Weekly Update 2026-02-17: San Diego Edition
What happened during the week of February 12th - February 17th, 2026:
đşď¸ I regret to say that I have returned from San Diego, which was a truly enjoyable vacation I wish were still happening now. Neither L. nor I were able to accomplish everything we wanted to see or do, but that gives us both a reason to return.
đ Similar to the Alabama Getaway post, Iâll write up a quick chronological rundown of the vacation, with a highlight and lowlight from each day. I may have a photo or two to post at the end, just to give my viewers something nice to look at.
đ Housekeeping note: Regular weekly updates will resume on Sunday 03-01, picking up from Wednesday 02-18 through the end of February.
Thursday 02-12. Flew to San Diego on fumes, as neither L. nor I were able to sleep well the night before. The lack of sleep played a role with our car rental, a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, as some of its features absolutely confused us at first. We had our obligatory visit to In-N-Out near the airport, then drove through Balboa Park to get to our hotel downtown. After a scary issue in the parking garage, we rested for a few hours, then walked to a nearby Grocery Outlet to stock up our hotel room on supplies. Dinner was in Point Loma at Mitchâs Seafood, which required the first of many Lyft rides. We slept well that night in our hotel, thanks both to our sleep deficit and from walking over 9000 steps that day. Highlight: Both lunch and dinner were delicious and scenic in their own ways. Lowlight: The parking ramp at our hotel is a winding corkscrew 7 stories tall. The entrance to this corkscrew turns the opposite direction, so in an attempt to over-correct, I ended up scraping a part of the car on the interior wall! Fortunately, I was going slow enough that there wasnât any damage? Not sure how I got lucky there, but Iâll take it.
Friday 02-13 AM. This day was tied with Sunday 02-15 as the tripâs highlight. We ate breakfast in our room, then walked to a nearby Achilles Coffee outpost for our second cup of coffee. Our morning destination was the world-famous San Diego Zoo, a place I can say was both totally expensive and totally worth it (this became something of a theme on our vacation). L. & I spent a solid 4 hours walking around its hilly landscape, amazed at both the animal and plant life on display, as well as the multiple layers of exhibits that were stacked on top of one another, yet not in a way that felt crowded. All the people we saw buying tickets at the entrance disappeared somewhere on the zooâs grounds, so in spite of the sheer number of people on a weekday(!), the zoo didnât feel crowded. We saw about 80% of the exhibits, which is good enough. Lunch was eaten at the zoo, then we eventually made it back to the hotel for a deserved rest.
Friday 02-13 PM. A college classmate, E., has lived in San Diego for almost 30 years. He and his husband A. wanted to meet up for dinner during our visit, so after a lot of chatter at the beginning of the month, he picked a winner of a spot: Nobu del Coronado, on the grounds of the equally famous Hotel Del Coronado. We met the couple at the shores near the San Diego Convention Center, then took a connecting ferry to Coronado and eventually made our way to the hotel. Both the meal and the location were beyond impressive, and yes, it was pricey but worth the splurge. I found a couple dishes I want to try in a more cost-friendly sushi restaurant. After walking around the hotel grounds at length, and hearing stories from both E. and A. about the hotelâs history and guests, we eventually went our separate ways after getting dropped off at our hotel. Highlight: Probably the entire day, including the great pour-over at Achilles. Lowlight: Walking nearly 17,000 steps for the day, including the outside stairs at the Convention Center that nearly broke both my spirit and L.âs.
Saturday 02-14: Today was the first of two big trips outside San Diego proper. Todayâs destination was Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, one of the largest state parks in the US (but first, breakfast at the hotel and coffee at Kind Cafe). We spent far too long in a casino on the Viejas Reservation searching for EV chargers before heading into the mountains. Our delay in Viejas ended up decreasing the amount of time at the park, though we still saw quite a lot of it on the way there. The roads wereâŚreally tough and winding, but the gobs of torque in the Ioniq made short work of them. Our route out of Anza-Borrego started out as twisty as the way there, but quickly flattened out and became a pretty drive through Ramona, one of the two larger wine regions near San Diego. We ended the evening at Duck Foot Brewing in the Miramar neighborhood, then brought some wonderful Afghan food back to the hotel for dinner and rest. Highlight: Scenery in Anza-Borrego, including the roads, scary as they were at points. Lowlight: Getting separated in Viejas while I located a fast EV charger, as L. was stuck in the casino and could barely find the exit. Casinos are a soul-sucking experience.
Sunday 02-15 AM. The second big travel day, and my co-highlight of the trip. We went back to Achilles for post-breakfast coffee, then stopped in at a Vons in Escondido for a pre-made deli sandwich. Todayâs goal was Palomar Mountain, home of the 200-inch Hale Telescope. The drive to Palomar involved some steep roads with curves that could make you a bit nauseous, though the margins for errors on the ascent werenât as thin as yesterdayâs climb towards Anza-Borrego. Our destination was reached at a chilly 5600 feet in altitude, with temperatures a good 15-20 degrees cooler than at Escondido. Inside the telescope was even colder, as the air in the dome was kept at nighttime temperatures that you could feel by touching the windows in the domeâs viewing area. The public viewing grounds are small, with the separate museum only adding a bit of extra space, but itâs still worth the visit. Once we left the telescope dome, L. & I went into birdwatching mode, as the summit has lots of Ravens, Acorn Woodpeckers, California Scrub-jays, and Mountain Bluebirds to see. Apart from the Raven, these other birds were all new to me. On our descent from the Hale Telescope, we stopped into âdowntownâ Palomar Mountain to visit its general store, tiny post office, and experience scenery that made L. think of being in the mountains of New Hampshire.
Sunday 02-15 PM. Another reason to stop at the Palomar Mountain general store was to connect to its wi-fi, as cellular service was scant on the mountain top. We weighed two options for the afternoon: drive out to a winery in Temecula, or watch the sun set along the shoreline. As much as I would have liked to explore a winery while indulging in an old meme, the beach won out. Our destination was actually a town we had visited once before, back in September 2016: Solana Beach. We made plans to visit the original Pizza Port Brewing thatâs a block away from the beach, enjoy a drink there, then wander down to the shoreline for the sunset. The drive brought us back through Escondido, then down some scenic roads in Rancho Santa Fe before parking a couple blocks from Pizza Port (which was hosting a Pliny The Younger day the next morning). We both drank one beer, then spent a good hour at the beach watching the sunset and taking lots of photos. Dinner was in the La Jolla neighborhood at a Vietnamese-Cajun restaurant, followed by great gelato for dessert. Our drive back to the hotel was along the shoreline, which was quite nice even for being at night. Highlight: Most of the day, except when leaving La Jolla. Lowlight: Grocery shopping in La Jolla, which was our last stop of the evening, was rather trashy and off-putting, complete with a surly cashier and bathrooms that were worse off than some rest areas on highways.
Monday 02-16. Our second and last visit to Kind Cafe, which was extended longer than expected due to understaffing. The folks were nice enough, though, and we werenât in too much of a hurry. We made few plans that morning, only stopping at the Mission San Diego de AcalĂĄ before the first of many rains kicked in. I found another fast EV charger afterwards, which allowed us to eat one of the better lunches on our trip at Rubioâsâtheir lobster langoustine tacos are a special treat! The rain intensified after lunch, flooding parts of the roads along Point Loma, so we went back to the hotel. Attempts to swim in its pool proved futile, as the pool itself was very small and overtaken by a large family. We got ready to meet some online friends of mine at North Park Beer Co. in the Bankers Hill neighborhood, which is where we had a decent dinner and decent beers. Around 7:30 PM, we decided to walk two blocks south to Pure Project, which was less crowded and had the better beers of the evening. From there, L. & I walked back to our hotel, marveling at just how low the planes fly when landing at the airport. Highlight: Meeting the fuck0s at the breweries, and lunch at Rubioâs. Lowlight: The tiny hotel pool and the torrential rains.
Tuesday 02-17. The end of the trip. Checking out of the hotel was easy, and given the airportâs location to downtown San Diego, getting there was a breeze. Returning the rental was very confusing, as the signage could be better at some points. We made it with plenty of time to spare. San Diegoâs airport is quite nice, and expensive in the ways all airports are, but its layout and signage inside is far better than whatâs at St. Louis (though in about five years or so, the new STL may be something to brag about). Our flight was fast and uneventful, as was our cab ride home. We spent most of Tuesday evening washing three loads of laundry. Highlight: The wraps and coffee at San Diego Airport, albeit expensive, were at least fresh and tasty. Lowlight: Ending the vacation.
Items Of Note From Last Week:
Skipping this portion of the update this week.
More Info About The Media Selections From This Week Reactions About The Vacation:
Instead of my usual media explanation and/or review, I'll expand further on the vacation. Expensive? Yes, even with the help of a relatively free hotel room and flight credits from our canceled New Mexico trip. Worth it? Also yes. Both L. and I thoroughly enjoyed the stay, and wished we could have stayed even longer (though our wallets would have suffered even more). While it was âwinterâ by San Diego standards, it still felt pleasant on all days but Monday, when we got to experience an atmospheric river for ourselves.
One part of the trip Iâm proud of is how Iâm getting better at planning activities, and allowing for flexibility if none of the options work out for whatever reason. The rains on Monday werenât as disruptive as, say, the illness both L. & I dealt with in Alabama, but we had to find alternatives that didnât expose us to the torrential downpours. Even the setback at Viejas wasnât too large to overcome, as part of the Anza-Borrego experience was with the scenery seen on the journey there.
The EV rental was a first for either one of us, and my feelings about EVâs are now mixed-to-possibly-positive. If you have a location with a strong EV infrastructure, with a readily-accessible charger near your residence, and a driving range around 200 miles, an EV is a viable option. California is probably the best-case scenario for the 48 contiguous American states, but even in that state youâre going to have some significant restrictions. Can you charge your vehicle if you live in an apartment complex or condo? Can you find a fast EV charger when necessary? Are you okay with planning your driving routines around available fast chargers? If you drive to work, are chargersâeven slow-trickle onesâavailable? In many cases, I could answer âyesâ to all of these questions in San Diego, but once youâre about 40 miles east of downtown on Interstate 8, or heading northeast of Escondido on state highways, those answers will change. Our charging snafu at the Viejas Casino (technically located in Alpine) was educational in many ways, as it showed us how much we can take the gasoline infrastructure for granted. On the other hand, the torque in the Ioniq 5 was a massive help when climbing mountain roads, and for applying lower-gear engine braking techniques when coasting downhill. Iâm glad I had the EV experience, but as of February 2026, I wouldnât buy a full EV. Maybe Iâd stick with a plug-in hybrid as a way to bridge the gas/EV experience.
Unlike my Alabama trip, my Sony âbig-boyâ camera got quite a workout. The zoom lens is tailor-made for zoos and landscapes, so it was used heavily. My film camera survived its first airport X-ray, and at least the outdoor pictures turned out really well. I wouldnât say I fell in love again with the Sony, but its value was much more noticeable on this trip than in Alabama.
Would we return? Yes, but not this year, as we have other plans. I would like to see the area in spring, or perhaps late summer when the beaches are active. I would like to see a baseball game at Petco Park, which was about eight blocks from the hotel. I would like to find more breweries that donât just specialize in IPAâs. I would also like to see what the wineries are like, as San Diego is supposedly the first wine-growing region in whatâs now the state of California. I would not mind staying at the Marriott Vacation Club again, but Iâd also be amenable to staying elsewhere in the city (maybe the Hotel Del Coronado, even if for one night). I would probably be more budget-conscious on a return trip, given that it is California and just about everything is more expensive as a matter of course.
Picture time!
Let's try a new feature to reward folks who've made it this far in the blog entry.
The dome holding the 200-inch Hale Telescope on Palomar Mountain, taken in mid-afternoon on Sunday, February 15, 2026:
Solana Beach, CA sunset closeup on Sunday, February 15, 2026:
