We had booked a trip to Kaanapali, Maui, for Labor Day. I was looking forward to a couple of days beach, pool, dolphin trips, cocktails and good food. In summary, island living. On the morning of August 8, we heard the devastating news that a wildfire was threatening the town of Lahaina. The strong winds caused by hurricane Dora, spread the fire so fast, that it pretty much burned the old fishermen’s town to ashes. Realizing that all resources in Maui were needed to support the locals, we agreed that we should cancel our trip. However, still wanting some sun, we decided to go searching for island vibes in San Diego instead.
Hawaiian vibe in Del Mar
One advantage of going to San Diego is that it is an easy hour and fifteen-minute flight from San Jose. As a result, we get to our hotel, Marriot Del Mar early afternoon, just in time for a late lunch and glass of rose by the pool. Our first night dinner is at Jake’s in Del Mar. Jake’s location is right at the ocean and reminds me of one of my favorite Hawaiian hangouts, Duke’s. So, I am not surprised to find out they are owned by the same people. I have the mixed seafood pot, with lobster, mussels, shrimp in a saffron tomato broth, on top of a risotto cake and fried leeks on top, while Mandi opts for the togarashi spice crusted ahi. To get into the island mood, we have to order the hula pie for dessert. It is a monstrous portion, and we can only finish about a quarter of it between the 2 of us.
Foggy hike on Torry Pines coastal trail
The next morning, we get up early for a hike along the coast. It is cloudy when we leave the hotel, and closer to the coast, it gets even more foggy. It does not discourage us. The trail leads us up the cliff and the views are eerily beautiful. The spiders have been busy and there are beautiful big webs all along the trail. The trail leads us down to the coast and back along the water and the rocky cliffs. It is good that the tide is going out. We still have to run and jump a couple of times to avoid the waves (and not always successful, leading to soaked shoes).
Breakfast, Shopping and dinner in La Jolla
After the hike, we are hungry. We decide to go to La Jolla for brunch. The restaurant we wanted to go to, The Cottage, has a 1 1/2 hour wait, so we settle for Parakeet Cafe. We are happy with our chilaquiles and mushroom toast. After brunch, we stroll around La Jolla for a couple of hours, exploring town and doing some shopping. We return to La Jolla again for dinner after a relaxing time at the pool. Dinner is at Sandpiper Woodfire & Oster bar. The highlight definitely the oysters and brussels sprouts, but the crispy shrimp are delicious too.
Brunch at Coronado Island
On Sunday morning we drive early to Coronado Island, avoiding anticipated traffic later that day. We grab a coffee to go at the ferry pier and walk to the other side of the island. We have reservations at Serea, in the famous and historic Hotel Del at 11.30. As we are early, we have time to walk around the hotel ground and beach. I had a wedding here years ago and it feels like time has stood. The hotel is still as majestic as it was then.
Cocktails and lobster
After our little walk, we are hungry and ready for some food. We are seated outdoors, with a great view over the ocean. We browse the cocktail menu. I have to say, trying to find a cocktail with no lemon or lime is hard, so we consult our waiter. He recommends “Orange you glad”, a concoction of Grey Goose L’orange, Cointreau, lemon, blood orange bitters, minus the lemon. Mandi goes for the Seascape and decides on the eggs benedict with serrano ham. I, on the other side, have the lobster roll, one of my favorites. It is one of the best brunches I have had, and we return to the hotel for a nice relaxing afternoon at the pool.
Chasing Dolphins
The highlight of this trip is the whale and dolphin tour I booked with Offshore Blue adventures. I have done these types of tours before, but normally on a bigger boat. This time I have booked us on a small raft, that can only fit up to 6 passengers. Our tour starts at noon on Monday. We arrive early, at 11.30, but we are lucky. Captain CiCi tells us that there is only four of us going out and the other two passengers are there already as well. After getting our life vests and instructions, we are off. We slowly cruise out of San Diego Mission Bay Harbor. It is a glorious day, blue skies, temperatures in the high seventies with a light breeze. Once we leave the harbor, we pick up speed. CiCi tells us we will go about 7 miles out, to a place where normally dolphins hang out. Mandi and I sit in the front, wind in our hair, sun on our face. I am happy to be out on the water and excited to see some sea animals.
Rizzo Dolphins
A little less than an hour later, CiCi slows down. She has heard over the radio that we are close to the spot where a pod of Risso dolphins was spotted earlier. Slowly cruising around, she tells us Risso dolphins are easy to spot as you can see their white bellies in the water. And sure thing, soon we see them ahead, smoothly cruising through the water. She gets the raft close, and we cruise along with them. They are bigger than the bottle nose dolphins I have seen in Hawaii and the common dolphins on other locations and their nose is flatter. It is a beautiful sight to see them glide elegantly through the water, coming up for air regularly. They seem undisturbed by our presence.
More dolphins – Commoners
After following the pod with Rissos for a while, CiCi tells us we are going south, where a pod of common dolphins has been spotted. We speed to where a couple of other boats are. And indeed, soon we find ourselves in the middle of a pod of dolphins. I take a couple of pictures and videos, and then just sit and watch them jump and play in front of us, as if they are putting up a show. We cruise back north towards Mission Bay, when we encounter another pod of common dolphins, this one even bigger, we estimate several hundred of them. They are all around us, a spectacular sight. Although we did not see whales today, my heart is full, and I can always come back for another trip with Offshore Blue Ocean in winter to see the whales.
Dining at James Beard nominated restaurant: Juniper and Ivy
We have a wonderful dinner on Sunday night at Juniper and Ivy, located in an old, abandoned warehouse in the hip Little Italy neighborhood. When we are seated outside, the restaurant is already buzzing at 7.30. We start with oyster and a smoked sturgeon dip with nori chips, that is absolutely to die for. The ahi wellington peaks both our interest, so we both decide that we have to try it. It is cooked to perfection, the ahi still seared, stuffed in a spinach filled puff party. To top it all off, we have the yellow peach crisp for dessert. After brunch at Serea and this dinner, we both swear we will not eat again for the rest of the week.
Our resolution did not last long.
Going out with a bang
On our last morning, we decide to have brunch at one of the hot spots in San Diego, Morning Glory. It is an experience for sure. The restaurant is located in the heart of Little Italy, on the second floor. They don’t take reservations. It is Tuesday morning, and the line is not too long (we have heard people lining up for 3-4 hours during the weekend). After a 15-minute wait, we are seated at the bar. Fine with us, as it makes for great people watching. We order a Morning Glory Spritz, while browsing the breakfast menu. A bit disappointed that they only serve the dumplings during the weekend, we decide to go all out with other dishes. Mandi orders the breakfast carbonara and I decide I want more lobster and go for the lobster Bennie. To go all in on our last breakfast, we also add an order of the souffle pancakes. Brunch coma after for sure.
Island vibes
Although I was disappointed that we had to cancel Maui, I was happy to rediscover all that San Diego has to offer. We went searching for island vibes in San Diego and I can tell you, there are plenty of places that can give you just that. Nice beaches, cute little coastal towns and a variety of great restaurants. We had the most amazing food experiences, and besides that, the absolute highlight was being on the raft and close to hundreds of dolphins. More than enough reasons to return.
