Birthday Vaca: Day 2

Before we left Huntington Beach this morning, we walked over to the Sugar Shack Café for breakfast. We sat outside on the back patio, next to a heat lamp and it was perfect. The air was brisk, but it was going to be a gorgeous day and we could feel it. My second a-ha of the trip? Decaf coffee. Andi ordered regular and I asked the waitress for a cup of decaf. For some reason, I had it in my head I didn’t need decaf during the pregnancy (I’m not usually the biggest coffee drinker anyway) but oh my, let me tell you - I felt like a real person again. It was glorious!

Coffee in hand, we split a breakfast burrito the size of my head and chatted about our day's plans. There’s something about the way vacation allows you BREATHE again and we were there. Excited for our day in San Diego.

After paying the check, we hopped in the car and drove south. The trip took about an hour or so and we talked along the way and listened to the radio. Our friend Ellie, a native San Diegoian, gave us some great tips on things to do in the area.  We first stopped in La Jolla to walk on the sea wall and see the sea lions. I LOVED this. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. The air was already warm and we watched the waves, sea lions sun themselves and seagulls fly overhead.

Afterwards, we called and booked a night at Loews Hotel on Coronado Island and made our way there. This hotel had a pool and we thought it sounds awesome to catch some sun.

The traffic onto Coronado was horrible for some reason. We called the hotel back and they said there was a 100 year celebration for the Navy that day and therefore the one bridge to the island was backed up for hours. The lady at the front desk gave us directions for the back way onto the island and we zoomed past all the traffic and made it to the hotel in about half the time. My husband is so smart sometimes! I would’ve never thought of calling the hotel for alternate directions – I would’ve just sat in traffic for hours. Because of him we made it to the hotel, changed into our swim suits and were laying by the pool with a prime viewing spot for the air show. It was perfect.

Hotel room at Loews

Hotel pool

We laid by the pool most of the afternoon. Surprisingly, there was hardly anyone there and the temperature was perfect. It was 70 degrees, full sun and a warm breeze.

Around 4pm, we decided to shower and get ready for dinner. We called down to the front desk for recommendations and to make reservations, but she notified us we wouldn’t need one since we were going to dinner before 5:30pm. Ha! Only 30 and we’re already eating like senior citizens!

We chose an Italian restaurant called Vigilucci's which was offering a nice happy hour. Andi ordered a cocktail and I ordered a Baby Tonic (my new favorite non alcoholic), then we ordered Mahi-Mahi Sliders, Beef Skewers and Crab Cakes to share. We weren’t fully intending to fill up on appetizers but we did. We closed out our check and walked next door to the famous Hotel del Coronado to watch the sunset. We walked along the beach and then toured through the hotel before heading back to our hotel.

Awesome day in Coronado – I texted my friend Ellie and questioned her sanity for ever leaving this paradise place for the cold, wintery Minnesota. We're loving our time in the San Diego area!