The Ultimate Girls’ Weekend Getaway Ideas in San Diego

Grab your best friends, because this post is packed with epic girls’ weekend getaway ideas in San Diego.

San Diego, California pretty much tops my list of places that will hit all the “fun factors” for me and my gal pals: Perfect weather, sandy beaches, beautiful sights, the hip downtown vibe; and the insanely delicious food and drink scene.

As a mom to a Pre-K kid, getting away is not always easy, but let me be the first to tell you, it’s so worth it. Recharging with some of your best friends and having girl talk all day long is sometimes what a modern-day mama needs to feel good and be her best self.

Where To Stay for a Girls’ Getaway Weekend:

We planned to stay at a HomeAway vacation rental and secured the cutest, beachfront condo, within 30 days of our check-in date. It was situated in Mission Beach overlooking Mission Bay with a rooftop view and 5 minutes walking distance to the Pacific Ocean.

I love staying in hotels but there are times when a vacation rental makes sense for your trip. For this trip, we booked through HomeAway because the place we found was available for our dates and location was exactly what we were looking for.

The décor inside was updated and modern and had all the amenities for cooking meals, plenty of space for getting ready, and a cozy living room perfect for slipping into pajamas, sipping on margaritas and having hours of conversation.

Day One:

We met around noon at my house in Orange County, California then headed down to San Diego – about an hour and a half away. We had lunch (and cocktails) at an ocean-front restaurant called, Waterbar that is situated along the boardwalk in Pacific Beach. They are known for their seafood and killer adult beverages, according to their website, but I had a hamburger, fries and shared a wedge salad adorned with perfectly seasoned shrimp morsels. After taking a million pictures in this photo-worthy restaurant, we headed to the house and checked-in. Not too far away, we went to the grocery store and loaded up with “supplies” to make dinner and those margaritas I mentioned earlier.  It was a fun night of girl gab and catching up on life.

Day Two:

We all slept in (SCORE). Sleeping in for these mamas meant getting up around 8:00 am. We made breakfast, got ready (we really took our time,) then headed out to our next adventure.

San Diego Trolley Tour:

We booked tickets online to the Old Town Trolley Tour of San Diego. Then we hopped in an Uber to Old Town San Diego, a neighborhood filled with tons of things to do. This is where we started our trolley adventures.

About the Tour:

• There is a tour guide who shares fun facts about each neighborhood on the route (be sure to bring a little cash for a tip)

• You can hop on and hop off the trolley at any of the 10 stops they make around town or you can make any stop your final destination – you decide

• If you want to take the full tour, it takes 2 hours

• You can find prices here with a little discount (Children Under 4 ride free)

• Hours vary depending on the season

• Full details, map, and photos are online

We didn’t have much time to stop at each location, but they go to all the cool neighborhoods you want to be in and you can hop on and hop off as you please.

Coronado Island is a Must-See

We wanted to go over Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island and have our own happy hour at the iconic and historic, Hotel Del Coronado. Locals call it the “Hotel Del” and believe it or not, they celebrated their 130th anniversary in 2018! (They opened their seaside resort before resorts were a thing, in February 1888.)

 

The Hotel Del Experience for a Girls’ Weekend Getaway

If you visit the property today, you may be greeted with construction because this historic hotel is undergoing a $200 million dollar renovation they call a “reimagination,” that makes you feel like you’ve been taken back to the Victorian era. Our first step on the property made us feel like we set back in time, so we took a moment to look around in awe before landing on their beachfront bar overlooking the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.

Dining at the Hotel Del

The Sun Deck Bar and Grill was a lot of fun and can be very busy on the weekend. Seats are first-come, first-served. The menu is simple and the food is tasty. It offers vegetarian and gluten-free options that made me feel like I wasn’t missing out. Fair warning, you are on a resort and you will pay resort prices, but it’s all part of the experience and with views like that, we did not complain (okay, maybe a little). I highly recommend it for a girls trip getaway.

Dinner at the Gaslamp District

We hopped on the last trolley of the day, back to Old Town, where we originally started, and took an Uber ride back to the house. Then we made dinner reservations using the Open Table app and got ready for dinner at the Gaslamp District. We are all Mexican food lovers, so that was an easy decision. There are so many great choices, so we picked Juan Tequila Bar & Grill on 4th street. They serve contemporary Mexican food and their margaritas didn’t disappoint. The restaurant is dark and yields to the vibe of the city, almost making it feel more New York City like with chandeliers dripping with crystals, leather furniture, and marble tabletops. Of course, I was in photography heaven.

Dancing in the Gaslamp

I’m not much of a public dancer these days but my gal pals are. They dragged me (literally) to a sports bar/restaurant turned night club called Barleymash – not too far from the restaurant, on 5th & Market St in the heart of the Gaslamp District. There was, of course, a line to get in but with some sweet talking, we didn’t have to pay a cover charge (okay, all women have a free cover charge! There you have it.)

Barleymash’s Restaurant Vibe

I have to admit that Barleymash was actually pretty cool. The high-energy music made all of us dance our buns off, quite literally. If you’re not walking out of that place sweating from head to toe you didn’t do it right. To get a break from the dance floor, you can head downstairs to their underground and very laid back vodka bar called “Ginger’s” where the music is more mellow and a little hip hop.  They have a music line up 7-days a week according to their website. If you wanted to visit the restaurant during the day, you won’t be disappointed as they have received accolades on their American food menu items and were featured as the Best of Downtown for their Best Burger in 2017. Dare I say more?

Day Three:

After an all-day adventure that led to all-night dancing, we took it really easy on Sunday morning. After we “checked out” of the house, we headed to Pacific Beach to walk around one last time before heading back to our babies and hubbies. We walked along the beach, took a few pictures, and reminisced on a wonderful girls’ weekend together.

The Conclusion to Our Girls’ Weekend Getaway

I’m so glad we did this. It’s been over 5 years since we all took a vacation together and it was much needed. We downright missed the girl-time too. Overall, it was an easy, breezy girls’ weekend filled with some of my favorite ladies in life and who all travel so well together – which is a huge plus.

• Did we miss our families? Yes, we did.

• Did we call them every single day? Yes, we did.

• Did we appreciate our families for handling things without us? Yes, we did.

And guess what…everyone survived.

I highly recommend a Girl’s weekend getaway. If you’re looking for a spot, consider San Diego. It’s an amazing destination filled with many super fun things to do for everyone.

I hope this inspires you to get out there and adventure with your best gal pals. After all, you deserve it!

 

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