Bought tickets for our flights. So that's done. Next step is to pick a hotel in La Jolla. My granddaughter has been to San Diego and that's an area she said is really nice. Not cheap, though. LOL. Thanks again for your helps!
Looking for help/recommendations planning a possible San Diego vacation from folks who live, or have vacationed, there.
- Thread starter CobraBob
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That would be awesome if you can find out any more info regarding tours of a CVN. Depending on what paperwork they'd require, I've got plenty of time to get it. I'd probably need to get a VA ID card. I get monthly disability payments from the VA, so getting an ID card would be easy. Let me know.
THANKS!
Thanks for the info. We're definitely doing the USS Midway tour. I'll look into the Marriott Resort on Coronado Island. Most of the hotels I've put on my list are in La Jolla.Coronado Island is great. I live about 2 hours north of San Diego, but wife and I stayed at the Marriot Resort on Coronado earlier this year and loved it.
Walk outside the hotel and take the Coronado Ferry to the USS Midway and spend the afternoon on that side of the bay shopping, grabbing lunch, etc.
Hotels in Coronado | Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Spa
Reserve your stay at Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa, a bayfront hotel with water access, a luxury spa, 3 pools and views of nearby San Diego, CA.www.marriott.com
USS Midway Aircraft Carrier | San Diego Museum | San Diego Tours
Live the adventure & honor the legend of the USS Midway Museum with activities & fun for the whole family onboard! Voted #1 “Things to Do” on Trip Advisor SD!www.midway.org
Great suggestions and info. I haven't yet made hotel reservations, so I'm going to check out your recommendations and suggestions. I don't mind spending extra for the hotel if it's in a better location with great views. We're staying there from August 2 to August 9.We have been to San Diego many times over the years. We typically stay in one of two places:
Old Town San Diego Hotel | Best Western Hacienda Hotel
Book a stay at our San Diego hotel and discover the lovely and exciting Old Town section of San Diego in Mission Valley.www.google.com
San Diego CA Lodging | San Diego Marriott Marquis
Book a hotel room at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina and enjoy stunning bay or city views and a tranquil waterfront location on West Harbor Drive in San Diego, CA.
The Hacienda has nice rooms, nothing special, and is close to most attractions. Pricing and parking is quite affordable and appropriate.
The Marriott is nicer and has more amenities. The gym is really nice for a hotel. Many attractions are within walking distance. The views are great, but you pay for the location.
We've stayed in La Jolla as well. It was nice, but small and secluded. Pricing is high and not a lot of bang for your buck.
For breakfast, Cafe 222 and Richard Walkers Pancake House are really good.
For dinner, the Edgewater Grill is good. The Melting Pot is nice. We typically hit new dinner spots each time when we're there and haven't been disappointed. You can basically find whatever you are looking for, just Google it.
You will be able to see and do a lot over 8 days.
I thought about Savannah because it really is a quaint and beautiful area. In the end, our personal ties to CA (stationed there for two years, lived in Long Beach for two years, and have visited my cousin in LA county many times) made the decision to vacation in San Diego easy. There is so much to do in Southern Cal, too. Savannah might be a future choice.
Seeing an over abundance of cop cars doesn't bother me. LOL. I will DEFINITELY take your suggestion to visit the Trump National Golf Club, since it's open to the public. My wife just asked me the other day if we could drive through Palos Verdes (she loves that area), and we've driven through it numerous times over the years, and, of course, driven by the golf course. Even from the road the views of the ocean are breathless. So, YES, I'm definitely going to plan going there for lunch! My wife will love it.
I know about the Portofino Hotel. We have always stayed in the Sunset Hotel across from the Cheesecake Factory in Redondo Beach. It now has a new name. Never stayed at the Portofino, though. Great location but the reviews weren't great. There, it's more about the location. I haven't thought about doing multiple hotels, staying maybe one night in Redondo Beach. I'll have to talk to my wife and see what she would like to do. Might be nice to do and we could do our customary walk along the boardwalk from there to Manhattan Beach. Options!
Thanks for the mention Bob @01yellercobra ! I thought you would have the low down since you live there LMAO!!!
@CobraBob
I have been to San Diego almost every year since 2016. As you know I go there for the Mustangs by the Bay show, but I stay about 1 week there so the wife can enjoy the beach and do some sight seeing.
The very first year I went (2016) I stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Beautiful hotel right near the bay (depending on what room you get and floor level you can see the carriers docked across the bay at the Naval station) and it's within walking distance to shops and the USS Midway. The diner where they filmed the piano scene in Top Gun (Great Balls of Fire) is also across the street. Ate there just to say I did. It's no big deal just a regular diner.
It was an awesome and amazingly expensive experience LOL. The hotel has everything you need, but you pay for it. As an example, they do NOT have a continental breakfast. They have a full blown breakfast with made to order items and almost anything you could want for breakfast. All you could eat. We went to this breakfast on our first day. Walked up to the counter and all they asked was our room number. We went in and ate very well. Then just to see I checked my room bill up to that point. They charged me $25 per person (good thing I didn't just have coffee and a pastry LOL). So, $50 bucks just for breakfast (That was in 16. Can only imagine what it will be in 23). Wife and I decided to try local eateries after that for breakfast.
Other than the overall expense of the hotel experience our trip was great!
After the hotel experience we decided to try something a little different the following year. I found an application called VRBO. I searched for San Diego and found several condos for rent right on the beach. My wife loved this idea. So, in 2017 I rented a condo in Pacific Beach in a complex called "See the Sea" which is located at 4463 Ocean Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
This is a more home away from home experience. My wife loved it because the condo is right next to the beach and you get the views of the sunset right from your balcony/living room. You can sleep with the windows open to hear the ocean and feel the ocean breeze, but with the local bars and night life it can get a tad noisy.
My wife likes to cook, so she would get up and make us breakfast and we would eat on the balcony and watch the beach goers and shop stand folks set up for the day. After that we would get ready and go to the beach for the day. Then we would go back to the condo to get cleaned up and go out to dinner based on whatever we found off of Google. There is a GREAT Italian restaurant on Coronado island called Il Fornaio that we like to go to.
Coronado | Hours + Location | Il Fornaio
Founded in Italy in 1972, Il Fornaio Authentic Italian Restaurants are located throughout the United States in California & Las Vegas.
www.ilfornaio.com
I like the condo better than the hotel because I feel I can manage my expenses a little better. The condo's first level is a gated parking garage with your own designated parking spot. So, you can come and go as you please and your spot will always be available and your vehicle is safe while parked. There is the beach on one side of the condo and on the other is everything you need (i.e. CVS, grocery store, bars, night life, restaurants, etc.). So, you can walk up and down on the beach side or stroll on the main strip side.
Pacific Beach is really close to anything you would want to do sight seeing wise (i.e. Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Old town, Downtown, etc.).
Ever since we experienced the condo style vacation my wife has been hooked and we have basically been staying there ever since 2017.
I'm not a fan of California or its politics (even though my family is from there (Travis AFB area)), but it is a great place to visit once a year.
I say go and have a great time. Then you can decide if you want to go back or go someplace else next time.
I only go back because I love the Mustangs by the Bay show and my wife loves the beach. And of course we enjoy visiting with Bob and his family (@01yellercobra). We consider them family......
Hope my experience helps you in one way or another Bob (@CobraBob).......
Thanks for that info, Glenn. That condo you rented was a good choice for your stay there. We LOVE good Italian, and the II Fornaio sounds really, really good. It's now on my list!!
You're welcome Bob! Yeah, if you make it out to Il Fornaio let me know what you think. My wife and I always went early so no reservations needed, but if you plan on going during normal dinner hours (6, 7 or 8) you will probably want to make a reservation.
Wish you well on your trip brother. And see if you can look up Bob (@01yellercobra) great guy and family to hang out with for a beer or something....
Glenn, I'm planning on connecting with Bob while we're there. He's already helping me with my naval base stuff. Great guy. II Fornaio is only our dinner list. I've got this feeling in my gut that it's going to be GREAT!
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