Happy Thursday everyone! I finally had the chance to explore San Diego, it’s officially one of my favorite places. There is so much to do with a lot less traffic than Los Angeles. If you are currently living in California or are planning a trip I highly suggest going to San Diego.
First stop is breakfast! There is a super cute place called Breakfast Company and there are actually two locations! I recommend the one in North Park because it is right by some of my other favorite spots. The 2nd location is in the Gaslamp area, I highly recommend the s’mores waffle and bottomless coffee.
4225 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
Greetings From San Diego Mural
This cute mural is the perfect photo opportunity and is very easy to find. I suggest going during the week it’s way less crowded.
Pigment
3801 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
Pigment is the cutest gift shop for all those plant lovers out there! They even have a wall filled with succulents and you can build your own terrarium. This is also a great place if you’re looking for a unique gift for someone.
Holy Matcha
201 Park Blvd, San Diego
Holy Matcha is right across from Breakfast Company and is a super cute coffee shop for pictures! Matcha is definitely a very popular drink right now and this shop offers a variety of beverages. I got the strawberry matcha with coconut milk and it was so refreshing on a hot day.
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove San Diego, CA 92037
This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to! This is a great place to take your family to or just explore with your friends. There is this amazing cave you can go into and swim with the sea lions and seals. They also have a few beaches you can lay out on as well.
Scripps Pier
8650 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037
This pier is all over social media and is a cute place to take pictures! The beach here is perfect to lay out and go swimming in the ocean. I highly recommend making a stop here!
Hope you guys enjoyed seeing some of my favorite places and get an opportunity to check it out for yourself!
Hi everyone! Happy Memorial Day! A huge thank you to all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. That is the reason for this long weekend, so I will be keeping all of those families in my prayers that have lost someone close to them. I think people forget how much sacrifice went into making America what it is today. My husband is a second lieutenant in the Marines and I will be the first one to tell you its not always easy. One thing I’ve learned about being a military wife is that you have to roll with the punches and make the best out of every situation. The coolest part is that you get to experience new places and we were blessed with a wonderful opportunity to move to California. We started off in Twentynine Palms back in January. Moving across the country with just the things that could fit in your car, 5 days after getting married can be quite the experience. By now you’re probably asking yourself where in the world is Twentynine Palms. Shocker: this “Desert Oasis” is in the middle of nowhere an hour away from Palm Springs. Twentynine really taught me to make the most of your situation and create your own fun. We were 3 hours from Las Vegas, 2 hours from LA, and 2 hours from San Diego. This made it so easy to just hop in the car and travel somewhere new on the weekends. Twentynine Palms really started to grow on us, and when we would tell people that we definitely got strange looks. I think the fact that we both grew up in a small town made us feel more at home there. We quickly found out there was actually a lot to do and I figured this is a great time to share our experience if you ever find yourself in the desert oasis! We are headed to Camp Pendleton for our next adventure! Goodbye desert, Hello ocean.
Our First Home
Things to do in Twentynine Palms:
Joshua Tree National Park
This park is amazing and so beautiful! There is plenty to do here, you can go hiking on their many trails, rock climbing, and camping with your family. I suggest visiting in the fall/winter months when the weather is much cooler. We walked through the Jumbo Rocks Display and visited Skull Rock.
Pioneer Town
A historical Old Western town that was built in 1946 and ended up in San Bernardino County in the 1960. You can go in the buildings, most have been turned into little shops where they only take cash. Mock gunfights happen on ‘Mane Street’ which can be a really fun family activity to see. The most popular place at Pioneer Town is Pappy and Harriet’s Palace. The restaurant is an extremely busy place but has the best ribs and burgers. Pioneertown can also be a fun place to take unique pictures.
Rattlesnake Canyon
Don’t let the name scare you away! This place is another hidden gem that is family friendly. You can go on a run, hike, or just take in the incredible views. They also have a lot of picnic tables to enjoy a nice lunch outside.
Smith’s Ranch Drive-In Theater
I’m not sure about you guys but drive-in theaters really take me back to my childhood, we would load up the car with tons of blankets, pillows, and snacks. It was always so much fun to watch a movie outside. So when we found out Twentynine Palms had a drive in I was so excited. This place is so fun and definitely brings me back to when I was a kid. The movies change every two weeks and the tickets are really cheap. Smith’s is a cash only establishment, they also have a concession stand with popcorn, drinks, and candy.
Smith’s Ranch drive-in theater sign along Adobe Rd. in Twentynine Palms
49 Palms Oasis
This is part of Joshua Tree but this so easy to access right of off Canyon Road. I suggest visiting early in the morning before it gets too hot as its a bit of a hike up but definitely worth the view from the top.
Now that I gave you some of our favorite things to do here, I wanted to share just a few of our favorite places to eat. We love finding different and fun little places to eat wherever we are, the smaller, more ‘home-cooked’ feeling and taste, the better!
Kitchen in the Desert
Everything is made from scratch which we love! The Chicken Sandwich is amazing and chicken literally melts in your mouth. All of the food has a little spice to it, so beware! The cilantro cucumber lemonade is my favorite, its so refreshing on a hot day. For dessert they have fried Oreos, which taste as good as they look.
The Rib Co.
A family owned restaurant with the best BBQ! The restaurant is small and doesn’t have a ton of seating. On the weekends it’s super crowded so try to get there for an early dinner. The pulled pork is my favorite but you HAVE to try the ribs too.
Edchada’s
By far our favorite Mexican restaurant here! The soft tacos and burritos are so good and taste like real authentic Mexican food. For drinks the margaritas are a staple and they have a ton of flavors. If you want to switch it up from a margarita, the Pina coladas are very refreshing.
29 Palms Inn
This is such a cute place to stay if you are in town for a quick visit. The Inn is tucked away and very quiet. A great place if you’re looking to relax, there is also a pool you can use. The restaurant is fantastic and you can eat there even if you aren’t staying. They also offer picnic lunches to go in the traditional brown paper bags. We took our picnic lunches to Rattlesnake Canyon!
I hope our favorite places can bring some joy to your visit here in the desert oasis!
Simply Sarah's Blog 