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Planning a trip to California
Goot
Posts: 3,496
in Sports Talk
I've been working a lot all summer so my dad and I are trying to squeeze in a getaway before I head back to school in the fall. The trip is not a definite, but we are in the middle of trying to plan it out and see how feasible it would be. California has always intrigued me, Southern California specifically, mostly because two of my biggest passions-surfing and baseball- play a tremendous role in day to day life over there, among other reasons. We're planning on checking out a Dodgers and Padres game during our stay, and potentially hitting up the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. It's kind of weird to explain but I've always had a connection with the Dodgers because I grew up going to their spring games in Vero Beach until they moved out west to AZ. Plus, it'd be amazing to see the beast that is Dodger Stadium. My mom spent a solid chunk of her childhood in San Diego when my grandpa was stationed out there with the Navy. They have fond memories of taking in games at Jack Murphy during the Padres infancy in the early 70's so that has kind of resonated with me over the years and I have always found myself pulling for the Padres in many situations. The Angels are pretty much "whatever" to me so that's why it isn't a concern to see them haha. And the US Open of Surfing would just be absolutely nuts. It's the most prestigious major contest that takes place on North American soil and it'd be amazing to see the superstars up close, plus a few local boys from around here in FL will be in it as well.
Anyways, here is our itinerary so far:
Day 1: Fly into San Diego, drive up to LA and take in a Dodgers game, staying in LA that night.
Day 2: Go to Huntington Beach for the US Open of Surfing-head for San Diego after or stay in the Huntington area.
Day 3: Free day driving down the coast (likely stopping in San Clemente) /or spending the entire day in SD... ultimately ending up in San Diego for the night
Day 4: Spend the day in SD, take in a Padres game that night
Day 5: Hang in SD some more, fly home.
If you guys have any suggestions on things to do in San Diego feel free to chime in, that's a big reason why I'm posting this on here. We won't have a ton of time there, but we'd like to make the most of what we've got! Any local restaurants you guys recommend? Maybe a sports bar that Padre fans frequent before games? Anything would be great. We aren't looking for super touristy stuff- we'd rather get a sense of the actual culture of the city rather than just the tourist attractions surrounding it- we're from Florida, we know this all too well haha.
Again, this trip may not happen but hopefully it does because it would be a great one if it does!
Anyways, here is our itinerary so far:
Day 1: Fly into San Diego, drive up to LA and take in a Dodgers game, staying in LA that night.
Day 2: Go to Huntington Beach for the US Open of Surfing-head for San Diego after or stay in the Huntington area.
Day 3: Free day driving down the coast (likely stopping in San Clemente) /or spending the entire day in SD... ultimately ending up in San Diego for the night
Day 4: Spend the day in SD, take in a Padres game that night
Day 5: Hang in SD some more, fly home.
If you guys have any suggestions on things to do in San Diego feel free to chime in, that's a big reason why I'm posting this on here. We won't have a ton of time there, but we'd like to make the most of what we've got! Any local restaurants you guys recommend? Maybe a sports bar that Padre fans frequent before games? Anything would be great. We aren't looking for super touristy stuff- we'd rather get a sense of the actual culture of the city rather than just the tourist attractions surrounding it- we're from Florida, we know this all too well haha.
Again, this trip may not happen but hopefully it does because it would be a great one if it does!
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<< <i>
Not sure why you guys don't spend some time in LA where there's a lot of cool things to do as well though I love SD. You can pretty much only get to Dodgers Stadium via car (there are shuttles but that's complicated) and you can't see the stadium from really anywhere unless you're in a helicopter.
>>
In regards to this... Our reasoning is that we'll be going from the Dodger game down to Huntington so we figure since we're already be heading in the direction down to SD, we might as well keep on heading in that direction. Plus that way we'd be out of the LA traffic by Sunday, into San Diego (obviously still congested) where we could potentially rely on walking or trolley for a lot of our transportation.
Another spot I think you would like is the Wedge in Newport Beach. Its the world famous big wave shorebreak which is for elite body surfers and boogie boarders. I wouldn't recommend getting in the water there, but its a great spot to hang out and get some pics. The waves get ultra huge and powerful, plus the water is a shorebreak over a very shallow sand bar.
Here is a pic of a nice little shorebreak.
And a short video of the Wedge.
Wedge Video
Please PM me if you want any info on the Los Angeles area.
Brian
<< <i>Goot, sounds like a great trip. I'm assuming you are arriving during the last weekend of this month or first weekend of Aug. Depending on when you arrive in Southern CA, you might be able to catch the Padres vs. Dodgers in Petco or at Dodgers Stadium. As a Dodgers fan, I think that would be great if you made it to the Dodgers Stadium...
Another spot I think you would like is the Wedge in Newport Beach.
Please PM me if you want any info on the Los Angeles area.
Brian >>
Dodger stadium will definitely happen. Growing up with the dodgers playing spring training near by it had always been a big priority to make it to LA and check out the stadium. The games we are planning on are the Dodgers Saturday night game against the Nationals and the Padres Tuesday game against Pittsburgh. They're playing bad teams but that's really not a big deal to me at all.
And I've seen video of the wedge and it looks absolutely insane. If we have time I definitely wouldn't mind stopping by, especially if there is big swell in the water. Thanks for the advice and ill be sure to pm you if I have more questions.
If you are in Southern California, why not see if you can catch a ANA game if they are in town?
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If you're a nightlife guy, San Diego is 1000% better. The entire gaslamp district is walkable and there are 30 good bars and 50 other ones within a square mile. PetCo is right on the edge of the district and across from the convention center. It's a nice place. I've only been once but I thought it was a great place to watch a game. Not sure what your money situation is life, but I would try to sit as close to the field at Dodger Stadium as I could - and go on a weekday if possible. Weekend games actually do sell out on occasion. You'll get more bang for your buck on a weekday. And if you're in OC, the Angels park is a pretty good one (not top 10 in the league, but enjoyable).
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when i went to san diego we went to tijuana. saw a bull fight and ate at a real mexican restuarant. quite interesting
<< <i>Despite being in bad financial shape (I'm from IL, so I should speak), and having a massive immigration problem, CA must be one of the most beautiful states in the nation.
If you are in Southern California, why not see if you can catch a ANA game if they are in town? >>
Just from pictures I agree that its an amazing state. And depending on how things work out, I could potentially see myself out there because it is a big environmental state and that's the field I'm going in to.
And we looked for Angels games but there weren't any that worked out. We'd definitely go if there was a game during our stay.
In terms of the person above that mentioned going to Tijuana, though I have great memories (from what I can remember) of trips to TJ during college, you want to definitely NOT cross the border. It's a bad place these days.
Have fun!
<< <i>I live in LA - it's a craphole. Stay in San Diego - great place.
. >>
wow is that a bit of a stretch! It's like saying all Red Sox fans are jerks.
Like any big city, you have your bad areas and good areas.
Its safe to say there have been some really great suggestions so far.
Brian
For the laid back beach town experience go to Ocean Beach. Everything you need to see is on or just off of Newport Avenue.
If you are there for breakfast get in line at the Townhouse Cafe. If you are there for lunch and like burgers go to Hodad's. Hodad's has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Hodad's Townhouse
Pacific Beach is next door and while a beach town, it attracts a little more of the party crowd, which is not bad, just different. If you go there head to the boardwalk and try and get a seat at Lahaina's deck for a drink. link
You can go to Old Town for Mexican food and atmosphere- There is more than one restaurant there but they are all fun.
La Jolla is nice but it is the high rent version of a beach town, nothing wrong with that but it can be a hassle to get in and out of. If you do decide to go there check out the seals.
Hotel Del has the best Sunday Brunch around and the property is historical. It is the most touristy thing on my list.
The downtown area has really been restored since the building of Petco and you can find a lot of good restaurants and bars in the Gaslamp.
For those that are bringing up the cost of hotels - if you are not looking to stay at a beach property look for something in "hotel circle" located in Mission Valley. There are reasonable hotels in the area and it is not far to downtown or the beaches. link
This trip better happen!
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EDITED TO ADD: I wish I could find tickets this cheap to CitiField to watch the METS!
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
That said, this is the SD area show calendar for the next few months. If you should find yourself in SD when their best hometown band (Pinback) is performing, I highly recommend them. Otherwise the SD music scene is pretty much crap unless you're into emo or Blink182/Carlos Santana cover bands.
If you are into history and like outdoor parks and such, Balboa Park in San Diego is massive, has the famous California Tower(which is a great building) impressive architecture throughout the botanical gardens(wooden and built in 1915 if memory serves) that is inside a huge courtyard that overlooks a lilly pond pool with more nice architecture. There's also a dozen or so(some free, like one of the art museums on site) museums all there. Plus right next door is the San Diego Zoo, which is outstanding.
Balboa Park also is great if you just want to hang out under the shady trees and toss a football or whatever.
On one side of the jetty is the clam entrance to Newport harbor and the other side is 15 foot breakers at the wedge. Just an awesome place and had some goods times there in my youth.
http://beach.freedomblogging.com/2010/07/21/big-waves-hit-the-wedge-on-wednesday/25739/
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>15 footers at the Wedge today. see the link below. Wedge is a great place if you can make it, even if its just to hang out. to get there you go right by the Newport and Balboa piers.
On one side of the jetty is the clam entrance to Newport harbor and the other side is 15 foot breakers at the wedge. Just an awesome place and had some goods times there in my youth.
http://beach.freedomblogging.com/2010/07/21/big-waves-hit-the-wedge-on-wednesday/25739/ >>
Wedge shot from this new swell.
<< <i>You would be crazy to prefer the weather of Swampy Florida to SoCal right now, just sayin...
>>
I don't get how people survive in the central part of the state (or in a landlocked part of anywhere to be honest haha), especially during the summer. I live on a barrier island on the east coast- smack dab in the middle of a lagoon and the ocean- so temps where I live are generally 5 degrees cooler here than they are just an hour drive west in Orlando, plus we get that ocean breeze. We still get that humidity though.
Anyways, the weather should be amazing. I looked online and it was in the low 70's and sunny every day next week... in Florida we call that March!
Also, if you guys want some amazing shots of the wedge check out this BLOG . The guy's been posting on a surf message board that I check out for a while now and always has some sweet footage. Awesome POV stuff from the water too.
<< <i><<the weather should be amazing. I looked online and it was in the low 70's and sunny every day next week... in Florida we call that March! >>
In San Diego, they call that everyday. I don't think I'm exaggerating but may be a bit when I say that it's like that all year round, with maybe a few degrees (~5 degrees Farenheit) cooler in the winter months. >>
Yep, spoiled brats!
They are a pretty famous west coast burger chain. A lot of die hard fans. I dont know what their equivalent would be in florida. Its just a fast food place, nothing fancy. But much better burgers than mcdonalds or burger king.
BTW Goot, the waves aren't too bad right now. Here is a pic from the other day at Huntington Beach.
I used to work for the Navy Finance Center and made several trips to the Naval Base in SD and those were two of my favorite stops...Mission Bay is also nice....there also was a resturant in the bay called Anthony's if I remember correctly (it's been 21 years since I've been back) that had great food. ON one of the major highways there also is a hotel where they filmed the dance club scene from Top Gun...can't off the top of my head remember it but I swear that the small bar across the street from the hotel is also where they filmed the scene where they were shooting pool. Maybe one of the threaders here from SD can verify for you....just two other neat things to see....and take in a Padres game if they are home....I went to their old stadium and saw them play the Mets many years ago.....all I remember is Doc Gooden pitched for the Mets but don't remember much else.
al.
Day 1: Flew into LA and drove down to our hotel in Seal Beach. Swung by Huntington Beach for a few hours to watch some surfing before heading up to the Dodgers game. Great stadium. Very classic and an enjoyable place to watch a game! Dodgers won in extras-great (but LONG) day!
Day 2: Woke up early and drove down to Huntington to watch the final day of the contest and enjoy some of the other events going on in HB. After the contest we took a quick drive down to Newport to go check out the Wedge. Waves weren't super big but there were a few bodysurfers out there getting slammed. That night we ate dinner in downtown Seal Beach and explored the area a bit.
Day 3: Woke up and took the drive down PCH before stopping in San Clemente. Great views along the cliffs and passing through the little surf towns! I rented a surfboard for a few hours and surfed at San Clemente Pier. After that we ate some dinner before making our way down to San Diego. We stopped in Encinitas and Cardiff and walked around, awesome little beach towns! We made it down to San Diego, checked into our hotel in the Gaslamp area and explored. Grabbed some dinner at Bareback Grill and just enjoyed the atmosphere.
Day 4: My dad went for a long run around San Diego along the Harbor and throughout downtown and really enjoyed it! We visited the USS Midway which was pretty neat to see because not only is it a massive ship, but my grandpa also served on it for about 5 years back in the day! After that we drove over to Mission/Pacific Beach area and rented another surfboard. Waves weren't amazing but any wave is a good wave for me! Made it back to the hotel in time to relax for about an hour before going and grabbing some dinner and then going to the Padres game. We had some great seats for the game, 4th rown behind the Padres dugout! That stadium is really something amazing. So many cool little quirks that connect it with the area and the history of the region. I've been to 8 MLB stadiums and it is by far my favorite. Really good atmosphere and fan friendly ballpark. I told my dad if the Rays ever leave Tampa I'll have to move to San Diego and become a Padres fan! haha!
Day 5: This was kind of half a day because we had to be at the airport by 1. We drove to Balboa Park, walked around a little but didnt go inside anywhere. After that we took a drive over to San Diego St and checked out the campus before heading over to the airport.
Fantastic trip! I really enjoyed it and could definitely see myself enjoying a way of life at one of the beach towns, or in San Diego, just a really great area.
View of the Surf contest from the Pier:
A few nice surf shots I took:
Me
The winner of the contest (Brett Simpson) and his $100,000 check!
Skate Contest on the beach. The guys from Skatepark of Tampa helped put it on-pretty sweet!
Outside of Dodger Stadium
San Clemente Pier
My dad and I at Petco Park
Me on a lil wave at Mission Beach
View from our Padres seats:
Me
Not an awful crowd for a Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Right around 24k If I remember correctly.
View from the top of our Hotel:
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
Brian