As a vacation destination, San Diego is a no-brainer. Beautiful weather, an abundance of restaurants, and coastal scenery that can make even the most novice photographer look good. My friend Sita from Indiana was going to be in town for little more than a day, so the itinerary had to be action-packed. Dinner was the first item on the agenda after she arrived. Barrio Star in the Bankers Hill area is one of my favorite places to get Mexican "soul" food. The place is festive and the dishes are tasty; my favorite is the Brazil Bowl, which is a combo of black beans, power rice, steamed greens, pico de gallo, cilantro lime sauce, and grilled chicken. Delicious without being heavy. And the chips...they are the best in town! Rather than the bland too-greasy chips you often get, these are crispy with plenty of spicy seasoning. DELISH!
The main reason to eat a healthy dinner is so that you can indulge with dessert; we headed over to Extraordinary Desserts for some of the most decadent pieces of cake ever concocted. I absolutely went nuts over the Blood Orange Cake.
Going to bed with a full belly meant that breakfast was a bit later. Before heading off to the La Jolla Cove, Sita and I ate at one of San Diego's best breakfast spots: The Mission in North Park. Definitely worth the wait! The Blackberry Banana pancakes are the bomb.
Willis joined us for our tour of La Jolla; he was pretty excited for the day's adventure! Who wouldn't appreciate scenery like this?
Sita and Willis became fast friends; the sweet potato treats she brought with her were a big help!
Willis was intrigued with all of the different birds and animals that he saw in La Jolla:
Especially the seals, who seemed to be living the life of Riley. Just looking at the smile on this seal's face, you'd never know the controversy these creatures have become a part of because they have taken up residence on the hoity-toity shores of this upscale beachside community.
Willis wanted to play with them; he was obviously fascinated.
I just can't imagine why people flock to La Jolla; can you?
After all of that walking, it was time for us to take a gelatto break. I'm sure Willis licked somebody's spoon.
Naps followed for all so that we could be rested up for dinner at Alexanders, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in North Park. I was enjoying my beet salad and Linguini di Kathleen too much to shoot any photos.
Dessert was Ben & Jerry's while watching "Pitch Perfect." It just doesn't get any better than that.
With a plane to catch, there wasn't much time for touring the next day, so Sita & I had a quick breafast at the Hob Nob in Bankers Hill. Best service/food/value in town.
I couldn't let Sita fly back to Indiana without a quick tour of the downtown, so we ventured into the Gaslamp Quarter before heading to the airport.
A few souvenirs were purchased before we hopped back into the car to make sure Sita caught her plane on time. No surprise that she is already planning a return trip! Another D-Tours success story!
See more vintage & current San Diego photos from my collection on my
main website.
