Mid-week alone in San Diego

Hello all,

I%26#39;ve been to San Diego many times before but never alone and am looking for ideas on things to do.

I will be staying at the Manchester Hyatt by Seaport Village on a Tuesday and Wednesday. I did not want to rent a car but would like to visit Balboa Park and may not be leaving until after dark so don%26#39;t want to deal with public transportation. Here are the things I%26#39;m thinking of doing:

Seaport Village

-After reading reviews, I can imagine what this place is and doubt I%26#39;ll be there for long.

Balboa Park Food and Wine School

-Anybody been to a cooking class here? It sounds fun, and it%26#39;s cheaper than the ones they hold in Vegas. I don%26#39;t want to be the only person there though, so is it relatively popular?

Balboa Park Gardens

-Figure I%26#39;ll just walk around and maybe take some pictures. I haven%26#39;t been to Balboa Park before, other than the zoo, so I%26#39;m hoping it will be interesting.

That%26#39;s pretty much all I have for specifics. Are there any other suggestions for cooking classes, or is this a good choice?

Beach -- I am interested in possibly going to lay out at the beach, if the weather is decent. Is there a good beach that won%26#39;t have too many parking issues? I think Mission Beach might be too hectic this time around.

Dining

--Mexican! I want some really good Mexican food. I don%26#39;t need anything fancy or creative, just tasty Mexican. I don%26#39;t really care which area. I think when researching for my last trip there was a place called Casa Guadalajara that was recommended near Old Town but not in Old Town. Is that a good choice? I have a feeling that may not be what it was called, and I%26#39;m mixing up some details.

--Indian, Italian, French, Thai, Greek, any other ethnic food, or seafood. I%26#39;d prefer something in the Gaslamp. I always end up at Cafe Sevilla, so I want to skip it this time around. I%26#39;m in my mid-20s and like fun, ';hip'; places, but food is most important. I%26#39;m not embarrassed to dine out alone, so that won%26#39;t be an issue.

Any other ideas on things to DO in San Diego? I might be better off just relaxing since I never do. Any suggestions on where I could even do that? I%26#39;ve done the zoo, Sea World, TJ, and Old Town (although I never get tired of it and am interested in seeing what horrors have become of the place) and really have no clue what I%26#39;m missing.

Help! Thanks.

Mid-week alone in San Diego

I LOVE Case Guadalajara. It is in old town just on the outskirt of it. On the corner of Taylor and Juan. I love the Guadalajara chicken tacos.

Have you been to La Jolla or out to the Cabrillo monument (which is a really nice drive to the monument and the views are unsurpassed.)

Do you like fishing how about a deep sea fishing excursion?

Mid-week alone in San Diego

Thanks! For some reason, I think I%26#39;ve been to Casa Guadalajara before, but it was back when I was a picky eater, so I guess I%26#39;ll try it again.

What is the drive to La Jolla or the Cabrillo monument like as far as the roads? I really freak out if I%26#39;m on cliffs and will meet my maker with one wrong move. I%26#39;ve been interested in La Jolla for years now but still haven%26#39;t gotten around to it, but I hadn%26#39;t even heard about Cabrillo until now.

I think fishing is pretty much out of the question for now. I%26#39;m a girly-girl (sort of), and while I would actually be interested in doing it, I%26#39;d prefer to go with friends or family. Too bad I haven%26#39;t done it though. If I had, it%26#39;s definitely something I%26#39;d do on this trip!

No cliffs to either La Jolla or Cabrillo Monument.

It is an easy drive to La Jolla, although the drive in may be a little busy depending on the time. Beach traffic starts picking up around noon. I think you will like it. There is the beautiful La Jolla Cove, as well as Prospect Street/Girard Ave where you do some (window) shopping and good eating.

I%26#39;ve heard good things about the cooking classes at the Balbo park spot. YOu might also want to look up Great News. They seem to be the biggest and offer the most variety of classes.

http://www.great-news.com/

They have some hands on classes there that are a lot of fun. The link will give you a schedule.

There are a number of good Mexican in town. Fidel%26#39;s in La JOlla is good.

You should check out La JOlla. You could lay out there. The shores mid week should be fine for parking.

Have fun.

You might like to explore Little Italy, which is on India Street downtown (starting at northern end of the Gaslamp.) There are some great restaurants there, plus some cool little shops.

Hillcrest is another fun neighborhood with lots of interesting shops to explore. It is the ';West Hollywood of San Diego'; but in a much smaller, scaled-down version.

Not sure how hip it is, but I like a Greek/Mediterranean place called Cafe Athena. It%26#39;s on Garnet in Pacific Beach. They always win those ';readers%26#39; choice'; awards.

I%26#39;ve never known anyone who has taken Balboa Park cooking classes. I like the classes at Sur la Table in Carlsbad. They have classes every weekday in both mornings and evenings.

Have fun!

Thanks everybody!

Elle, I%26#39;m glad to hear it%26#39;s an easy drive. I%26#39;m kind of regretting not actually staying in La Jolla since I%26#39;ve heard so much about it but never manage to go. I%26#39;ll definitely check it out this trip.

Kat, thanks for the link to Great News. I%26#39;m glad I don%26#39;t live there, or I%26#39;d be broke from taking two classes a day (hence spending money AND ditching work)! I%26#39;ll compare all these places when I get home tonight and see who has the most intriguing menu for the days I%26#39;m there.

Drucie, of course the Sur la Table Web site, of all sites, is blocked here at work, so I%26#39;ll check it out later. I%26#39;ve always wanted to visit Little Italy, but I rarely hear much about it, so I%26#39;ll try to fit it in this trip. I think I actually planned to eat at Cafe Athena when I visited last year, but I was stuck with a boring person who never wanted to leave the hotel.

With all these suggestions, I may have to extend my trip or come again next month! I definitely need to stop limiting my San Diego visits to one or two a year. This is all great information. Thanks again.