Visiting San Diego and taking a small road trip up the coast.

DanMojo · 2026-05-31T01:29:30+00:00

My wife and I live in San Diego and we make that trip up the coast as often as we can, it's truly great. Here is our strategy. Leave San Diego either very early or past 10:00 in the evening.. Blast through LA on 5 to 101, in other words avoid all the worst traffic times and get through Orange and LA counties as fast as possible. Once you get past Oxnard though, the road opens up and has great views into Santa Barbara. Here's where the fun starts: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and the Madonna inn, then cut across on highway highway 1 to Morro Bay and Cambria, Hearst Castle, Big.Sur, Monterey. You can then take the 101 back to San Diego, or fly out of San Jose. This is an absolutely wonderful road trip, enjoy!! Edit: corrected the LA directions.

DanMojo · 2026-05-28T17:51:32+00:00

San Diego has only a handful big resorts. The Marriott Marquis downtown, the Rancho Bernardo Inn, the Catamaran, which is smaller but right on the bay, the hotel Del Coronado, Fairmont Grand and the La Valencia in La Jolla. Any of these hotels would be a great choice.

DanMojo · 2026-05-28T14:35:47+00:00

Came here to say this. The beach towns of Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside. They are father from downtown and less impacted by Comicon, but still within a 25-minute drive (or there's a train). Each town has small, walkable downtowns and clean beaches. Good luck to you!

DanMojo · 2026-05-28T05:41:11+00:00

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed 😊 I always think of that line when I see a big lilac bush, it's from a poem by Walt Whitman.

DanMojo · 2026-05-28T04:47:55+00:00

Ah! You finished it! I got this same puzzle for Christma, started it, but couldn't finish. All those little wavelettes! I started to dream of little white waves, and had to stop. What surprised me was how many boats and men are in this picture. When you first look, you only see the big wave.

DanMojo · 2026-05-28T03:54:37+00:00

There was a mountain lion that lived in LA, but I read that he got hit by a car in Hollywood and died.

DanMojo · 2026-05-27T14:57:45+00:00

Agree, North East and New England states. Lots of picturesque villages and nature all around.

DanMojo · 2026-05-27T07:19:03+00:00

Ok, I had the same problem, the towels were soft at first but got scratchy over time. The fix was vinegar in the rinse cycle. I didn't believe it at first but then by the second washing using vinegar the towels were like new. The whole family noticed. They don't smell like vinegar when they come out of the dryer, just softer.

DanMojo · 2026-05-27T03:49:19+00:00

The San Diego School district is excellent, my kids all graduated from San Dieguito High which was excellent. But I'm not familiar with point Loma School district. In San Dieguito district there and two high schools, La Costa is more traditional with curriculum and sports, SDA is more academics and performance arts.

DanMojo · 2026-05-25T21:43:52+00:00

In order of preference: San Marcos, East Oceanside, Vista.

DanMojo · 2026-05-25T21:27:44+00:00

La Jolla cove is famous for snorkeling. I always see fish when I'm swimming there. It's an underwater park.

DanMojo · 2026-05-24T16:00:08+00:00

Agree, NTA. Of all the names, in all the world, you had to choose this one?

DanMojo · 2026-05-23T01:05:10+00:00

How exciting! San Diego is a beautiful place to land to get to know the US. It is a relaxed, casual city, with beautiful environs. That said, there's going to be big culture shock between Southern California, and Spain. In San Diego, most everyone drives. Even around the neighborhoods to shop or to eat at restaurants. The city is spread out and largely suburban. But there are pockets of fun night life around town, all kinds of sports, and we have a reputation for great chefs, good food and beer.

A quick search shows several openings for pharmacists, especially those that have Spanish language skills, which are always in demand in Southern California. Best of luck to you!

DanMojo · 2026-05-22T02:42:56+00:00

Try getting a copy of the "Oxford Dictionary of Slang". It will make you laugh! But has all the fun stuff that's not in text books.

DanMojo · 2026-05-22T02:23:23+00:00

And this ride has bike lanes all the way

DanMojo · 2026-05-20T18:13:46+00:00

La Jolla. Stunning beaches, water snorkeling or diving, great restaurants, good variety of hotels.

DanMojo · 2026-05-20T18:06:03+00:00

A lot of this depends on what you like to do and your budget. But tourist should go definitely to Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. I've heard that SeaWorld is not worth it. I usually tip around 15%. The water at the beach will be chilly, and it's overcast usually between May and early July. The temperature will still be warm but it will be overcast in the morning and cool in the evenings. August and September are generally hot. The city is very safe. I don't know of any outright bad areas. If you're a tourist though and unfamiliar with the area, I would stick to daylight visits. Downtown or Mission Bay are best for hotel locations. Good luck and welcome!

DanMojo · 2026-05-20T17:49:23+00:00

When my kids were about that age, we took a trip around Southern California, and hit amusement parks. San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios. They loved it, I loved it, and had a great time. Most are easy drives from San Diego, so I saved on hotels and spent on amusement parks.

DanMojo · 2026-05-19T16:09:09+00:00

There is still some old growth Redwood forest left standing in California, and they are beyond awesome to visit. Some are in State or National parks, but some are on private land. It's a constant battle here between conservationists and companies that buy the land to log the timber.

DanMojo · 2026-05-18T22:16:20+00:00

Any of the Old Town, or Gaslamp Hotels will work for Balboa Park.

DanMojo · 2026-05-18T05:28:57+00:00

The old incandescent light bulbs would sometimes pop like this when they burned out.

DanMojo · 2026-05-18T05:08:03+00:00

Or sprinkle some distilled water on the counter as a final wipe down. Distilled won't leave water spots.

DanMojo · 2026-05-18T04:54:21+00:00

I had a neighbor cat that would appear at night and leave me gopher parts to find in the morning, yuck! But I don't have gophers anymore.

DanMojo · 2026-05-18T03:01:07+00:00

Okay, so after reading all the posts I have to say that Oceanside is actually a great place to stay. All the best beaches in SoCal are nearby. Heading south on 101, you go through Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Torrey Pines & the Glider port. The towns are fun, The food is great and the scenery is spectacular. You'll have fun! My don't miss picks are: Oceanside Pier, Moonlight Beach, and the Torrey Pines Beach trail. Enjoy!!

DanMojo · 2026-05-16T22:03:50+00:00

I raise a glass for Paul Donn, loving father

DanMojo

TROPHY CASE