Thank you, to the Boosy City of craft brewing! This past year I’ve really gotten to know this place. There is something for everyone whether its lighting up the night and hitting the Gaslamp, or beach bumbing it! The weather is always a warm, not humid 65deg!, and if you like the sun, like me, it hardly rains! 🌞
If you like tourism and sightseeing the Midway, and Maritime Museum are great museums to check out. San Diego is a city that is proud of its maritime history. Dont believe me? Just ask the locals! I even had a long conversation with a stranger at Starbucks about the history of nautical navigation practices through the ages. This city is also very supportive of the military. Of course, you cant count out Ocean Beach and Balboa Park! There is also the Hotel Del and the option to go Sailing on Mission Bay. San Diego is also only walking distance from Tijuana! So be sure to pop over the border and get yourself some Tacos and Tequila! 😉 The best view of the city is to make the drive out to Pt Loma and see the Cabrillo National Monument. From the lighthouse you can experience a panoramic view from the vast Pacific to the San Diego City Skyline. I went to this light house many times to just sit and think, watching the different ships sail in and out of the Bay.
Of course, you cant have the San Diego experience with trying the Craft Brew scene. A great place to start is the annual San Diego Beer Festival. It is hosted by the Science Center in Balaboa park and is a very enjoyable experience! The water ph lends its self to making IPA style beer, so that is what you will mostly encounter in san Diego. This is what most breweries start out making. My favorite spots were definitely Ballast Point in Little Italy, and Eppig Brewery on the Pt Loma Marina. These two were my favorites because they offered a selection of beer flavors and styles to try and they were all executed well! To me, that is how I judged the Breweries in this city: did they brew more than just IPAs? Ballast Point had amazing beer and their food was good too. I didn’t have a flavor that I didnt like! Plus, Little Italy has many excellent resturants making the a whole experience a really nice night out! Best of all is that Ballast Point was started by a Mate on a deep sea fishing boat, so everything is nautical themed. Eppig Brewing also served a variety of beer options and you could watch the marina sunset as you sipped away. It makes for a relaxing experience. The downside is that they do not yet serve food. Hess and 805 are also Cali local favorites that I enjoyed. I also had the opportunity to run the San Diego Brew Classic Half Marathon. I had never run a race that long, and I was sooo sore!! The event is hosted by Green Flash Brewery. Another famous Brewery and resturant is Stone. It, in fact might be the oldest brewery in the country, or so they claim. To my surprise the Corando Brewery was my least favorite brewery to try, but what’s cool about it is that you can see how the beer is made. It is the most interactive brewery in that regard with is customers.
This year has been a time of growth, and I am really glad I got to know this City. I truly believe in experiencing as much as you can about a place while you can. You can learn about different cultures, but in the process, you end up learning more about yourself.
Next stop for me on my adventure called life?! GUAM!!!! It is time I head to sea once again. 🏝🚢
Stay Salty!
-Emily
Modern Mariner 