The evening before we boarded the flight to San Diego, news outlets announced the outbreak of the swine flu. As we hastily decided to travel with a toddler to California’s party gal of a city, we told ourselves that we could catch the disease just as easily on a Muni as on a plane.
That’s how we ended up sipping blood orange mimosas, just after 11am, at Pacific Beach’s ocean facing JRDN restaurant. We decided that the thin line between life and death so swiftly swoops in and changes everything, so why not live it up a little. Lucky for us, San Diego has no shortage of places to imbibe.
Though once merely thought of as the Lindsay Lohan of California cities, San Diego is experiencing a San Francisco inspired renaissance of its own. With a wealth of galleries, organic eateries, contemporary hotels and arguably the best beaches in the state, there’s reason enough for travelers to purchase one of the zillion flight deals (try Southwest) for a weekend getaway. (Hint: I got a last minute ticket the week of travel for a little over a $100 by traveling Saturday to Monday).
We checked into the sleek Tower 23, San Diego’s answer to the Clift Hotel, but with an ocean view. Located right on Pacific Beach, there is no shortage of hip in these digs. Imagine billowing white curtains, silky robes, beds so mushy you want to take a bite out of them, and deep soaking tubs. After arrival we were invited to sit on the deck, sip wine, and listen to the waves crash as the sun trickled into the sea. A waiter offered us appetizers from their farm to table restaurant and all the attention we allowed. Not a bad introduction to a city famous for surf bums and border patrol.
For more on sustainable San Diego, see San Diego shows off more than bikinis and brawn—Part 2
Comments