Food, Fashion, Fun and Everything Fabulous in Southern California

Just about a month ago, my family and I did something a little out of mom a la mode’s Type A comfort zone – we threw together a weekend trip to Southern California on the fly.

And I proved to myself that sometimes, doing things a wee bit spontaneous can be extraordinarily rewarding and surprisingly relaxing.

Our visit took us to Del Mar, CA, which is about 30 miles north of San Diego, nestled in the rolling hills of a seaside SoCal community.  We then ventured south to San Diego, staying in the Gaslamp District and taking in the sights of Old Town and Coronado during our visit.  Here were the highlights:

FOOD:

Whenever I travel, I’m always on the hunt for regional specialties and when in Southern California, you can bet that Mexican – fish tacos, more specifically — and clean, California eatin’ were tops on my list.  Truthfully, if my husband would have agreed to it, I could have eaten Mexican food for the four days that we were there, but there are only so many enchiladas my meat-and-potatoes loving hubs could tolerate. From a previous post, you know that I LOVED Americana in Del Mar – from the mason jar margarita to my organic chicken, sautéed kale and lemon pepper parmesan farro risotto.  Healthy, California cuisine did not disappoint.

I was on the quest for the best fish tacos – a San Diego staple – and I sadly missed the boat.  I SHOULD have had them at Miguel’s in Coronado, or in one of the many amazing places within Old Town.

Next time…next time…

Instead, I had my taco platter at La Fiesta situated in the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp District.  The tortillas were amazing and handmade by a little Mexican woman in the front of the restaurant (the equivalent of a chef tossing pizza dough in the front of his shop).  I was quite a sight to be seen, dining al fresco with the family, with cabbage and mayo goodness dripping down my face as I savored each bite of one of the freshest fish tacos I’ve ever had.

FASHION:

Think Li.Lo and Lauren Conrad and intersperse a little bit of Adam Levine and you’ve got a whole lotta California cool going on in the fashion department. Because we were in beach communities, major surf labels were apparent, along with airy, tissue-like tees, cut-off shorts, studs and muted neutrals with shocks of neon.  This adorable little boutique in the Gaslamp section, called Dolcetti, provided lots of options for me to take a little bit of the Golden State home with me.  I selected a neon studded bangle and a California state necklace – that looks like New Jersey when turned backwards.

FUN:

We visited the San Diego Zoo and Roc marveled at the elephants, giraffes and the Fisher Price-themed children’s area.  He also LOVED the sky ride. We spent one afternoon at our hotel pool, enjoying a poolside lunch, and had the BEST time on the swings over looking the Pacific Ocean after dinner in Del Mar.  The sunset views and squeals of joy from my swinging son will be forever stamped in my mind.  Visiting Old Town in San Diego was also pretty rad…if we ever get back there, I’d like to spend more time in the Old Town section (see FOOD note above re: Mexican food).

EVERYTHING FABULOUS:

Two words: The Del

There is nothing more fabulous in the San Diego area than the Hotel del Coronado.

And here’s why:

From its glamorous Hollywood industry roots (did you know that The Wizard of Oz was conceptualized there and that Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon filmed Some Like it Hot there?) to its legendary resident ghost (who actively haunts one of the hotel’s gift shops), The Del is an iconic seaside landmark in Coronado.

The hubs was super sweet and treated me to a morning at the spa while he and Roc played a bit on the beach and strolled around.  While at the spa, I relaxed by the private lap pool overlooking the lush hotel grounds and Pacific Ocean prior to my treatment.  The treatment itself was very California.  Ready for this?  I soaked in a hydrotherapy tub complete with a color therapy lightshow that was supposed to realign my chakras.

Still with me?

OK, so after my third eye was centered and I toweled off and got myself dressed, I met Roc and the hubs for lunch on the patio at Sheerwater.  What impressed me the most about this restaurant – and all of the restaurants at The Del – was their approach to the Kid’s Meal.  Each child got a house-made trail mix of Cheerios, raisins and goldfish to start, a fresh fruit cup, a choice of entrée and a dessert and beverage – for $10!!!! The choice of entrée included an option of chicken, stir fried veggies and organic brown rice.  Which made this mama oh-so-happy.  Finally – a departure from the almighty chicken finger!!!  And yes, Roc ate it, however, he ate more of the rice and chicken and far less of the veggies.

The shops, the scenery, the vibe – The Del was the best!  And had we more time, I would have loved to stroll around downtown Coronado a bit.

Would highly recommend as a go-to destination for the family!

And in a funny coincidence, my blogger friend, Angeline, over at Macaroni Kid also visited the San Diego area with her family right around the same time as us (she event hit up Disneyland!)  Read her post here.

oxox

-mom a la mode

 

{I was not compensated in any way for this post.  All opinions expressed here are solely mine.}