Planning a Southern California vacation? San Diego is a beautiful place for a vacation destination. Here are some of my picks for the best things to do in San Diego. Plus, learn about Kia’s award-winning cars and the latest models.
Best Things to Do in San Diego
This week I was able to spend a little time in one of my favorite Southern California cities, San Diego!
I’ve been to San Diego so many times I’ve stopped counting. However, it never gets old.
This time, I was on a special mission. I, along with a host of other fabulous bloggers, was invited by Kia to explore San Diego in the latest models and learn about what’s new with Kia.
I’m already quite partial to Kia since I own a 2011 Kia Sorento. I’ve also reviewed several of their cars over the past few years, and each model gets better and better.
We landed in sunny San Diego on a Wednesday afternoon. I can always count on SD to bring the beautiful weather.
I was also thankful to leave behind the 93, humid Michigan weather and trade it in for 80-degree, breezy coast weather.
Arriving at the hotel from the airport was a ten-minute drive. I was tempted to ask my driver if he could do a drive-by In-N-Out.
It’s our tradition always to hit up the first In-N-Out we see as soon as we land in California. This is the first time in the history of coming to California that I did not do that {do not worry, I rectified that problem!}.
After checking into my room at the Hard Rock Hotel {our gracious host hotel}, I teamed up with another blogger, Adventure Mom, and we decided to explore the area.
It was so much fun to explore with a friend so we could share with others our top things to do in San Diego.
Exploring San Diego
When you stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, you also have access to many of its amenities, including bike rentals.
We spent about an hour exploring the bay area and enjoying the view. This has to hit the top of my list because exploring on this bike was totally free!
There is so much history in San Diego. Whether you want to see architecture, experience the culture, or make a touristy stop, downtown is the perfect area to explore on foot or with a bicycle.
Shortly after returning to the hotel to freshen up, we headed to dinner at the Rustic Root in the Gaslamp Quarter.
While we could have easily walked the three blocks to the restaurant, Kia had us go in style.
Well, in style would have been arriving in their 2017 Kia Optima, but I digress.
But we had a fun ride in a PediCab.
I asked our driver if he worked out or did something special to do this job (he’s been a PediCab driver for over three years), and he said no. This IS the workout, but he enjoyed it.
Wow, props to the PediCab drivers. They are the real MVPs.
Because I couldn’t imagine pedaling my weight (plus others) anywhere! LOL
We headed downstairs for dinner after mingling and meeting other bloggers during Cocktail Hour.
We were served dinner the tapas way. If you’re unfamiliar with tapas, it’s called small plates.
You can try a variety of food in small portions. The restaurant set up a variety of stations with food such as Beef Wellington, chicken mole, and more.
You could keep going back for more and more and more.
Their Beef Wellington was amazing! {my favorite}. With live music, great food, and good company, you just can’t go wrong.
The next morning, we were up bright and early for a media briefing.
During this, we learned about all the new things happening at Kia and some of their latest awards.
Now comes the fun part. The rest of the day was spent exploring San Diego in Kia vehicles. We paired up in teams, selected a car, and were given a route to follow.
For our first test drive, we decided on the 2017 Kia Sorento. I own a 2011 model, and earlier in the year we had a 2016 model for our California family vacation. So, I am a little biased when it comes to the Sorento. After a fun-filled day of testing out cars, we ended the evening with a farewell party filled with food and live karaoke!
When it comes to this region, you don’t have to go far to find beautiful scenic views, good food, and free things to do in San Diego or nearby.
I’m going to recap some of my favorite things to do in San Diego and share some FREE things you can do in Southern California to help you plan your visit.
Best Things to Do in San Diego
Along the way, I’m also going to share some of my favorite moments with Kia’s newest models and why Kia is on a trend to rise above the rest.
La Jolla: A short drive from San Diego, La Jolla is one of the best beach destinations in the area.
It sports great seaside restaurants, shopping, and fantastic places for checking out tide pools and lots of sea life. It’s perfect for a day at the beach or for a day of exploring.
Plus, you will find adorable California Sea Lions basking in the warm sun.
The Kia Optima is one of my favorite cars. I’m an SUV type of girl, but I love all of the legroom in the Optima.
The Kia Optima is another one of my favorites from this award-winning car company. Their 2017 model has all of the bells and whistles and screams luxury on a middle-class budget.
I’ve also talked about the Kia Optima here and here.
Balboa Park: This destination has everything you want in a park. Playground, botanical gardens, local museums, and, of course, fun food vendors and restaurants.
Find more FREE things to do in San Diego. This is definitely a must visit for everyone. While you can spend money here, it’s totally free to explore, and you will find plenty of free activities.
Park and walk around Old Town San Diego. If you love seeing classic old cities with great architecture and culture, the Old Town area of San Diego is perfect for you.
Park and walk around the blocks of classic buildings that have been maintained or restored. Enjoy a nice meal at a classy restaurant or take photographs next to buildings that are centuries old.
Sea World San Diego: Sea World is a great family destination.
From the rides to the live shows, there is something for every age in your family.
You can read about what to do at Sea World and my favorite places at Sea World! This is by far one of my top things to do in San Diego because it has something for everyone.
Eat at The Mission In San Diego: One of our favorite places to stop for a meal when in San Diego is The Mission.
This restaurant features amazing breakfast options, lunches, and most importantly a large variety of gluten-free meals.
This is an ideal place for anyone wanting a healthier meal but also looking for indulgence. Their French Toast is simply phenomenal.
Coronado Island: Driving across the bridge to Coronado Island is a fun adventure for those who love a small-town feel. There are beautiful beaches, amazing architecture, and, of course, many unique hot spots for food and shopping. If you have a higher budget, Coronado Hotel is a wonderful choice and one of the best places to stay in the San Diego area.
We drove the Kia SOUL over to the Island and stopped by the Coronado Hotel and beach area.
The SOUL is just a fun car. Although it is on the smaller side, there is still enough room for a small family or trendsetter.
San Diego Zoo: If you want to see what a real zoo looks like, this is the place to go, this is my favorite zoo!
This is by far one of the top things to do in San Diego. It is not free, but you will not regret the price of admission.
This is the ultimate in family fun as it has options for all ages, plenty of shade, a ton of food options, and, of course, options for transportation around the park and tours to enjoy.
Yes, once you have gone to the San Diego Zoo, there will be nothing else out there to compare.
It is adjacent to the beautiful Balboa Park in downtown San Diego and world-famous for the number of animals, beautiful scenery, and amazing staff.
We also stopped by Cabrillo, a National Monument. If you want a fantastic view of San Diego, this is the place to visit.
How We Got Around San Diego
The Sedona is a van like no other. I’ll be the first to admit I am not a mini-van Mom, but their Sedona will give you many reasons to switch.
I had a 2015 Sedona last year on our California trip, and we LOVED it. I loved the bucket captain seats, the electrical outlets in the front and back of the van, and the room!
The 2016 model also offers those things and a little more space and another seat (so it now seats eight vs. 7).
Some of my other favorite places to visit in San Diego are Seaport Village, Old Town, and exploring new places to eat. San Diego holds fond memories for our whole family, and I’m happy to add a new experience to it with the latest Kia models!
We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel right in the Gaslamp Quarter and right by the water. The Hard Rock is a beautiful hotel with luxury views and comfortable beds.
Visit San Diego
What are some of the places on your list of top things to do in San Diego?
What are your favorite places to stay? What do you think of the latest round of Kia’s updates? Feel free to drop me a line below!
Learn more about Kia and their vehicles by visiting their website.
Plus, read some of my Kia reviews:
Sporting in Style At The Atlanta Jazz Festival
Eight Days in a Californian Paradise
Jennifer B says
I would love to visit San Diego! What a beautiful city! That Kia is beautiful too and would be a fun car to take a road trip in!
chastity says
I wish I was SD right now! It’s probably my favorite summer destination. When visiting we always play at mission beach and then a day walking in La Jolla & see the sea lions.
Cynthia says
It has been many years since I have been in San Diego. I loved the city. I have a Kia and have had Kia’s for at least 15 years. I love them!
Erlene A says
We live about an hour away from SD and love to visit when we can. The Kia looks like a great car for the family and nice to travel in too.
April Yap says
Fun photos! Somebody can enjoy to this place.