How long for San Diego and SoCal area in January?

[Grabberson]

I thought Meteor Crater, AZ was definitely worth an afternoon side trip. It's a few miles off I-40 just east of Flagstaff, AZ.

 

[braumeister]

I thought Meteor Crater, AZ was definitely worth an afternoon side trip. It's a few miles off I-40 just east of Flagstaff, AZ.

And only an eight hour drive from San Diego. How could you leave it out?

 

[rodi]

Hi Sunny - Starsky's list is very good! Especially the restaurants. Depending on the time of year Anza Borrego can be absolutely stunning. Last year, because of the heavy rains, it was a "super bloom" in the spring.....

For a variety of exploration there's the beach, Palomar Mountain and Observatory or the Cuyamaca Mountains... If you head to Anza Borrego make sure your route takes you through Julian or Santa Ysabel. Pick up pie in Julian or really good breads at Dudley's bakery in Santa Ysabel.

I know you said you're not a zoo person - but the San Diego Zoo is different.... it's really well done and the animals are not in cages. The wild animal park in San Pasqual is also really good - but you don't get as close to many of the animals - it's big open spaces for the animals and the people are kept enclosed and limited. Plus there's currently baby tigers in the nursery - amazingly cute.

I agree completely that Scripps Birch Aquarium is better than the Long Beach Aquariam... My favorite part is the leopard shark tank. They're a local shark and it's less nerve wracking to see them in the tank vs seeing them when boogie boarding (not uncommon). Fortunately they're not dangerous to humans.

 

[Sunny]

And only an eight hour drive from San Diego. How could you leave it out?

Well, we are probably driving right by that crater...one direction anyway.

I think the most direct path for us is through Nebraska, then Denver, Utah, Las Vegas to San Diego.

I'm thinking we may have the best luck with the weather though through the route of Kansas, to I-40 (Albuquerque, Phoenix, then SD).

That way we may spend a day in Texas at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, then a couple of days around Flagstaff hitting some of the ruins, Sedona and then on to Anza Borrego SP in CA before hitting the San Diego area for at least 5 nights now. Or more if we can't do much in OC or the central coast because of the fire.

We leave in less than a week. I'd have preferred to have placed to stay lined up already, but plans have been in motion.

 

[braumeister]

Well, we are probably driving right by that crater...one direction anyway.

Oh, I missed that part.

In that case, I can definitely recommend Walnut Canyon National Monument which is between Flagstaff and the crater. Some very nice ruins of cliff dwellings.

 

[Sunny]

... and answer any questions you have...

Thanks! If you have the time (or anyone else) a couple of hopefully quick questions:

1) Good places to get fresh fruit to eat while there (snacks at night/during the day, etc.). I know when we were in southern Florida we stopped at Robert is Here fruit and farm stand and had a lot of fun trying different fruits. Guanabana is now by far my favorite fruit ever, but of course, I think that was imported.

2) You mentioned Robertos...is that Robertos taco shop chain? It does look good for a chain! In-n-Out I'd like but my wife will eat chicken, sometimes fish....no other meat. A lot of your suggests look really good. I'm hungry now.

3) Any great breakfast places? By great it could be ocean views, but food wise great would be like early girl in Asheville, NC, or the First Watch chain that started out in the SE but is all the way to Nevada now. Basically breakfast, but with fresher ingredients or given what I assume is a lot of Mexican inspired food, Mexican. Real maple syrup if you go the pancake route, etc.

4) Any suggestion for a rainy and/or cold day other than obviously museums and art centers?

5) I see point lomas area lists a tidepool on the map, and on Tripadvisor there were some neat snapshots of starfish or others that people saw. Any other, or better, places to do something like that(tidepools)? I suppose we will have to find out when low tide is...and get there half an hour before that?

6) Any place to find really cool rocks? Mostly to look at, but if it is ok with the local regulations/laws, maybe grab one or two? Thinking baseball to basketball size wise, but even really cool pea sized ones are fine. I know it is crazy, but my wife likes to bring rocks back (when it is OK to do so). In lieu of that, photos work too.

 

[Starsky]

Thanks! If you have the time (or anyone else) a couple of hopefully quick questions:

1) Good places to get fresh fruit to eat while there (snacks at night/during the day, etc.). I know when we were in southern Florida we stopped at Robert is Here fruit and farm stand and had a lot of fun trying different fruits. Guanabana is now by far my favorite fruit ever, but of course, I think that was imported.

There are tons of markets with organic produce. We're overflowing in fresh produce and you should have no problem finding almost anything - anything if you count the Chinese markets. Guanabana is all over Puerto Rico, one of my favorites too, but a rarity in SD AFAIK - maybe the at Tropical Star in Claremont. They have Yuca and Bacalao.

2) You mentioned Robertos...is that Robertos taco shop chain? It does look good for a chain! In-n-Out I'd like but my wife will eat chicken, sometimes fish....no other meat. A lot of your suggests look really good. I'm hungry now.

Yes, it's the best local Mexican 'chain' but there are dozens of imposters/spinoffs. Chicken is no problem at any Mexican restaurant and we have lots of vegetarian choices. Fish tacos at Rubios is my favorite local chain food for seafood Mex, Wahoos is really good to. Never been to Señor Grubbys, but they advertise a lot. Check out the Habit while you're in town - a new burger franchise from Santa Barbara but it's really good. They have a great Albacore Burger.

3) Any great breakfast places? By great it could be ocean views, but food wise great would be like early girl in Asheville, NC, or the First Watch chain that started out in the SE but is all the way to Nevada now. Basically breakfast, but with fresher ingredients or given what I assume is a lot of Mexican inspired food, Mexican. Real maple syrup if you go the pancake route, etc.

Where we are in Encinitas, there are tons. The Pancake House (several in SD), The Breakfast Club, Potato Shack, Pipes, just tried Lotus Cafe downtown Encinitas - really nice! The Ocean Room in La Jolla is a great brunch on Sunday with a view, but it's not cheap. Panniken (sp?) in North County is an interesting hangout too. If you go Mex for breakfast, try Huevos Rancheros for if you've never had it. Fidel's has an excellent plate. Great with a Margarita. A Mexican delicacy. Also try Chilaquiles, another favorite for breakfast - awesome!

In Ocean Beach, try Tower Two for a cheap, totally laid back local vibe near the beach. If you stay for lunch, you can't miss Hodad's. It is probably my favorite burger joint in California. Expect to wait in line for a while.

In PB, it's Kono's Cafe at the end of Garnet. Right on the beach, and very reasonable. Been there for years.

There are some great eateries in Downtown SD, I just don't hang there much anymore, so my knowledge is not very current. My old favorite place was the Chicken Pie Shop on El Cajon, I think it's still there. There's also some great Greek food downtown - go figure. And I remember a great Italian restaurant called Baci near Mission Bay, that was very good.

The cheapest place with the best view is the taco shack - I think it's still called Bulltaco - at San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff by the Sea - a totally local tip...

4) Any suggestion for a rainy and/or cold day other than obviously museums and art centers?

We don't get rain in San Diego. Cold is probably relative, so we don't get that either.

5) I see point lomas area lists a tidepool on the map, and on Tripadvisor there were some neat snapshots of starfish or others that people saw. Any other, or better, places to do something like that(tidepools)? I suppose we will have to find out when low tide is...and get there half an hour before that?

Yes, Point Loma is good. La Jolla cove can be excellent if the tide is very low. There are several spots along the coast north of Del Mar, especially the south end of Cardiff Reef beach and north of that, below Swamis in Encinitas. the beaches are very accessible.

6) Any place to find really cool rocks? Mostly to look at, but if it is ok with the local regulations/laws, maybe grab one or two? Thinking baseball to basketball size wise, but even really cool pea sized ones are fine. I know it is crazy, but my wife likes to bring rocks back (when it is OK to do so). In lieu of that, photos work too.

Depends on the season, but our beaches can get super rocky and they don't mind if you take a few - probably golf ball to football sized. Just don't start loading up a truck full.

 

[Sunny]

... Cold is probably relative, so we don't get that either.

Thanks again!!!!!! We will be sure to try some Mexican for breakfast too. My wife had migas at a few texmex restaurants in Texas last year and loved it, but maybe it is more texmex than what California will have. I'm sure if it is on a menu, she will get it though!

On that cold is relative....let's look at our forecast for this weekend:

Saturday: 0 for the high, -13 for the low
Sunday: -5 for the high, -19 for the low
Monday: -2 for the high, -17 for the low​

Don't even want to look at wind chill!

I think we should have left already.

So relatively, I will be wearing shorts in California, even if it is 60/40 degrees out.

 

[Ginny]

I would skip LA. San Diego is very crowded too, but the small beach towns are cool. Ocean, Mission and Pacific Beach and La Jolla. Outdoor musts-- Torrey Pines State Beach, Cabrillo Lighthouse National Park, Julian & Cuyamaca State Parks, Laguna Mountain Nat Park, Mission Trails Park, Mount Soledad, Anza Borrego Park.

OB-- Fish Tacos at South Beach restaurant, hamburgers at Hodad's.

 

[Starsky]

One more for the food list: Point Loma Seafood is an affordable must on the seafood list, can't believe I missed that one... and Mona Lisa Deli in Little Italy.

 

[Sunny]

One more for the food list: Point Loma Seafood is an affordable must on the seafood list, can't believe I missed that one... and Mona Lisa Deli in Little Italy.

Thanks again. Looks like that Point Loma Seafood has a terrace overlooking a marina if the google search photos are correct. My wife loves marinas and watching boats, so this looks like a must do for us.

The Deli looks nice as well, looks to have a nice market/store attached.

 

[Starsky]

Thanks again. Looks like that Point Loma Seafood has a terrace overlooking a marina if the google search photos are correct. My wife loves marinas and watching boats, so this looks like a must do for us.

The Deli looks nice as well, looks to have a nice market/store attached.

Point Loma Seafood is a very nice place to hang out. It usually looks insanely crowded, but the lines move very quickly and the wait for food isn't really an issue with the beautiful view. The Deli is just a really nice old-fashioned Italian Deli like when I was growing up. Great take-out.

Locally, Fish Market is another more mid-priced seafood alternative. There is one right next to the Midway Aircraft Carrier downtown if you're looking for a nice view of the bay. Il Fornaio on Coronado Island, mentioned earlier, is anther mid priced restaurant with a great view. (Don't miss the Hotel Del Coronado - and if you really love it, look up an old early 80s movie called The Stunt Man - amazing!)

Up the coast, Jake's in Del Mar is where I used to take my business visitors. About the same price as Fish Market. It's on the beach and is very popular so make a reservation. If you want no view - zero - and all atmosphere, try Red Tracton's Steakhouse in Del Mar, or the more budget equivalent, The Butcher Shop. They are old Mob-style steak houses that have never changed and have colorful histories. The Butcher Shop used to, and still may offer for all I know, lingerie lunches with the waitresses dressed in old-school lingerie - Classic!

If you feel like spending a few bucks for a meal, the Crab Catcher in La Jolla is our favorite place for seafood and our favorite place for a celebration is Bertrand at Mr. A's downtown. They might be a great try for lunch. (Minor dress code at Mr. A's for dinner). Both are worth a Google and always memorable.

Always happy to share our city with visitors. (Sorry for all the bits and pieces of info, but I love living here, my family were foodies and there's a ton to see and do!)

 

[Ready]

If I had to pick three months to avoid visiting Southern California, they would be January, February and March.

The weather can be very hit or miss. Yes, it will be warmer than your zero degrees weather. But it could be rainy, windy, gray and low to mid 50's the entire time you are here. You just won't know until you get here.

I left my house at 3pm to go for a walk and it was sunny and warm, and when I got back the clouds rolled in and I was freezing my butt off.

There will always be plenty to do here, but most of the suggestions so far have been outdoor activities, which may or may not be much fun in January.

Sorry to pour cold water on your trip, but I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

 

[AllDone]

There are tidepools all up and down the beach. I live in Solana Beach and there are lots of tide pools near my closest beach, Fletcher's Cove. If the tide is at ebb, you can pretty much walk the whole coastline. There are many access points down to the beach as well.

In California the exotic fruit selection is spectacular in ordinary grocery stores although best in the fanciest neighborhoods. Last winter I counted 19 ordinary varieties of apples and 12 organic varieties at my neighborhood Von's. There's an exotic fruit island as well. There are numerous farmers markets as well. My fave is the Saturday morning FM in Little Italy.

 

[Starsky]

If I had to pick three months to avoid visiting Southern California, they would be January, February and March.

The weather can be very hit or miss. Yes, it will be warmer than your zero degrees weather. But it could be rainy, windy, gray and low to mid 50's the entire time you are here. You just won't know until you get here.

I left my house at 3pm to go for a walk and it was sunny and warm, and when I got back the clouds rolled in and I was freezing my butt off.

There will always be plenty to do here, but most of the suggestions so far have been outdoor activities, which may or may not be much fun in January.

Sorry to pour cold water on your trip, but I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

Weather is always a variable when traveling, but we won't ever see temperatures like the OP. That's exactly why people leave the Northeast during the winter. I spent a few years in Toronto, and now I never take our winter weather for granted. Last night it was -6F at midnight up there - ouch!

 

[Sunny]

Always happy to share our city with visitors. (Sorry for all the bits and pieces of info, but I love living here, my family were foodies and there's a ton to see and do!)

Oh no worries on sharing too much, I've taken a lot of notes from this thread and appreciate it!

If I had to pick three months to avoid visiting Southern California, they would be January, February and March.

...

Sorry to pour cold water on your trip, but I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

Not at all, I appreciate the heads up. Weather is fickle. We had one trip several years ago during a season / area that was the height of their best weather (never rained, always sunny and 80) and encountered 4 straight days of rain!!!

I don't have a handle on how predictable the weather is there, if we can rely on forecasts to guide us or if there are any rules of thumbs, but we can meander. If SD area turns out to be grey and icky for a week we could just head to Phoenix or elsewhere that is towards back home.

Even a cloudy 50 will be better than a windy -20 that we have tonight! But yeah, if it was going to be cloudy, damp, and 40s and 50s for a week we may head back to Arizona or Texas for the rest of the trip. But if it is only some days of that, and some days of partly sunny 60s, we will be happy with southern California.

My fave is the Saturday morning FM in Little Italy.

We may end up hitting that! We often do farmer's markets when we travel, so that sounds like fun.

Thanks all!

 

[cathy63]

I don't have a handle on how predictable the weather is there, if we can rely on forecasts to guide us or if there are any rules of thumbs, but we can meander. If SD area turns out to be grey and icky for a week we could just head to Phoenix or elsewhere that is towards back home.

Predictions of rain are pretty reliable, and we're not expecting anything much for the next couple of weeks. It seems to be harder to predict the dense fog we can get overnight and into the early mornings this time of year, and we usually only get a day or two of warning on those.

Daytime temps are likely to be in the upper 60's and low 70's, but it cools off fast around sunset, so keep a warm sweater or fleece handy and you should be fine.

 

[Ian S]

SpinDr, thanks for the suggestions. I’d forgotten Sedona wouldn’t be too far out of our way.

If you go to Sedona, I'd highly recommend a Pink Jeep off-road tour specifically the Broken Arrow tour. If possible do it during the week when Sedona is less busy.

 

[Sunny]

r



We don't get rain in San Diego. Cold is probably relative, so we don't get that either.

Hmmmm, checks Tuesday’s forecast and sees 100% chance of rain....a lot of rain! You all are welcome, we usually bring rain with us, lol.

Just a quick report back...

Been a good trip so far. Did several of the ruins around Flagstaff (Wupatki after the lava field trail, Walnut (those stairs! So worth it though), paltaki, etc). Missed the crater after doing the petrified forest, ran out of daylight. Played some Pickleball in Phoenix area but turned my ankle so headed to San Diego.

So far been great, did an impromptu ghost tour starting out in old town and over to the gas lamp district and a few other places, that was a lot of fun. Today we walked the boardwalk by Seaport Village, and drove around a bit. Nice temps compared to our home area, but of course a bit overcast today. Now I’m getting a cough and sore throat, but can’t control that too much. Hopefully it and my ankle will be well enough soon, especially by our pickleball lesson at the end of the week.

 

[rodi]

Yep - Tuesday will be wet. You'll still find me walking the dog at the beach at sunrise (cloudy/wet/sunrise) at La Jolla Shores.

Pt Loma Seafood pro tip. There is a line to get into the parking lot but it moves VERY fast. Don't pay for parking. There is a mass of people in the market/order area. There are NO lines (except people who naturally form lines not knowing the system). You just walk up to the counter, get a persons attention, and put in your order... they'll give you a number. Then you back away from the counter and lurk waiting for your number to be called. (or go to an outside table or a table in the room adjacent). And some folks who don't know the system will line up behind you if you stay in the order area. I've been yelled at by someone who was waiting in a non-line. The employee behind the counter corrected the yeller and then took their order. I've been going there regularly for 40 years and it's chaotic - but yummy.

 

[Scuba]

Yep - Tuesday will be wet. You'll still find me walking the dog at the beach at sunrise (cloudy/wet/sunrise) at La Jolla Shores.

Pt Loma Seafood pro tip. There is a line to get into the parking lot but it moves VERY fast. Don't pay for parking. There is a mass of people in the market/order area. There are NO lines (except people who naturally form lines not knowing the system). You just walk up to the counter, get a persons attention, and put in your order... they'll give you a number. Then you back away from the counter and lurk waiting for your number to be called. (or go to an outside table or a table in the room adjacent). And some folks who don't know the system will line up behind you if you stay in the order area. I've been yelled at by someone who was waiting in a non-line. The employee behind the counter corrected the yeller and then took their order. I've been going there regularly for 40 years and it's chaotic - but yummy.

Great tip, thank you! I love PB Fish but did not know about Point Loma Seafood. Will have to try it next time we get down to San Diego.

 

[jonat]

I will second Point Loma Seafood. We have friends in Point Loma who take us there when we visit.

 

[Sunny]

We actually did Point Loma Seafood today after catching Carrillo during the several hours of sunshine that snuck in today. Thouroughly enjoyed it. They were not too busy and we were able to take our time and enjoy the marina too.

We’ve also been to Richard Walker’s Pancake House in La Jolla twice now. More than a bit expensive when you order three meals for two adults (we split the German Pancake but also want protein, so order the wonderful baked omelettes as well, finishing none of them :O ), but quite tasty.

 

[rodi]

Sunny it sounds like you are having a great trip!

 

[jonat]

DW and I will be visiting our San Diego friends next week, and they will be taking us to de'Medici, one of their favorite places. The Caesar Salad there is a work of art.