Cafe Merlot at the Bernardo Winery

If you have time (at least an hour, but give yourself up to two hours), head to Cafe Merlot for breakfast or brunch with your loved one or your family.

The small cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating, great service, fantastic coffee, a large selection of teas and delicious food. However, the small kitchen means that it will take a while for your order to come to your table.

That said, order coffee or tea (they will keep refilling it for you) and sit back and relax with your loved ones.

We ordered brunch, but we noticed couples ordering a bottle of champagne and a fruit and cheese platter and sit back and nosh and chat and then maybe order a breakfast entree to split.

I ordered the Bacon Florentine Eggs Benedict, which was decadent and delicious - and humongous! The table also ordered the oatmeal (which was fantastic), the breakfast burrito, and a couple of omelets. All of which were delicious and left us full and satisfied.

Also, after brunch, if you walk down a few shops, you can do a wine tasting of the Bernardo Winery wines.

Coronado Island

Lying on a small sliver of land between the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay is Coronado.  Despite lying right next to downtown San Diego, it provides a feel to its residents and visitors of "getting away from the big city".

The most notable landmark is the Hotel Del Coronado, more affectionately known as "The Del".  Built in the late 1800's, The Del is a National Historic Landmark that is still a fully functional upscale resort hotel.  Even without being a guest, you can still stroll through the hotel and along the waterfront, as well as dine at one of its many restaurants.

Outside of the hotel, walking down Orange Avenue you'll get a "main street" feel.  There is plenty of shopping and restaurants in this area, as well as the Coronado Museum of History and Art.  In this quaint building, you'll find helpful guides who can share their knowledge of Coronado with you to help you plan any activities you'd like to do, from sight-seeing to water activities.  There is also a collection in the building showcasing the history of Coronado and how it grew around the Hotel Del Coronado.

For anyone visiting the San Diego area, taking a short trip across the Coronado Bridge is a very worthwhile journey offering pleasant views and a peaceful pace.

Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial

La Jolla is known for it's stunning views, but many visitors never get the fantastic view that is offered from the peak of Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial.  Going through various winding roads of La Jolla, you'll find your way to his memorial at 6905 La Jolla Scenic Drive South.  As soon as you get out of your car and take in some fresh air, you'll just stare out towards the ocean.  Words cannot really describe the beauty seen here, but hopefully our photo below will help, although seeing it in person is much more breathtaking.

Of course at the memorial, there is more than just the views.  This memorial honors those veterans who have served our country throughout the years.  Plaques with engravings of the soldiers line this memorial and standing there makes you proud of our veterans.  There is also a giant cross at the top that adds a bit more presence to the overall memorial.

Gaslamp Quarter

The region of downtown San Diego to head to for any nightlife activity is the Gaslamp District.  Here, there are various bars, clubs and restaurants for the enjoyment of people of any age.  My personal favorite is the dueling piano bar at The Shout House.  You'll also find a large outdoor shopping mall at Horton Plaza for your various shopping needs.  For those not from the Southern California area, it is quite nice being able to walk around in a mall without the feeling of being stuffed inside a building.

Another favorite is the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop on 5th avenue for amazing ice cream sundaes!  Definitely stop by for some dessert when you're in the area.

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum

At the intersection of 3rd Street and J Street in Downtown San Diego is the Chinese Historical Museum.  This small museum offers visitors for a unique look into the history of people in San Diego that have Chinese heritage. Various artifacts are available to view with detailed descriptions on their meaning.  The entry fee is only $2/person, but you'll probably spend less than 20 minutes in the museum.  While we didn't find the museum to be anything too special, it is probably something that someone who has a keen interest in Chinese history will find interesting.

Point Loma

Point Loma extends south past downtown San Diego heading towards Mexico.  On your drive here, you'll pass Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which is an active cemetery contain the graves of over 88,000 American veterans.  This area does give great views of San Diego harbor, but since this is an active cemetery, please be respectful when visiting.

After driving past the cemetery, you'll enter the Point Loma area National Monument area, which will charge you a $5 parking fee.  Once inside, you'll be able to walk around the Cabrillo Monument area for stunning views of downtown San Diego.  Nowhere else will you be able to get views of the city quite like this.  In addition, the Cabrillo Monument itself is quite impressive and is worth the visit.

A short walk from here is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which you may enter.  This is quite a small lighthouse, which is one of the reasons it was de-commissioned, so it's an easy climb to the top for any visitors.  You'll get a much better view from outside though of San Diego Harbor.

USS Midway Museum

Located in the Embarcadero section of Downtown San Diego is a giant Aircraft Carrier that you can't miss, the USS Midway.  It has been turned in to a museum since it was decommissioned in the 90's showcasing life on an aircraft carrier in the US military.  When on board, you'll be able to get tours of the various sections of the ship, from the engine room to the bridge to the actual jets themselves.  You even have the opportunity to hop into one of the jets and to also partake in a flight simulator.  Also, from the top of the ship, you'll get a gorgeous view of downtown San Diego.

This is a tour I'd highly recommend at a cost of $18, although there are various discounts available, including free admission for active military members. However, leave plenty of time to explore the many areas of the carrier as you can spend all day here.

Also, right outside the museum, you'll see a statue that is several stories high showing a classic pose of a sailor kissing a girl right off a boat after returning from war!

Legoland California

For any of you who grew up playing with Legos and constructing your own little cities, Legoland will be a dream world for you.  Located outside of San Diego in Carlsbad, CA, this theme park is designed mostly for younger children, but can be enjoyed by people of any age.

The rides are definitely not the thrill roller coasters you may find further up north at Magic Mountain, as they are designed for pre-teen aged children, but adults will thoroughly enjoy the various Lego creations in the park.  In the Mini-Land area, you'll find re-creations of various American cities such as New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas and more.  You'll also be able to view landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and Mount Rushmore.

In addition to the various Lego cities, you'll find creations all over the park of characters from pop culture from Harry Potter to Indiana Jones and more.

In addition to the rides and Lego sculptures, there are shows throughout the day around the park.  The one we attended was in the DUPLO Village area at Playtown Theater.  The show was very well acted and written and even allowed children from the audience to participate.  The show was done in a way that was enjoyable for both children and adults and kept everyone entertained for about a half-hour.

While the price of admission may be a bit steep with a standard price of $69 (although you can get discounts for things such as AAA), this is a park that will keep people of all ages entertained throughout the day.

San Diego Zoo

The world famous San Diego Zoo is everything you've ever heard about it.  It encompasses a gigantic amount of space and houses a wide variety of animals from lions to tigers to bears (oh my!).  You can spend all day walking around the entire zoo and still not be able to see all of the shows and animals.

The zoo also is one of only 2 zoos in North America to have Giant Panda bears on display, which you'll wait in a long line to see (and also need to remain very quiet).  These animals don't get exported from China very often, so if you're a Panda lover, it's a must visit attraction if you're in Southern California.

One activity we tried that we weren't too impressed with was the Skyfari Aerial Tram.  This "ride" takes you from one side of the park to the other for $4/person for a one-way ride.  While that will let you cross the park quite fast, you don't get any type of a special view of any of the animal exhibits, which we were hoping for.  I'd suggest that anyone visiting passes on this option (although it is free if you do have an annual membership, and in that case it's a pretty convenient way to cross the park).

When visiting, also be sure to keep your eye out for various discounts instead of paying the full fare.  There are sometimes discounts for people who live in Southern California, as well as discounts for members of clubs such as AAA.  Also, if you're planning on visiting other attractions in the area (SeaWorld, Legoland, etc.), you may be able to buy combination tickets for all of the parks that will save you some cash.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla

 Nine minutes outside of main part of La Jolla is the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. The aquarium is set up in two parts. The one half is a standard aquarium with different types of fish and marine life. The outdoor exhibit includes a shark tank with multiple varieties of small sharks.

The most impressive part is the sea horse exhibit, “There’s Something About Seahorses.” The aquarium has more than a dozen seahorse species as well as seahorse kin, including the very interesting looking sea dragon.

They also are the home of a sea horse nursery. Multiple breeds of baby seahorses are in the nursery on exhibit.

From the overlook terrace of the aquarium, it is an ideal location to relax, take in some sun and do some winter whale watching while the gray whale is in their winter migration to bear their calves in the waters of Baja, Mexico. Watch for their blow or for a tail, known as a fluke.

Birch Aquarium is run by Scripps Institution of Oceanography who also run a Winter Whale Watching cruise from San Diego’s harbor. See gray whales up close between December and April during their winter migration.

Art Galleries, Eateries, Shopping and Sea Lions in La Jolla

The town of La Jolla is an ideal shopping and art getaway for any traveler visiting San Diego. Shops and art galleries line Prospect St. through the main part of the town. High-end shopping, lovely restaurants with remarkable views of the Pacific, kitschy tourist gift shops and art galleries big and small can be found in the main town.

Travel down to 700 Prospect St. to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). There are also two locations of MCA in downtown San Diego. However, when the La Jolla branch is changing installations, they close the museum, so check the website before planning a special trip. That said, the walk to the museum is a beautiful walk that takes you just past the main street.

On the walk back to the center of town, stop and enjoy the smaller art galleries along Prospect St. and stop for lunch at George’s at the Cove’s ocean terrace for a meal over looking the Pacific.

Head down Jenner St. from Prospect St. and make and left onto Coast Blvd. to the beach called the Children’s Pool.


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The walk to the beach is a gorgeous walk, so definitely bring your camera. At the end, you’ll want to peer over the short wall, as there is typically sea lions found on or near the beach during the fall, winter and spring months.

Sea lions are wild animals and may not be disturbed and are fully protected by Federal law.

There are stairs that you can head down to the beach with the sea lions, however, there is a barrier to stay behind.

Afterwards, head back up the stairs and onto the seawall, which will give you a more aerial view of the sea lions. Make sure to look to the left and into the waters as you walk down the wall, as there are sometimes sea lions swimming around. Then head up to the end for a closer peek at the ones on the beach.

San Diego's Seaport Village

A walk across the train and trolley tracks from Downtown San Diego and just along the harbor you’ll find a treat for locals and tourists a like. Seaport Village is packed to the brim with shops and restaurants, but this little hideaway isn’t you’re typical busting tourist attraction.


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Relax and take a cup of coffee or tea to one of the benches along the harbor and watch the birds, the ships, take in some sun and just genuinely enjoy your surroundings. This is a great place to slow down.

There are plenty of plenty of shops to browse through, stroll through the stores, the boardwalk and explore the Seaport Village.

While here, definitely stop for lunch or dinner at one of their harbor-side restaurants. For a lighter meal, try Seaport Village Deli, with great sandwiches and soups, and their patio overlooks the harbor. If you’re looking for something a little less casual, the San Diego Pier Café sits right over the water.

Parking is free for two hours with any purchase at Seaport Village, just ask for your parking to be validated at the register.

If you follow the boardwalk along the harbor, you will meet up with the USS Midway Museum, which will definitely take more than two hours to explore.

Great Views, Great Food at George's at the Cove

 For visitors of La Jolla, getting a table at George’s at the Cove overlooking the Pacific is a great spot for lunch or dinner. The rooftop ocean terrace offers a full lunch and dinner menu featuring casual bistro favorites such as sandwiches, burgers, and salads. There is also an extensive bar menu to choose from, including local wines and mixed drinks.

Reservations can be made online on their website, but walk-ins are always welcome. We got there for an early lunch and there were plenty of open tables. However, by noon, most of the tables filled up and the terrace bar was the only available option for those without reservations.

If you get there and all of the tables along the side of the terrace are occupied, ask for one of the elevated tables near the kitchen. From there you can see over everyone out to the water.

George’s at the Cove is located at 1250 Prospect St. in La Jolla.

Seeking Natural Beauty at Sunset Cliffs

Bring your tripod! If you’re making a trip to Point Loma, definitely make a side trip to Sunset Cliffs, a beautiful location to watch the waves crash and break against the sand and watch surfers catch some waves.

It’s also a great spot to take some scenic pictures of the 400-ft. high cliffs.

Access the beach at Sunset Cliffs at Sunset Cliffs Park, wit an entrance through the Point Loma Nazarene University. The path to the beach is steep from the parking lot along the road, however, there isn’t parking closer than the municipal lot – and parking there is free.

If you’re not into laying on the beach, or hiking back up the steep hill, there is a great overlook with free parking on the corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. and Froude St.

Sunset Cliffs Blvd. runs along the cliffs for a portion of it with a few parking areas to get out and enjoy the view, the water, take in some sun and relax. From here, you might also catch a glimpse of a gray whale during their winter migration to Mexico.

Signs warn that the cliffs are unstable, so beware. We stayed pretty far from the edge and still took wonderful photos. While we were there, we also had the pleasure of a few surfers taking the waves, making for an added photo opportunity for us.

This is also a great place to bring your tripod and take some group shots. It’s relatively secluded and picturesque.

Winter Whale Watching in San Diego

 While the gray whale is on its annual migration from the Bering Sea into warmer waters to bear their calves, it is an ideal time to go whale watching in San Diego.

The gray whales head into the waters of Mexico, making the migration south during the months of December and January and the return trip with the calves in as early as February, but most ideal times are March and April.

There are many groups that do whale watching tours from the San Diego Harbor area. The two main boats are the Flagship, which is led by experts from Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and the Hornblower, with expert whalers from the San Diego Natural History Museum.

We chose to go with the Flagship cruise.

The Naturalist that narrates the three and a half to four-hour cruises explain how to spot a whale as well as teach visitors about the gray whale.

On the return trip back to the harbor, volunteers walk around the boat with samples of arctic mud, whales teeth, called plates; and more.

There is also a chance to see seals, sea lions and dolphins, all of which are in the waters around San Diego.

 The Flagship leaves twice daily, boarding at 9:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The company guarantees a whale sighting during the cruise. Whale watching season for the Flagship runs approximately Dec. 11 through April 10.

Boarding for the Flagship is at 1050 North Harbor Drive in San Diego. The best and cheapest place to park is at the USS Midway, for $7 for three hours and is only about a block and a half away. There is also a city parking lot across the street, at Broadway and Pacific Highway that charges $10 for three hours. Metered parking is available around the harbor area with a three-hour maximum at $1.25 per hour.