Honey Buffalo Chicken Salad

It’s been a WHILE since I’ve posted a recipe here. To be honest the pressure to take stunning photos, write the recipe, write the post and just all the things that go into sharing a recipe overwhelms me often, BUT I’ve missed sharing recipes so much. So….I decided to just take some iphone photos of a recipe I made that we loved and share it here because it makes me happy.

And this one was just too good not to share and I don’t want you to miss out on the goodness.

I’ve deemed this the summer of salads. Don’t get me wrong I’ve eaten my fair share of salads, but a lot of those salads have been lazy and not the most interesting. So, this summer I committed to making interesting salads. Sure, they take a bit more work, but this is the kind of salad that doesn’t feel like a punishment to eat for dinner. Although this Honey Buffalo Chicken Salad is a bit more involved than just throwing vegetables in a bowl it still comes together pretty quick. I’d even venture to say that you could probably convince a non-salad eater to fall in love.

Honey Buffalo Chicken Salad

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

SALAD

• 2/3 Frank's hot sauce

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into cubes

• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt

• 6 cups greens of choice, we used Kale

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

• 1 cup grilled corn kernels (about 2 ears)

• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese or cubed cheddar

• 6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

• 1 avocado, chopped

DRESSING

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/3 cup mayo

• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro

• 3 tablespoons fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• kosher salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix the hot sauce and honey.

3. Toss together the olive oil, chicken, seasoned salt, and a pinch of pepper. Add 1/4 cup honey buffalo sauce, toss to coat. Spread the chicken out onto a baking sheet.

3. Bake chicken in the oven for 15 minutes and then stir. Coat with another layer of buffalo sauce and bake for 10 minutes longer or until the chicken has a bit of crispiness to it.

4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

5. Toss the greens, cilantro, tomatoes, corn, with 1/2 the dressing. Arrange the chicken, cheese, bacon, and avocado on top. Serve with additional dressing and hot sauce.

Our Favorite Coffee, Food, + Sights in {And Around} Duluth, Minnesota

If I had to sum up Duluth in one word it would be — underrated. Maybe I’m the crazy one for sleeping on the magic of the Northern Midwest, but truly I was blown away by how cool this little lake city is. Last year we visited for the first time over Fourth of July and were completely smitten. We fell in love with the amount of outdoor activities, emphasis on handmade local goods, stunning scenery, and northern hippy vibe.

We decided to go again for Fourth of July this year and even after that we still feel like we have so much left to explore! One of my favorite things about Duluth is that it’s low-key. The restaurants aren’t fussy (delicious, but not fussy) and the fashion is casual. The people are welcoming and just so happy you’ve come to check out their city. If you get the chance I’d highly recommend a trip up to Duluth. Between hiking, paddle boarding, exploring restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries you will not be short on things to do. And on the off chance you are — just ask a local for some more suggestions and they’ll be happy to weigh in!

 

Getting THere

From Omaha, getting to Duluth is about an 8 hour drive — just a little over 2 hours north of Minneapolis. If you’re planning to fly there they do have a small airport. If you are flying I’d recommend renting a car to get around the city to fully get to experience it.

WHERE WE STAYED

Traverse Hotel - For a dog-friendly trendy motel this Airbnb was okay. We stayed there last year and I liked it enough to book it again, but our experience this time wasn’t as great. The idea of an updated motel it is a bit cuter than the execution — it had a slight musty smell this time that drove me crazy so it worked, but not somewhere we will stay again. Next time I will look into Enger Loft Hotel or Pier B Resort Hotel.

COFFEE

For a city of this size the coffee scene is impressive. You will have plenty of options to explore!

Dream Cloud Coffee - The vibe, the coffee — it’s all so great! Located downtown this shop roasts their own coffee

Dovetail Cafe + Market - This place has a hippy-cabin vibe that I just loved. They have a little market inside where they sell local handmade goods that will just make you smile. Their coffee is solid and roasted on site under the name Almanac Coffee. They also have great baked goods and breakfast/lunch options.

Back Alley Coffee - Full disclosure we didn’t try their coffee, but the VIBEEEE is on point. They mainly operate as a surf shop, but also have coffee options from Underwood Coffee (a local roastery). Literally I felt like we were in SoCal — it was a dream. I am very excited to go back and hang out on their patio.

New London Cafe - They’re pretty focused on breakfast, but they also serve up a solid cup of locally roasted coffee from Underwood Coffee (the same as Back Alley) and while you’re here you might as well help yourself to a yummy breakfast before hitting the trails or driving up the shore!

Fika (not in Duluth, but definitely worth stopping if you drive up the North Shore — which you should definitely do!) - this shop is a tiny little roaster that captured our attention on instagram because of their hygge vibe and welcoming tone toward their community. Unfortunately the day we were there they were super busy (holiday weekend) so we didn’t get to chat with the baristas as much as we would have liked, but the coffee was solid and it was such a cute location.

FOOD

One of the million things I love about Duluth is its focus on farm-to-table cuisine. Every single restaurant we went to claimed to use as many local ingredients as possible and it was very evident that they put a lot of love into their food.

Duluth Grill - They have a wide variety of new American dishes with some twists, but what I love most is their commitment to organic and local ingredients. Great for breakfast or lunch.

Dovetail Cafe and Market - This place stole Josiah and I’s hearts. It has such a northern-hippy-cabin vibe to it. I know I already mentioned it in the coffee section, but they also have great baked goods and an amazing frittata as well as other breakfast + lunch options.

Corktown Deli and Brews - If you’re looking for local deli that serves unique, high quality sandwiches and salads this is your place. I had their Bruss-alo Chicken Salad that had blackened chicken and then fried buffalo brussels sprouts tossed with blue cheese and a variety of fresh veggies. IT HIT THE SPOT. Josiah got a spicy reuben that was so yummy (but it was very spicy so if that’s not your jam then beware.) They have a large menu so be prepared to make a very tough decision.

OMC Smokehouse - This place has a large menu with lots of options to cover all of your BBQ needs. Bonus they have outdoor fire pits you can sit around while you wait for a table.

At Sarah’s Table Chester Creek Cafe - One of our top meals we had while in Duluth was at Sarah’s Table. Their New American menu offers a wide range of options to choose from. I got the beef shawarma wrap with yam fries and it was so delicious! Josiah got the okonimayaki — a Japanese style potato pancake — and it was so flavorful and unique!

Love Creamery - This might be a bold statement, but I think that this is the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I know, bold, but possibly true. We did our The butterscotch brownie, monster cookie, salted caramel with crack cookies, and blueberry cheesecake are actively in my dreams. I’d highly recommend planning to go every day (or multiple times a day!) so that you can work your way through their incredible flavor line-up. Or if you leave enough room after dinner (or want to call it dinner) they have a flight of ice cream where you can try six different flavors for only $10! That’s on my agenda for our next visit. Both their Lincoln Park and Canal Park locations have different flavor options too so definitely worth hitting up both.

Lou’s Fish House - A deli about 30 minutes northeast of Duluth on the scenic highway that’s serving up a wide range of smoked fish. Last year we drove past their sign that said “Our famous smoked fish cheese ice cream” and I laughed because the thought of a fish flavored ice cream sounded gross (and obviously not what they were actually describing) but this year our hunger drew us to stop on our way back from hiking on the North Shore. We got their honey glazed smoked salmon, the smoked salmon dip with crackers, and some cheese curds and called it dinner one night and lunch the next. It was so delicious that I’m only a tiny bit sad that their advertisement was a bit misleading.

New Scenic Cafe - This is a Scandinavian American restaurant along the coast of lake superior that blew us away. I was told ahead of time that this was a must and that it’s a little spendy, but I still wasn’t prepared for how spendy it was going to be. To really have a great experience I’d say expect to spend $$$. It’s a special experience for sure.

Drinks

For a city this size it shocked me that they had such a booming cider and beer scene. Just within a few blocks in Lincoln Park there’s two breweries and two cideries — all bringing something different to the table. A few of the nights that we were there we brought Azul (our new favorite strategy game) and just hung out at the different cideries/breweries. Truly each of them is worth a visit for a different reason.

Bent Paddle Brewing - Pictured above they have a great outdoor space with games and often have live music and food trucks!

Duluth Cider - We had a lot of fun doing their tasting flight and are still kicking ourselves for not bringing back a 6-pack of the coffee cider. That’s right, coffee flavored cider. It was so, so good! They had a pineapple one that was also top notch.

Wild State Cider - This place was so cute inside and had some unique cider options as well!

Shops

If you walk around Lincoln Park on Superior street you’ll hit a lot of cute shops. Here are a few we really liked.

Goat Hill Market Place - Just a cute little kitchen store / high end neighborhood grocer.

North Flora- A dreamy plant store with cute little nic nacs.

Thirteen Main - A high-end home decor shop / interior decorating firm that will have you redesigning your home by the time you walk out.

Frost River - If you want to browse beautiful outdoor gear and feel more outdoorsy than you actual are, this is a great stop.

Ren Market - A zero waste and refill shop that will definitely inspire you.

Moon Market - This shop is further up the shore, but it is worth a stop — even if just to browse.

OUTDOORSY THINGS

This list hardly even begins to cover the long list of things to do in Duluth, but these are some of the places we’ve explored that we have loved!

The Lakewalk - This is mostly located along lake Superior and consists of 8 miles of paved pedestrian and bike trail. It runs from Bayfront Park to Brighton Beach. We parked in front of the Portland Malt Shop and then headed down a flight of stairs tucked behind the shop to get to the trail and then walked west toward the lighthouse. It’s such a beautiful, flat walk.

Sugar Loaf Cove - up the shore a bit. You can do like a 0.5 mile hike and be met with a stunning cliffside views to either side, but with capability to easily climb down and get close to the water. Such a great payoff for a minimal effort.

Superior Hiking Trail - This trail runs for over 300 miles and offers a wide variety of terrain. Some of the trail runs right through Duluth which means you can hop on and enjoy a fantastic hike without even driving too far!

Tettagouche State Park - This park is about an hour north of Duluth and definitely worth the drive.

Gooseberry Falls State Park - Another great park to explore that’s about 45 minutes from Duluth.

Palisade head - the first photo in this post was taken here. Unless it’s super, super busy you can park at the top and just pop out of your car and snag a photo quick. It’s so, so great and a great stop on your way to Tettagouche!

Our Favorite Coffee, Food, + Sights in Maui, Hawaii

This year, we spent the week surrounding Easter in Maui, Hawaii! We had some Southwest points we had saved up making it a much less expensive trip. That paired with the knowledge that my great aunt lived there and would be able to offer many suggestions of things to do solidified the destination. Per usual we researched hardly anything and planned near nothing so each day we took it as it came and ended up having a really, really lovely trip!

Josiah and I got super lucky that we both like to travel in similar ways. We don’t show up completely blind (most of the time…), but we really just take each day as it comes. Each of us does some casual research and the rest we kind of just learn as we go. For us, it allows us to adapt as we go and doesn’t leave us bogged down by reservations that we don’t end up wanting to use in the moment— in fact we’re hardly ever have a reservation (usually just hotel/airbnb ones, but we are never above changing those — hosts are generally more flexible than you’d expect!). That being said there are definite cons to not booking anything ahead (sold out, etc.). But, usually if we have a hotel and airline tickets we are golden. I can also see how this could be a super frustrating way to travel, so if it’s not your jam — i get it.

 

Getting THere

Getting there from Omaha isn’t the easiest — it’s not terrible, but it’s a journey. We flew 2 hours to Vegas and then 6 hours to Maui. On the way back we went through Phoenix and had similar travel times (side note, the Phoenix airport has a new terminal and it has some gorgeous art totally worth checking out!).

Renting a car

Pretty much non-negotiable unless you just came to lay on the beach. Which if you flew all the way to Hawaii just to lay on the beach you are missing most of the wonderful uniqueness that the islands have to offer! The beaches are pretty, but the real magic is in the mountains and rainforests.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at my Aunt’s house in Wailuku which ended up being the perfect location! They live in a little subdivision that allowed us easy access to the beach, but wasn’t far from town if we needed to grab anything. Staying in Wailuku is a good option since it’s only 15 minutes from the airport and still gives easy access to the rest of the island. If we weren’t staying at my Aunt’s I think it would be fun to have stayed in Paia, a close-by town that was smaller and a little closer to the road to Hana (it is also where our favorite coffee shop was).

A lot of people really love staying in Lahaina, but although it’s cute to go visit, it’s so touristy and personally wouldn’t be where I’d want to stay. To get to the road to Hana from here is a bit more of a trek. Just worth noting.

Things that surprised me:

Time Change

The time change HIT ME HARD. Maui is 5 hours behind Omaha. Although I was warned that I would likely wake up at 4am every day and be left twiddling my thumbs waiting for a coffee shop to open — and although my experience wasn’t that dramatic— it definitely hit me hard. I was awake by 5am most days, but with each day I gradually inched my way closer to waking up at 6am — just in time to fly home and be forced to switch my schedule back to Omaha time. Waking up at 6am Omaha time on our first day back was like waking up at 1am Maui time. It. Was. A. Struggle. Maybe just have a bit more foresight than I did and take an extra day off of work to recover when you get back.

Touristy

I shouldn’t have been shocked….like it’s Hawaii for goodness sake, but I was shocked at how touristy/busy some of the island was. I was kind of expecting since we were hitting it on the off season that it wouldn’t be so intense, but man if that’s what the off-season is like I would never want to be there during busy season. We adjusted our plans accordingly and moved faster on the road to Hana than we probably would have to avoid the larger, lingering groups Pretty much anything we thought could be busy we tried to start early and that did help a bit.

Claustrophobic

I felt a little claustrophobic being on the island. It’s a pretty small island honestly— only 727 square miles (about the same size as Rhode Island)— and that actually got to me more than I expected. In the short-term I don’t think it affected me too much, but the idea of living there full-time definitely freaked me out a bit. Which is kind of crazy coming from someone who almost always dreams about moving anywhere we visit. The remoteness of it on top of the small size was just a little freaky for me.

food cost

People talk about Hawaii food being expensive…but dangggg it was really, really expensive! We ended up balancing our eating out with picking up some groceries so we weren’t spending so much $$$ per day on food. It was a good compromise for us, but if you prefer to eat out just be prepared.

COFFEE

Full disclosure, truly none of the coffee shops we ended up at swooped in and stole our hearts. I definitely won’t recommend flying there just to explore the coffee scene by any means, BUT if you end up on Maui and find yourself in search of some caffeine, these were the top three coffee shops that we found. If you’ve gone and found others you’ve liked I would love to hear about them!

Better Things Cafe - This one was in Paia and was on our way to most of the places we wanted to go so we ended up going here almost every day. I went for their drip coffee every day that we were there and it was really consistent. It was a medium-light roasted coffee and was overall a pretty balanced cup — no crazy notes or anything, but just a smooth cup that proved a good start to the day! Their iced coffee was actually pretty dang good too. It felt like the kind of place locals visited often, but there would also occasionally be groups of tourists popping in as well. The atmosphere was the kind of place that you just wanted to hang out and read a book. We got bagel sandwiches here one day and they were good, but really pricey!

Momona - The coffee here wasn’t quite as good as the coffee at Better Things so we only went here once HOWEVER, their pastries were to die for! They had tons of options that I might still dream about going back for. The timing never worked out for us to go back, but I would gladly work my way through their menu.

Espresso Mafia - Such a cute place! They serve their coffee out of an adorable camper! It was on our way to Haleakala National park so a very convenient location, suuuuuper friendly staff, and an adorable patio. I would recommend it more for location convenience and cuteness of the patio, but not a terrible cup of coffee either.

Food

Before we went to Maui people warned that the food was really expensive. It’s a warning I’ve heard often when traveling so I assumed that it was maybe an exaggeration, but quickly learned it definitely was not an exaggeration. Once the initial sticker shock settled in we decided to balance eating-out with picking up some fruits, veggies, yogurts, sandwiches, and salads at Whole Foods. This ended up working out great for us because we spent a lot of our time in the mountains where there weren’t restaurants closeby anyway! When we did eat out we did end up finding some really, really great gems.

South Maui Fish Co. - This is the kind of place I’d fly back just to go eat at. They had 100% local fish that you could get as a plate, poke bowl, or tacos. I opted for the plate and Josiah got the tacos. Everything was so flavorful and fresh! Definitely our top food experience of the trip (pictured above).

Sensai Kiehe - The atmosphere of this place wasn’t great, BUT the food was phenomenal. My cousin’s husband is the chef here so we got to try A TON of the menu. The sushi was to-die-for, but the miso butterfish was the absolute best! I’d definitely recommend making this a stop on your Maui food adventures.

Leoda’s Kitchen + Pie Shop - The salads, the sandwiches, the PIES! We went twice because we couldn’t stay away. Everything felt so fresh! This is located just south of Lahaina so it’s the perfect stop if you’re exploring that area for the day. I had read that the lines can get super, super long, but both times we went it wasn’t too bad. We did try to hit it on “off hours” and I think that helped. The first time we went around 2pm and then the second time was around 11am.

Paia Fish Market - The shrimp and chips were perfectly crispy and even though they were fried they didn’t leave you feeling heavy!

Cafe O’ Lei - We went here for brunch and not only is the food good, but the scenery is stunning! The restaurant is nestled inside a former sugarcane plantation turned into a coffee shop, boutique, and market. It’s a super fun place to go and hang out for a few hours in the morning. I’d definitely recommend the eggs Benedict or the sautéed Mahi Mahi if you’re going for brunch.

The Road to Hana - there are a lot of little places to stop along The Road to Hana. We did the road to Hana on our first full day and so we hadn’t yet figured out the high cost of food and therefor did not bring a lunch. We ended up stopping at a lot of different little “food trucks” and “food shacks” along the route which was so, so fun, but it was VERY expensive. It wasn’t bad food by any means, but I paid $15 for a tiny sandwich that I was still really hungry after eating. Totally fun to do for the experience, but I think if I’d do it again I would bring more snacks to supplement with.

Hana Farms Bakery - In contrast to the places on the way to Hana, once you’ve arrived in Hana, Hana Farms has an adorable market, cafe, and bakery with lots of fun options. We didn’t eat at the cafe, BUT what I ended up getting from the bakery was some of the most amazing banana bread I’ve ever had! When we bought the loaf I knew we needed to try it because everyone raves about it, but i thought, “No way would the two of us be able to eat the whole loaf!!” — Well…we did and we started dreaming about driving back for more. We got the macadamia nut banana bread and it was so, so, so good! It had a crispy crust on top, it wasn’t too sweet, and it was perfectly moist. If we go back I’d love to eat at their cafe (and smuggle 10 loaves of banana bread into my suitcase). Definitely worth a stop!

sights

Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is a magical drive along the eastern side of the island where you’re met with various waterfalls you can stop and swim in and breathtaking views around every corner. I was worried that this tourist attraction would not be worth the hype, but it was definitely worth the hype. Plan to spend the whole day driving this epic part of the island, getting out of the car for various photo opportunities, stopping for food at the various food trucks and just taking in all the views.

The Road Past Hana

I absolutely loved the road to Hana, BUT the road past Hana was even better! Most people get to Hana and then turn around and go back the way they came, but if you keep going on 360 towards Kaupo you will be in for a treat. The road opens up and you can see so much farther. The traffic is also less which makes it more enjoyable overall. Be aware that the amenities (gas, toilets, food, etc.) on this portion of the road aren’t really available though.

Haleakalā National Park

The park is situated on the southeast side of the island and provides various hiking trails on the volcanic terrain. We only did one hike here, but it was unlike any other hike we’ve done before. We started at the Halemau'u Trailhead on the upper part of the mountain and hiked down into the crater. The ecosystem we got to experience was surreal. The crowd on this particular hike was almost non-existent which was a definite win for us! We ended up hiking four miles in and four miles back and it was pretty dang strenuous. Be prepared and bring lots of water.

Pipiwai Trail - Bamboo forest

This hike is technically located in Haleakalā National Park. In contrast with our strenuous volcano hike in the park, this hike was pretty low-key. The downside to it being low-key however is that it was also pretty busy. If you can try and get there early your chances of it being less busy are probably better. This 4-mile trail takes you on a nice, moderate hike through a bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls — a stunning waterfall that will not disappoint. Bring water and wear shoes that have good traction.

Driving the northwestern part of the island

We started the drive in Wailuku and then drove along the coast, staying on 340 the entire way to Lahaina. This drive was equal parts terrifying and magical. The road hugs the mountain very closely and at times it turns into a one lane where you have to honk going around the curb to see if anyone else is coming. The views felt like what I envision Ireland to be — lush, green, and craggy mountains. We didn’t have great luck with cell reception over here so I would definitely recommend downloading offline maps just in case.

Our Favorite Coffee, Food, + Sights in San Diego, California

San Diego is definitely in the top five of my list of favorite cities. Back in 2018 Josiah and I planned to pack up our car and move there with no jobs, no apartment, and really no plan at all — just our blissful innocence. Fortunately we began having more responsible thoughts and decided staying in Omaha, but allowing ourselves to visit once or twice a year was a more realistic option. So over the past five years we have tried our darnest to make it there as many times as we can. I still wouldn’t consider myself an expert in all things San Diego, but I know enough about it to know that if you’ve never been, you should definitely go.

The weather in and of itself is reason to love this phenomenal city, but beyond that it has such a chill atmosphere. I may have decided not to actually move there five years ago, but that doesn’t mean I don’t day dream about it on the regular. Give me that surf, hike, coffee, + repeat life!

Here are our favorite coffee shops, restaurants, + things to do in San Diego that I hope get your excited to plan your next vacation!

Coffee

Acento - This shop is tucked back on an industrial-ish street and is super unique! The detailing of the shop has a very natural, masculine vibe. Half of the shop is reserved for roasting which is always cool because you feel like you get an up close and personal behind-the-scenes-view! The owner was super kind and willing to chat with us about all things coffee both times we were there! We bought a bag to bring home, but wished we would have at least gotten two!

Flor & Seed Coffee Roasters - Serving exlusively mexican coffee this shop in Old Town was such a treat!

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters - They have a few locations, but my personal favorite is the one right next to Torrey Pines. That location has a great deck where you can sit and enjoy a cup of decaf and watch the sunset after an afternoon wandering the beach or hiking the cliffs of Torrey Pines.

Steady State - This is actually further up the coast, but on the off chance you’re making a trip to Carlsbad this place is totally worth a stop. The coffee is spot on!

Love Song - This shop is nestled in the super trendy North Park neighborhood and is what I would picture Palm Springs like in the 60’s. Their coffee roaster was broken so I didn’t get to try their coffee, but go here for the atmosphere and you won’t be disappointed. The wait time on the weekends can get pretty bananas, but we lucked out and were able to hit it up on a weekday.

Public Square Coffee House - Located in La Mesa this shop has the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to sit down and get work done. If you’re in the area its’s a great option for coffee + food!

Moniker General Coffee - I love this place! Located in Liberty Station this place not only has great coffee, but they also serve cocktails. There is lots and lots of seating and is such a fun place to hang out!

Communal Coffee - I can’t say they have the best cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted, but I thoroughly enjoy sitting on the patio of the South park location where the coffee is served out of an adorable little camper.

Scrimshaw Coffee - Cute little shop with a gorgeous raw edged counter facing the front window. We absolutely loved the coffee + bagel sanwhiches we got here.

Food

Zgara Greek Grill - Delicious gyros!

Bahn Thai - Top curries I’ve ever had! Located in University Heights this place is tiny, but totally worth the wait if you can’t get in initially.

Seafood La 57 - Located in North Park this place is great! If you like seafood you have to go here! It’s the full food truck experience - parking-lot-side seating, lots of food, and low prices for what you get.

Public Square Coffee House - Worth mentioning in the coffee section as well as the food section this shop is great for coffee or food if you’re in La Mesa.

Local Tap House - If you venture up the coast a little further into oceanside I highly recommend checking out this place that is serving up elevated bar food. I got the black and bleu brussels sprouts and it was heavenly. It’s under the appetizer menu, but you can definitely top it with a sunny egg to make it feel more like a meal!

Scoops La Jolla - Adorable ice cream shop located steps away from the La Jolla beach. They have tons of non-dairy options if that’s something youre looking for! The dairy-free mint chocolate chip has been my favorite so far.

Evolution Fast Foods - Located on the west edge of Balboa Park this exclusively vegan restaurant has a really cool outdoor patio that screams grunge-hippy. Perfect if you need something to be plant based or just feeling adventurous!

In-n-Out Burger - Because I am a basic Midwesterner-who-visits-California-and-falls-in-love-with-this-place. I am a sucker for the Double Double Protein Style Animal Style.

One of our favorite meals we’ve done here is truly the simplest — a charcuterie board at Sunset Cliffs. Just go to Trader Joe’s and snag a bunch of supplies and you are golden!

Where we’ve stayed

This most recent time we were in San Diego we stayed in La Mesa with our friends (thanks again Tia!) and it was a 10/10 experience. It is a little outside of the city and did add some time to get to places, so it’s probably not an ideal location if you’re wanting to be more in San Diego and get to the beaches quickly, but it worked perfectly for us since our goal was mainly to hang out with our friends.

Otherwise we’ve stayed in both the North Park and the South Park neighborhoods which are very walkable! I linked the Airbnb we’ve stayed at in both of those neighborhoods.

Transportation

This is the kind of city you really need a car to get around in. You could get by without one if you only plan on staying in one neighborhood and want to just walk to those restaurants, but you’ll really miss out on a lot if you don’t have a car. You can uber, but it is pretty pricey to get from one place to the next because a lot of the city is pretty spread out.

Sights

Balboa Park - This place is iconic! You can spend the morning walking around here or try and catch some live music in the evening. Great place to have a picnic and people watch.

Misssion Trails - If you happen to be out in La Mesa these are great to check out! We’ve only done one of the trails, but my friend who lives close by is constantly on them!

La Jolla - This has been one of our top beaches we’ve been to! Parking can be horrendous, but it is so worth it even if you have to walk a little extra. If you have time I’d definitely recommend doing a kayak tour.

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge - This bridge is randomly tucked back in a neighborhood on the west side of Balboa Park. It’s just a fun little hidden gem that will make you fall even more in love with San Diego.

Torrey Pines - One of our favorite places to hike. Get here early and park along the road to save yourself from paying to park. This park offers stunning views of the beach while you hike on the cliffs. You can hike the cliffs on the way back and then take a long staircase down to the beach and walk the beach on the way back. Note that the cliff portion is closed to hikers 24 hours after rain.

Little Italy Neighborhood - Such a fun neighborhood to walk around in! There are a lot of trendy cocktails bars as well as pubs you can sit down and enjoy an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening night cap.

Liberty Station - This area was a former naval trainings center, but has been converted into a commercial shopping center full of adorable boutiques and cute restaurants.

Sunset Cliffs - Make yourself a Charcuterie board, grab a bottle of kombucha (or wine!), and go watch the most epic sunset of your life here. It is called sunset cliffs for a reason — 110% worth the hype. Get there early so you can park and scout out a good spot!