CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Last weekend in San Diego was almost a fluke-- we had rain and really cold wind making for a somewhat "cold" day. Derek and I decided to trek out to Cabrillo National Monument for a few hours in the morning and fell in love. It honestly might be one of my new favorite places in San Diego. The picturesque park is set against the staggering cliffs of the Pacific with one of the last standing lighthouses along the West coast. (The lighthouse is under construction currently, but we can't wait to go back and hike the winding staircase to the top!) We were in for even more of a treat when we found out the old WWII bunkers used for spotting Japanese aircraft and boats were open to the public to tour. We climbed down what seemed the oldest ladder into a bunker with the most gorgeous view I had ever seen. After, we ventured to the tide pools for a little exploring and critter watching. It's amazing what treasures you can find in your city when you get out and explore. I think it is safe to say, Cabrillo completely stole my heart.

THE SAN DIEGO ZOO & SAFARI PARK

It probably goes without saying, but the San Diego Zoo is one of the greatest zoos out there. We like to consider ourselves "zoo connoisseurs", meaning that we have visited a zoo in every city we have lived in and (almost) visited. Clearly, you won't see us on any anti zoo picket line. That being said, now that we live in San Diego, with about a 7 minute car ride to the zoo, we have season passes. One of our favorite things to do is go right when it opens in the morning and basically have the park to ourselves. We can walk the hills up to the top of the park and then meander down by the bears and the new Australian exhibit with koalas. The Safari Park in Escondido is also part of the Zoo, just in a different set up. At this park, you can ride a safari tram around to see African savanna animals. When we visited last month, a plethora of baby animals were making their appearance and it was just that much more fun to sit and watch two baby lion cubs playing with each other for the good part of an hour. Both of these parks are well loved by all who visit, and definitely a "must see" on our San Diego list.

BALBOA PARK

A definite "must see" in San Diego is the beautiful and exciting Balboa Park. It is home to beautiful architecture, museums, play houses, the famous San Diego Zoo, and much more. Last weekend the weather was perfect; a bit overcast with a cool breeze. We shot over to the park to visit the zoo for a few hours, but the membership line was wrapped around the entrance twice over. Instead, we kept walking and explored the grounds a bit more. The eclectic mix of visitors alone is entertainment enough; college students lounging on the grass, street performers, dogs of all sizes, preachers, teachers, candlestick makers (just kidding). We parked ourselves behind the Museum of Man (above) in the newest addition to the park known as Globe Theater for some afternoon snacks. We decided that the upcoming show of "Into the Woods" is a definite must on our summer to-do list this year. It was an enjoyable detour before heading into the zoo to check out some real wild animals.