10 Hours in San Diego

Every time I hear 'San Diego', I always imagine the sunshine, the salty sea air from the beach, lined tall trees and awesome Mexican food! I got all these within less than a day of frolicking in this city. 

tuna taco
Juicy tuna tacos from Eat Puesto, La Jolla
The first order of the day is, of course, brunch! I picked a place that was just a short drive from my hotel in a mostly residential area at University Heights. I opted to take advantage of the warm San Diego weather and sat outside at Hannah's Gourmet's welcoming patio. Boy oh boy! My chilaquiles with two plump poached eggs was so good that even the flies feasted with me. Even though the kind staff, who probably saw me frowning, offered to sit me inside where there is no distraction half way through my meal, I mustered to shoo the flies away during my entire meal but got really tired at some point.

Must do: Skip the patio and enjoy your meal inside the restaurant.

Took this photo really quick before another fly landed on my plate!
The tourist in me ensured that I had enough time for my next pit stop at Old Town. It felt like I was stepping a few centuries back. Even though this area is full of tourists, I really enjoyed the Mexican art, history and even a traditional dance number at the Fiesta de Reyes stage. It was a breath of fresh air to see colorful artifacts and clothing from the usual black and greys of urban America. 

Just like in a movie set.
Old Town
Gawking at this unique-looking tree. Reminds me of a coconut plantation. 
Fiesta de Reyes
Entering Fiesta de Reyes.
I've been starting to have an appreciation for bean-to-bar chocolates. 
Nibble Chocolates from San Diego.
Can someone tell me what kind of dance this is?
My second to the last stop took me to the famous La Jolla, a 20-minute drive away from the city proper. The vibe of this beach town reminded me of the 90s when not everything was super sleek and high tech yet - in a good way. I made my way first to lunch at bustling Eat Puesto, a modern taqueria which is also great for people and dog watching. This spot didn't disappoint as I got to taste my very first frozen horchata that complemented my trio of tacos very well, especially when I had to quench my thirst from ingesting spicy HOT salsa, and eat edible cactus. 

frozen horchata
Frozen horchata paired with spicy salsa. 
chicken verde tacos
Chicken verde taco wins on taste, zuchinni and cactus wins on interestingness, and ahi tuna wins on presentation.
I later burned my brunch and lunch calories by leisurely walking around La Jolla cove and watching seals lovingly fight with each other up close. Note: Don't touch the seals! 
Seal watching just a few inches away. 
I was already running out of time but still wanted to visit one more place, Prepkitchen, known to draw major foodies such as myself. They have 3 locations in the city, but the one in Little Italy is closest to the airport, where I was heading to next. I was surprised that I was able to order from their happy hour menu, a cheaper alternative to their dinner choices. With a glass of their Heart of Darkness happy hour cocktail, potently mixed with Aperol and tequila, I gobbled on sweet and savory watermelon burrata and spicy chicken wings.  

Refreshing watermelon burrata.
Spicy chicken wings to balance with my cocktail.
Before heading back to my car, I walked along the water just in time to catch the sunset. I felt so blessed to see the skies dance in various colors and productive in just 10 hours in San Diego. I shall be back!

The sailor in me squealed to see submarines and big ships!
The golden hour reflecting on high-rise condos. 

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