This is a personal reference for places and things in the San Diego area. It's an extremely biased list that strongly reflects my experiences in San Diego and things that happen to be convenient to where I live and work.

Eating

• Breakfast
  • Cody’s — Really, really good traditional brunch. (Its competitor The Cottage is higly rated on Yelp, but we have never enjoyed it much. Cody’s is definitely recommended.)
  • Richard Walker’s Pancake House — A Chicago legend, now open in La Jolla!
• Lunch & Dinner
  • Whisknladle — Excellent for dinner; or for an equally delicious but slightly cheaper option head to their bar for the tapas menu.
  • The Promiscuous Fork — “A fun foodie joint.”
  • Puesto — Fish tacos are a San Diego staple, and this place has some of the best. During the day this is a Chipotle-style taco line; in the evening it turns in to a sit-down restaurant with cocktails and wine.
  • The Taco Stand — San Diego's other best tacos. Get the spicy shrimp!
  • Spice & Rice Thai Kitchen — If you‘re feeling like Thai, here‘s your place.
  • Taste of the Himalayas — Truly excellent Indian and Nepali food.
  • Public House — This place has a great draft list, and it‘s hard to beat for a burger and a beer.
  • Bistro Pazzo — A generally quiet but very delicious Italian bistro.
• Coffee
  • Bobboi Natural Gelato — Just delicious.
  • Pannikin — A nice place to relax in the morning.
  • Bird Rock Coffee Roasters — This is a bit of a (very pleasant) walk from La Jolla village, but it‘s the best coffee and espresso in the area.

Activities

• Walking above the sea caves east of the children's pool
• Sunny Jim’s Cave
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
• Water sports at La Jolla Shores — kayak or paddle board out to the marine nature preserve or sea caves, or just go surfing
• Torrey Pines Gliderport — This paraglider school and port are perched at the top of a sheer ocean cliff; the attached sandwich hut is one of the most scenic places around to enjoy lunch. Call ahead to check if they‘re flying, but the view and the sandwiches are worth the trip regardless.
• Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
• The Children’s Pool is normally covered with seals
• The shoreline of Scripps Park is home to many boisterous sea lions and sandy beaches at the foot of the cliffs
• Trivia night (Sandbox is close)
• Sand dunes — Ocotillo Wells State Recreational Vehicle Area, Imperial Sand Dunes, North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area, Glamis Hot Springs
  • Most of these places don’t operate in the summer
  • Remember that the Salton Sea is completely disgusting, but the sand dunes are amazing