Thanksgiving Break in San Diego

I really wanted to go somewhere warm in November. San Diego was a perfect choice. 

I would have gone by myself, but the trip ended up being 100x more fun with a friend! Thanks for coming with me, Cheryl! :) I added a few things to my #40before40 list and just seriously enjoyed the weather and adventures. 

In order to make this trip possible, we stayed at the Samesun Hostel in Ocean Beach. It was strange sharing a room with other people [someone was always sleeping!!], but overall, we were really happy with the cheap place to sleep, shower, and eat breakfast! We picked up a jar of peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt to add to the free pancakes/waffles and syrup that were provided! 

It isn't usually my first choice to get a "city pass" of any kind, but for this trip, it made sense! We were able to choose seven activities for one price and we crammed them in! There were some last minute adjustments and flexibility was needed, but I was glad we went this route. My favorite activities were the jet skiing and jet boating, with kayaking and the sunset cruise a close second. We also enjoyed [quickly] two museums [USS Midway and Maritime] and the San Diego Zoo! Worth it, right? 

My favorite food of the whole trip was actually in San Francisco, where we spent a few hours before flying onward to San Diego. The pizza at Himalayan Pizza and Momo was really delicious, with its masala curry sauce and paneer. It was so yummy, even the leftovers were great for breakfast the next morning! 

San Francisco also has a pretty neat Chinatown, where we bought some interesting baked goods and drank boba tea. It isn't my favorite city, overall, but we hiked over to the Golden Gate Bridge and managed to see some fun things. 

I highly recommend getting a cheap flight on Spirit Airlines, but you'll need to be able to pack everything for your trip into a personal item that can slip under the seat in front of you. I don't see my backpack online anymore, but it's something like this one.

The southern California coast is so amazing. I loved watching it from the coaster windows, and would have enjoyed spending more time with my toes in the sand. #onlysomuchtime The pelicans and sea lions are really fun to watch too! AND we saw leopard sharks in the shallow water under our kayak! 

I do wish we had had more time to explore the USS Midway, but I was really impressed with the docents who all seemed to be veterans of some type and really knew their stuff! We took the "island tour" to see where all the important people do their work, and enjoyed some interesting details about the launching and catching of the planes on deck!

We walked ALL over the zoo [it's huge!] and saw lots of neat creatures. We enjoyed lots of interesting food, including gelato. We rode buses, trolleys, trains, and planes. We had a really wonderful time! I have a pretty good list of things we need to do on a return trip [including hiking in Torrey Pines and biking the Silver Strand]. San Diego, you're a big favorite!! 

My #40before40 list has been edited a bit...for quality purposes. I decided to add a few epic things that I had previously accomplished before coming up with the idea for the 40 things challenge. So here's where I'm at right now: 

1. Watch sunset/sunrise on summer solstice from Fairbanks, AK

2. See whales on a wildlife cruise

3. Try an escape room for the first time

4. Bike a portion of the Iron Horse Trail

5. Hike the Enchantments Trail [18+ miles!]

6. Ride the city bus [free] all the way to Chelan

7. Ride the Lady of the Lake to Stehekin

8. Visit the Stehekin Bakery and eat a cinnamon roll 

9. Visit Ohme Gardens

10. Bike the Olympic Adventure Trail 

11. Ride the Coaster to Oceanside, CA

12. Visit the San Diego Zoo

13. Kayak at La Jolla

14. Jet ski in the San Diego harbor

15. Drive a jet boat in the San Diego harbor

16. Eat a California burrito [vegan carne asada with fries]

17. Try fat tire biking for the first time in Winthrop, WA

I'm not sure if I can get 23 more items on this list before May, but it's worth a try! Fortunately, we have a trip planned for Spring Break that will help!  

Happy holidays to you and yours! There are only seven days left in 2022!! Enjoy them!