SAN DIEGO - A Californian Summer - Part TEN

San Diego. Famous for it’s zoo. It’s sunshine and the Old Town. It’s less than 20 miles from Mexico it’s often why people start a Californian adventure near the top where its often colder and spend the end of trip further down where the sunshine warms your soul. There’s loads to do here if you have the time. We stayed on Coronado Island. There’s a really famous hotel here called The Hotel del Coronado which is over 150 years and was the location for the film “Some Like it Hot”. We went for a slightly cheaper option in the same location. It was a very average and large hotel with a pool. Nothing bad to say but it was bland and beige and next time I’d focus on a different area.

The first thing we visited was the famous zoo for the afternoon and evening. It’s located in Balboa Park which can be a day out in itself. The zoo is a beautiful sprawling attraction with lots to see. The highlight for us was the elephants and the sky ride cable cars that give you a view of the City. Go at sunset for a magical experience!

The next day we drove to the Gas Lamp Quarter/ Little Italy. It’s known for the entertainment, cafes and restaurants. We ended up parking and walking around and getting a little lost looking for something we never seemed to find. We did make it down to the water and the boats and very close to all the planes taking off overhead. We managed to get lost into what felt like the industrial side so I’d definitely try and find out a specific place to visit or you can can find yourself just wandering. There are Italian cafes and bars but it didn’t feel like we ever found the heart of the acti

The historic Old Town area of San Diego was a fun few hours to visit the town, which feels like something out of an old film or Coco! It’s a Mexican vibe with lovely eateries but lots of entertainment and shops for fun including magic shops, wrestling mask shops, you name it! It’s quite historic and has a touch of a' ‘theme park’ version of a Western town but it is worth a trip especially if you love Mexican food!

I liked San Diego but maybe it was the hotel we were in but I didn’t feel deep love for San Diego until we drove to La Jolla. (Pronounced La Hoy-ah) I think I often expect too much of Cities. They are almost never my favourite part of a trip and it’s so hard to find the hidden gems. But this area made the visit worthwhile. The drive here was an eye opener of some of the most beautiful houses we’d seen in the whole of California. It was by far my favourite area and I wish we’d stayed out here, even though it’s a far way out from the city centre. A beach town, which a cool vibes and a cute little shopping street in the centre. We managed to find a small cove to spend the day at opposite some sea lions. Lola managed to catch some fish rockpooling and we all managed to do a quick beach clean too though the area was in pretty good shape. She wanted to hold her fish before we put him back. We also found a brilliant surf themed restaurant here for dinner called Duke’s - named in honor of native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic swimming and water polo medalist and the father of modern surfing. Brilliant food, setting over the water and the service was perfect. If you come to San Diego and don’t stay here, I’d make sure you leave at least an afternoon/evening to enjoy the best experience.

Where we stayed

Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa - 2000 Second Street, Coronado, California 92118 USA

We paid £495 for 3 nights although we left after 2. (Short story… Last minute change of plan after Disneyland was calling our name!)

What to do

San Diego Zoo is a great day out – one of the largest zoo’s in the world! It is located in Balboa Park which is a day out in itself

Bilboa Park - Balboa Park is home to more than 16 museums, multiple performing arts venues, lovely gardens, trails, and many other creative and recreational attractions, including the San Diego Zoo.

Little Italy area - cafes, restaurants and Italian influence. Though do your research as to so you don’t waste your time walking around!

The San Diego Old Town - The Mexican influence and historic part of San Diego. Museums, shops and restaurants. A fun few hours.

Coronado Island. Visit the famous Hotel del Coronado for drinks, or the beach.

La Jolla - the beast beachy area of the City. My top recommendation!

Duke’s La Jolla - Perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. A surf inspired restaurant overlooking the La Jolla Cove and serving good food and great for kids.

If you have time and an empty suitcase, you can also go shopping in Fashion Valley

Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree - A Californian Summer - Part Nine

The Joshua tree only grows wild in this one area of the Mojave desert, The Joshua Tree National Park. It’s known for its wild scorched landscape, gnarly looking Joshua trees and acres of isolation, attracting bohemian travellers for solace and tourists to visit the sprawling open plains, the Park offers. We booked an Airbnb in the Flamingo Heights area of Yucca Valley for two nights. The place offered everything you can imagine with a back drop that had to be seen to be believed. The desert is hot. We stopped at a supermarket for supplies on the way through, being cautious not to buy frozen items that would melt by the time we arrived. A keyless entry to an oasis of solitude and surrender.

The Rosy Boa had a container pool and airstream in the garden, acres of land surrounding it and a stylistic modern design. With the stillness of the area, the beauty and the sunsets you can only imagine how many artists, musicians, writers must come here for breathing space and creative inspiration. We ate, we swam, we kicked around the dust, ran through Joshua trees and nature hunted. We watched films, read, stayed in PJ’s all day and washed clothes. We arrived day 21 into our trip and it’s a relief to find you’ve built in places to rest and recharge. I’ll say it again - August in the desert is hot. There are a few things you can visit and see recommended to us, we just didn’t get there. Would I stay here again though? In a heartbeat. If you are looking for something as a complete antidote to the craziness of LA only 2-3 hours away. This is your place.

Where we stayed

The Rosy Boa via Airbnb - Yucca Valley, CA 92284, USA

We paid approximately £403 (currency conversion) per night and stayed for 2 nights.

What to do

Joshua Tree National Park - Find all the information you need to explore.

Pioneer Town - The main town area.

Iconic eateries of the area worth a visit include Pappy and Harriets and La Copine

Rosy Boa Airbnb in Joshua Tree National Park

Chalks take Cali

Rosy Boa Airbnb in Joshua Tree National Park

Santa Barbara - A Californian Summer - Part Six

From the PCH we took a detour to Ojai and then drove back for a short nights stop in Santa Barbara. First stop en route we decided to visit The Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens which conserves Californian native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and the planet, mainly because they had a brilliant childrens playhouse and den trail. It was well worth an hour or two. The kids even managed to do a whole nature photoshoot with their new Maileg mice they bought in Ojai.

We then went straight to our hotel for an afternoon of chilling out. Santa Barbara is a beachside town with rolling hills and bridges and the longest strip of South facing coastline along the West Coast. It’s surrounded by the most striking backdrop of the Santa Ynez mountains. It was decribed to me as a smaller more laidback walking version of Los Angeles with a slower pace. There’s so much to do here i’d love to come back and explore more. Our friends had recommended staying near Montecito as the beach in that area was meant to be a great spot and it’s a slightly more Preppy Californian feel, but I found a beautiful hotel called The Californian that I was desperate to check out. We ended up here downtown in the Centre, just a short walk to the beach and main shopping on State Street. Up to now we’d spent a lot of time on the road so we hit up the pool for the afternoon.

The Californian, is a monochrome majesty split into two parts. We checked into one building with its lavish velvet and tile interior and walked across the road to the building where our room was. The family double had ample room for all 5 of us including a large marble bathroom and a small balcony. They left warm cookies and chocolate milk for the kids and 3 mini robes and slippers which was a first for us this trip. It’s definitely an adult’s luxury hotel but one where kids are welcome too.

The rooftop pool was exactly what we needed. Our first experience of true lounging. It was a small hub of activity, cocktails and people. We chatted with families from around the world including a family from England who recommended the restaurant next door to eat in called Finney’s where we found ourself hanging out later. We hadn’t booked and had to wait at the bar which gave us the impression of a kind of ‘Cheers’ vibe from the 1980’s sitcom. Didn’t take long for some great food - American dining with a bit of a twist. Our new Engligh friends and their kids came in to join us for drinks and then took us to their favourite ice cream shop McConnells which is open late. The queue outside told us we’d come to the right place.

Next morning we took a stroll around checking out the shopping streets, street art in the area and hiring our family car bike from Wheel Fun Rentals to cruise up and down the beachfront as far as the pathway goes. Last stop was lunch at Goat Tree before heading to Hollywood!

Where We Stayed

Hotel Californian - 36 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The 121 room monochrome dazzler is apparently a hot spot for the Hollywood elite. And us as it seems. We parked a short walk from the hotel in a public carpark for a very reasonable price. Parking is restricted in the Centre and this was 2 minutes away from the hotel lobby.

Cost - £386 via Booking.com for a large family room that sleeps 4 very comfortably, 5 if you like to squeeze like us!

Highlights

The Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens - 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Phone: (805) 682-4726   - From here its a great drive into the Centre giving you a really great feel of the outer areas and neighbourhoods.

Finney’s - 35 State Street, Suite A Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone: (805) 845-3100 . Family owned and operated American Tavern that serves craft beer on tap and excellent American dining.

McConnells Ice Cream - 728 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The queues tell you its good but the ice cream itself shows you why! The finest available, from Central Coast, grass-grazed milk & cream to organic, cage-free eggs. No stabilizers, preservatives or fillers (natural or otherwise).

Goat Tree - State Street (Opposite The hotel Californian). Casual all day dining with a moroccan twist and an excellent all day brunch menu. I recommend the Kale Caesar.

Wheel Fun Rentals - 24 East Mason Street. Offering bike rentals of all types that seat up to 5 people, including electric bikes and tours.

Paseo Nuevo Outdoor Shopping Centre - a boutique experience walking through this shopping hub with restaurants, cafes and shops all surrounded in Spanish influenced architecture.

Funk Zone - an arty district, which spans the area between the ocean and Highway 101 and is adjacent to the Amtrak station, featuring cafes, boutiques, graffiti murals and contemporary art galleries.

Next Stop …LA Baby!