California: Day 3

On Friday we were on our own for the day while our hosts got manicures, pedicures, and prepared for the rehearsal dinner. LuAnn and Ramzi helped my parents plan our day so we were still in good hands, of course. I told you we had the best hosts ever. 

My parents picked G, Brad and I up at 10 a.m. and we headed to Encinitas on our way to San Diego. 

We did some serious beach walking.

It felt so good to put my feet in the water.

The sand literally shimmered. So pretty!

Per Jason's recommendation we went to Pacific Coast Grill for lunch. But first, a fun fact: The coral colored restaurant on the far right of the above photo is where LuAnn and Razi took me for my 18th birthday. We were visiting that summer and just happened to be there on my birthday. The doorbell rang. LuAnn asked me to answer the door. I thought that was strange, but I obliged. A man in a suit asked for me and behind him I saw the limo. It was the best birthday! We all piled in and drove down the highway with the Pacific ocean as our backdrop as we made our way to that restaurant to celebrate. It was a night I would never forget!

We figured since we had been there before, we opted for the restaurant next door. It was an excellent choice. We sat outside with a great view of the water and just enjoyed the warm weather.

Also? I'm obsessed with this dining room in the restaurant. I would love that chandelier in my house!

If you know me, you know I have a passion for patio sitting. It's my favorite!

My mom and I split the Baja Fish Tacos and they were absolutely AMAZING. We also split the White Truffle Fries and they were just out of this world. I'm addicted. It was a really yummy lunch!

After lunch we headed to La Jolla. I would not mind one bit if I ever got the chance to live there. It is just such a pretty town.

We saw sooooo many seals and sea lions. It was fun to watch them all day as we walked around the water.

Sorry for the picture overload. I just could not get enough of the cuteness!

It was such a cute little town and so pretty. 

We leisurely walked around the whole town and then went into town to grab coffee. After a couple hours of exploring we headed to San Diego, our final destination for this day trip.

We parked and walked (notice the theme? We did lots of walking!) to the Marriott in the Gaslight district. 

We went to the bar on the rooftop and had a cocktail just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing, or what?!

Rum and coke? Don't mind if I do!

So there was this wall in the bar that I thought was really cool. The lights changed colors. I was amused and started taking pictures...

Until I got photobombed by Brad, ha!

So I made him take a picture with me for that one.

After our drink we walked (shocking!) around the Gaslight district trying to decide on a place to eat. It was a sight to see us walking around and scanning Yelp! on our phones reading reviews. 

Our top picks had long waits so we settled in at Dublin Square Irish Pub & Grill. The reviews were good and we were hungry! It was a really fun spot. It felt like you had just stepped into an authentic Irish pub. It was cozy with lots of fun decorations and friendly staff. The food was amazing. I had the mac and cheese and was not disappointed in the least!

After dinner we walked around Seaport Village and explored a few of the shops. We got into the car around 9:00 to drive home. We were spent. Garth, Brad and I all fell asleep in the backseat on our way home which I thought was kinda hilarious. We got home around 10:00 and crashed. Another super fun-filled day! It was just going too dang fast!