A lot has changed this year and one of those things, sadly, was travel. Although we aren’t able to travel outside of the country in the current climate, we wanted to try going on a short trip for a quick change of view as well as to celebrate milestones that still merit celebrating. For this particular trip, we were celebrating my husband’s XXth trip around the sun!

I feel like the theme of this year for me has been adaptability – which definitely doesn’t come naturally for me. Hahah. If anything, this year has been a lesson in taking things a day at a time and learning to roll and adapt with the changes that seem to come on the daily. To wit, I planned our socially distance vacation not once, but twice. We had originally planned to strategically roadtrip up to Big Sur and then further north to lose ourselves in the Redwoods, before the fires came and devastated the area and communities there.

We weren’t sure if it felt right to travel during a time when so many were suffering, but at the same time, I felt that it was still important to celebrate the small things and the ones who matter most. So after all that (and all the anxiety and stress of planning a trip during COVID with a dog), we found ourselves on our way down to San Diego!

ACCOMODATIONS

If you’ve ever planned a vacation with your pup, you know the struggle to find dog friendly accomodations and activities is real. Even after finding dog friendly lodging, I had to do deep internet dives and/or call the locations directly to find out what/if any the pricing was to bring my pup along. One hotel quoted me (I kid you not) $250 for my dog to stay at their “dog friendly” boutique hotel for one night. I highly highly recommend the BringFido app and website. All the accomodations listed in their app are dog friendly and easily searchable by date, location, and usually also include pet fee pricing. You can also look for dog friendly activities and restaurants – so planning your trip with your pup is a little easier. This isn’t an ad, just a recommendation from a fellow pawrent who knows (intimately) the challenges of finding dog friendly travel options.

That said, San Diego holds a special place in my heart (proud UCSD Triton here!) and I was so excited to return to make some new memories with Russell especially as it was his first time visiting!

For accomodations, I looked for dog friendliness, location, affordability, and most important – thoroughly outlined cleaning and safety protocols! We found all of this and a kind, friendly, and capable staff at Solamar Hotels in downtown San Diego. I’m always hunting for deals and also found a promo code for 20% off the reservation, free parking, and a rooftop Cabana rental. All in all, we were very happy with our stay at Solamar and felt safe during our time there. The common areas were pristine, the staff wore masks (correctly!) abided by all social distancing guidelines, there were clearly marked signs that indicated how many people could enter the elevator at a time, and it seemed like they spaced out the guests throughout the floors and rooms in the hotel as we rarely encountered other guests.

If you were to hazard a guess, who do you think enjoyed the cabana the most?

The location was pretty convenient as many restaurants, coffeeshops, etc. were within walking distance. We were also able to walk to a small park overlooking Petco Park and enjoy an unobstructed view of the field.

THINGS TO DO

Coronado Dog Beach

We also visited the Coronado dog beach for the first time and found it extremely well maintained (even the public restrooms!) and not too crowded, albeit on the smaller side. Everyone there was pretty good about social distancing and had their masks on.

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a sprawling historic and cultural park with plenty of open spaces, a dog park, and beautiful gardens in addition to the San Diego Zoo and several museums. If you decide to go, I highly recommend going at dusk to enjoy cooler weather, the beautiful string and colored lights that come on at night, and fewer crowds. Russell thoroughly enjoyed exploring the grounds with us and bonus it’s also walking distance to my favorite dessert shop (more on that later).

Seaport Village

Seaport Village is a waterfront shopping and dining area with a greenbelt perfect for social distance picnic-ing and people watching. Russell in particular enjoyed the sea breeze whipping through his fur.

PLACES TO EAT

The Cheese Shop (La Jolla Shores)

The Cheese Shop is a must for me whenever I’m in SD to get my sandwich fix. It’s a quaint mom and pop take out sandwich shop with lots of fun candy, snacks, and sodas imported from around the world. Their sandwiches are simple, sizeable, and delicious. They also have gluten free options for folks avoiding gluten. La Jolla Shores is a charming conclave of shops and restaurants by the beach and during this era of quarantine, they closed their main street down to car traffic and repurposed it for socially distanced alfresco dining. There was plenty of seating and wasn’t crowded during our visit.

Cafe 21 (Gaslamp – Downtown San Diego)

Cafe 21 is a beautiful restaurant in the Gaslamp that I love to visit for brunch for their unique seasonal and locally sourced menu. They are a tapas style restaurant, meaning their dishes are a little smaller, and meant for sharing. My favorite is their short rib omelet. During these times, they’ve expanded their outdoor seating and created a whole alfresco vibe including string lights, plants, and a wooden deck to allow for a pleasant socially distanced and dog friendly dining experience.

Extraordinary Desserts (Little Italy – Downtown San Diego)

If you into extravagant, over the top desserts that look like edible pieces of art, extraordinary desserts may be your thing. I’m a sucker for their artsy pavlovas, but pretty much anything you order is bound to be a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Their entire dessert bar is encased in a high glass display providing a pretty and effective barrier between you and the staff while you select your treats to go. They have a location within walking distance from Balboa Park, in case you’re craving dessert after working up an appetite while exploring the park. Pups aren’t allowed inside for food safety reasons, but it worked out as one of us just waited with him outside.

Coava Coffee (Downtown San Diego)

We fell in love with their coffee in Portland, and were so happy to visit their only shop in California during our stay in San Diego. The baristas are generous and kind, the shop is beautiful, and their coffee has a buttery, roasty flavor that warms you up from the inside out. Even Russell enjoyed it!

THANK YOU

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed snippets of our staycation in San Diego. If you’re planning a socially distanced trip with your furchild, I salute you, wish you many cups of coffee, and hope you’re able to find something here to help with your planning.

Happy tails,

Joyce & Russell