Spring in San Diego 2016

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I have to say, I am not sad that April is coming to an end. It has not been a good month from me and I’m ready to get on with May – my favorite month!

Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on April, but I’m currently trying to shake bronchitis, laryngitis and an ear infection. I’ve been sick since April 10th. The 10th. I’ll save you the math – that’s 15 days! A virus knocked me off my feet for a few days, then I probably pushed myself a little too much a little too fast, and boom. Down again with all of this crud.

Anyway, let’s just say that March was a MUCH better month. In fact, it was a great month, and I wish I could go back to it. Every day I wake up still not feeling my best, I try to cheer myself up by looking back at all of my photos from out trip to San Diego. That usually does the trick. I mean, how can the ocean, sunny skies, and one adorable, happy little boy not make me smile?!?

 

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Can you tell that Archer was a tiny bit excited about seeing the ocean?

It’s hard to believe that it had been almost 4 years since my last visit to San Diego, but it had been! Archer was just 4 months old when we went out for my friend Alisa’s wedding in May of 2012, and I was desperately in need of a trip. The place, the friends, and the time I got to spend with my family was good for my soul.

 

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Sunset in La Jolla with this cutie

 

Archer and I traveled out to SD a couple of days ahead of my husband, and although I was a little worried about traveling alone with a 4 year old, it could not have gone better. Seriously, this kid was on his best behavior and we had the best ‘mommy & me’ time I think we’ve ever had.

Our flight landed a little after 5 pm the evening of our arrival, so we had just enough time to pick up our rental car, drive up to our Airbnb in La Jolla, drop off our bags, and run down to the beach for sunset!

 

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Galaxy Taco’s Hamachi crudo

After sunset we met up with my friend Andrew for dinner at one of La Jolla’s newer restaurants, Galaxy Taco.

While I’m usually a big planner when it comes to dining plans while traveling, this time I planned very, very little. All I knew was that I was going to eat as much seafood and as many tacos as possible, and preferably outside in the fresh air. Galaxy Taco had it all, so it was the perfect first meal!

Google maps and the search term “tacos” led me to find Galaxy. With just a bit more research, I found that Chef Trey Foshee of George’s at the Cove was the talent behind this venture and I didn’t think twice. I knew I had to go there.

In addition to the hamachi crudo seen above (that I absolutely LOVED), I had braised and grilled duck legs with pumpkin seed mole verde, baby turnips, and apple salad, served with fresh corn tortillas. My friend Andrew ordered sweet potato tacos and oh my word. Huge thanks to our server for suggesting, because we probably wouldn’t have chosen them if she hadn’t done so. Wood Roasted Sweet Potato with jack cheese, arugula, and salsa arbo -they were absolutely incredible!

 

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So besides tacos, seafood and patio dining, how did we spend our days in San Diego? There was plenty of relaxing but lots of fun kid stuff too. We visited the Birch Aquarium, spent a lot of time at the beach, went to the famous San Diego Zoo, and took a trip up to Legoland because the kiddo is currently obsessed with Legos.

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My little beach bum

 

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I think this was his ‘King of the Beach’ roar….

 

 

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Did I mention I ate a lot of tacos?

 

Yes, there were tacos at home (sweet home Airbnb that is), tacos at restaurants, even fish tacos at the zoo. Nope, I never got sick of eating tacos.

But there was one more special place I had to hit while in town, and that was Isabel’s Cantina in my old neighborhood of Pacific Beach. Brunch here is my favorite… a mix of healthy with a side of decadent.

 

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The healthy? The Margherita Scramble – eggs scrambled with basil and jack cheese, served with brown rice and topped with marinated chicken, parmesan, grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions, avocado sauce, & a pesto drizzle.

The decadent? A King Cake – pancake with peanut butter, bananas, chocolate chips, raspberry purée & powdered sugar. A normal order is 3 pancakes, but one of these babies is enough for me, and thankfully they allow you to get a “side” of just one with any dish.

 

 

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From San Diego Brewers Guild: “Every corner of San Diego County is soaked in craft beer and sunshine”. Truth. It was fun to sit down at the neighborhood bar for a cold one and have this coaster arrive with our drinks.

Note to parents: This little bag of Legos has become my newest trick — we adults can have a drink, a meal, a conversation (!) — and kiddo is totally content to sit piecing these things together and playing quietly for significant lengths of time. Score!

 

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Archer’s first visit to the San Diego Zoo!

 

 

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Buffalo Ranch Octopus at Herringbone
Black Eyed Peas, Celery, Carrots, Herbs

 

Ravi and I were even able to get in a couple of date nights during our trip. Our friends Alisa and Dave took us to Herringbone La Jolla and as soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was going to love it.  Created in a vintage warehouse, there are actual live, 100 year old olive trees growing inside the space.

 

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Herringbone La Jolla

The food, the cocktails, and the ambiance all made for a great night out with good friends.

 

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Truly I can’t believe I let 4 years pass between visits to San Diego. Mark my words– that will never happen again! We’ve already started talking about our next trip, and I honestly don’t know if we’ll even wait an entire year this time. See you soon San Diego! xoxo~