Have you ever visited a city and done a crash course of sights in one day? I have and this post is all about it! Back at the beginning of March 2020, I got to attend Social Media Marketing World in San Diego. Since I’d never been to California, I decided to give myself a whole week there! I spent an entire day visiting the USS Midway Museum. You can read all about that in a separate post (see links at bottom). I purposely booked a red-eye flight so I could spend more time sightseeing in the place I didn’t want to leave. I combined several parts of the city I knew I couldn’t leave town without visiting in a pretty short amount of time.  I even impressed myself with all that I was able to fit in before my flight! Please keep in mind that this trip was literally the week before the world shut down. All of these locations have Covid-19 protocols in place now. I have included a link to their websites at the bottom of this post so you can research what precautions and policies are in place before visiting if needed.  

I checked out of my hotel by noon and was able to keep my luggage there until my flight later that night! There was no way I’d be able to do all the things San Diego lugging around a massive suitcase and duffel bag in addition to a carry on backpack! Almost had to check a third bag for my flight. Huge shout out to the Omni San Diego Hotel for a great stay and especially keeping my luggage for me! 

I had walked through Balboa Park on my way back from OrangeTheory Fitness earlier in the week but it was nearing closing time and dark. I didn’t get to pop in to any of the museums or exhibits and I knew I wanted to go back. That was my first stop. It was hard to plan out exactly what I wanted to do since there were so many things to choose from. The San Diego Zoo was not at all going to be an option. I can go to a stank zoo anywhere. There’s a “tweetable quote” for ya. I’d rather check out history related stuff!!! 

I decided to pick just 2 places to visit within Balboa Park. The great thing is that most of the museums are free/donation-based or low cost. I went to the Museum of Photographic Arts. I was mesmerized by this interactive selfie piece. I checked out the museum which had some cool exhibits and didn’t take long. I was running out of room for souvenirs so I tried to skip the gift shop but saw this book in the window. I had to get it because I thought it was hilarious. 

It was painful only having a limited amount of time in Balboa Park but I knew I wanted to go to the Veterans’ Museum. I did get some guidance from some locals while staring at a directory. If you know me, you know I’m quite directionally challenged. I was using the app for Balboa Park but reading maps is not really my zone of genius. 

POW memorial at Veterans Museum

I ended up walking to the museum which I found near the VA building. It’s important to me to be an advocate for veterans’ rights and I had a feeling this museum was a place that was overlooked. I loved it and visiting was a very meaningful experience for me! It was mind-blowing to stand right beside a WWI trench replica. Some of the museum involves local veterans and other parts even include a section about presidents who were veterans. I loved the inclusion of women veterans!   A very powerful portion of the museum is a mural where veterans have signed their name. Make sure to check out the beautiful mosaic outside in honor of POWs. It’s one of the most beautiful tributes I have ever seen. 

Another suggestion I had gotten from people at the conference and social media friends was Old Town San Diego. This was another place with tons of museums and exhibits to pick from. You will not be bored in San Diego. I could have stayed for another 2 weeks and still not have cracked the surface of all the city has to offer! I took an Uber from Balboa Park to Old Town San Diego. I had a great driver who was familiar with the area and made some recommendations. I told him to just let me out right near the sign. I checked out a couple of things close by including the Wells Fargo Museum. Can’t pass up the opportunity to take a selfie with a stagecoach, right? 

I started to get hungry so I went to one of the places my Uber driver suggested called Cafe Coyote. I literally had the best Mexican food and adult beverage of my life. Why not indulge when it’s your last day in California? Mexican food tastes quite different and much better so close to the border. It’s not at all the same as getting it in the southeastern part of the US. If I hadn’t already given my driver 5 stars, I may have added a 6th for that inside tip! 

I was running short on time and I knew I wanted to try my best to make it to the beach for sunset so I picked one more spot in Old Town. I had been documenting my day on social media of course and I had a social media friend recommend The Whaley House. I had to try to not overthink the haunted aspect of it. I made someone who worked there walk upstairs with me. I still haven’t read the museum info about the haunting they gave me when I bought my ticket. I’m not a fan of that sort of thing haha. I am a fan of nerdy history stuff and I loved seeing the general store, courtroom, US Grant’s desk, and the theater! You couldn’t video inside but I took lots of pictures. Old Town San Diego photo and video mash-up below! 

My last “all the San Diego things” stop was the beach. I asked the Old Town Uber driver for guidance on where the closest one was and he told me Ocean Beach. My plan was to kill some time there and watch the sunset. I did not have any kind of towel or flip flops with me. Pro tip-don’t fly across the country in sandy shoes, especially if the Atlanta airport is involved. It was worth it though! I walked the pier and checked out the little shop there. No towels but I did pick up a few small things. Then I walked the beach and sat down in the sand and made a bunch of TikToks. I had this great idea to get an amazing shot of the sunset. Well I got some pictures of it. Amazing not so much. I gathered up some sand in a bag to save. I probably could’ve just used what was in my shoes. I was happy to have my Cullen Bohannon/”Hell on Wheels” finally reached the Pacific Ocean moment. That will make sense if you watched the show.

After sunset unfortunately it was time to start making my way back towards my hotel to get my luggage. I stopped for dinner at Tin Fish Gaslamp. I could not make myself eat fish tacos as recommended by social media. I did enjoy some delicious grilled shrimp. I sent some postcards from my hotel to my kids and nephew before leaving (knew I’d be home when they got them) and gathered my luggage. Got another Uber back to the airport, which is in the middle of the city. I will spare you with the details of the journey except for 1 anecdote. Turns out it was snowing back in Asheville so I had to buy a hoodie at the Atlanta airport during my layover. It was pretty weird dealing with the extreme shift in weather and time zones. All in all this was the trip of a lifetime. Social Media Marketing World 2020 was one of the best experiences of my life. I feel so fortunate that the conference was scheduled for the beginning of March. I had purchased my ticket a year prior and was really looking forward to it. It absolutely exceeded my expectations!

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