San Diego has so many gorgeous neighbourhoods, and I was so excited to explore Coronado. We hopped on and off with the San Diego Old Town Trolley tour, which was convenient and the best way to stave off my nerves going over the massive Coronado bridge.
We were picked up in the Gaslamp Quarter, a short walk away from my sister‘s apartment in East Village. I loved seeing the vintage Horton Grand Hotel that was beautifully restored.
It was a busy day, so even though the first trolley was full, we got on the next one. I’m glad we waited for the newer vehicle, because our next stop was the Coronado bridge. The newer buses have real windows and were less open, which made me feel more secure as we travelled over 2.1 miles and 200 feet over the San Diego Bay. I’m not one for heights, but I distracted myself taking photos and taking in the stunning view.
We got off in Coronado, which is a beautiful peninsula, home to the famous Hotel Del Coronado and resort communities. I loved learning about the history behind Coronado, and seeing some of the original Victorian Queen Anne architecture.
I’m wearing an embroidered dress from Zara (similar here), Minimal baroque sunglasses from Prada, a Sofia crossbody bag by Rebecca Minkoff and my comfy leather sandals from Clarks.
Shop the post:
We gave ourselves about an hour or so to explore Hotel Del Coronado. I had to sneak in to the courtyard to snap some pictures of these gorgeous hot pink patio sets. The hotel is very old fashioned, but peaceful. Since it was the Holidays, they have a rink set up, so you can figure skate on the beach! We walked around the grounds and I loved all the bungalows and scenery.
San Diego Old Town
Next up, we went back over the bridge and through Balboa Park and Little Italy towards San Diego’s Old Town. I’ve been to Old Town before and was excited to come back again to explore. This time, there were a lot more tourists, so it lost a bit of that old world charm for me. The vendors were friendly though, and I ended up with a quartz bracelet and an ombre cat candle. Yes, I’m a five-year-old child.
We stopped for some lunch, and the gluten-free empanadas were a highlight. I wouldn’t really recommend eating in Old Town San Diego, as the food portions were insanely massive and the Tex Mex was very bland. I like a bit more kick and unique ingredients. Puesto in downtown is a much better alternative for Mexican, and was one of our faves on our trip!
We also visited the Whaley House Museum, which is supposedly haunted. I took hundreds of photos, however, didn’t see any ghosts. I already have a ghost in my new apartment (more on that later…) so I was more interested in seeing the beautiful decor sets within the house. It was adorable seeing a Victorian Christmas, complete with creepy dolls and the pretty white and blue kitchen.
We hopped back on the San Diego Old Town Trolley to head back into downtown. We got an awesome guide who was cracking jokes while sharing San Diego’s military history. The San Diego Old Town Trolley tour was a great way to take in the city’s tourist highlights in one day, and get around without having to worry about parking. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re new to the city or only have a couple days to spend.
