castles in my favorite show of all time, Game of Thrones📍

10) Stay in Oceanside

You literally are oceanside: you can stay right next to the ocean, like, literally parallel to it 😝 I love the sound of the waves crashing on the beach at nighttime, enjoying the beach/pier during the day, and waking up to the feel and smell of the ocean breeze 🌊

Even though it's a 2-4 hour drive (depending on traffic... Echemmmm L.A. traffic you SUCK!), it's totally worth going down to San Diego for a weekend with a bae, the fam, or friends. San Diego was a blast, and I can't wait to share my next adventures with you guys here on the Odyssey Online.

May Your Week Be Filled with Wanderlust,

ARW

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