For my 31st birthday, we took a long weekend trip out to Southern California to dip our toes in the ocean and see some of our dear friends get married. It was a perfect birthday getaway and thankfully the famous California weather did not disappoint.
We flew out of Dallas since my husband went to see a concert there the night before we left Texas which was a blessing since there was a direct flight from Dallas to Ontario, CA. We were trying to avoid LAX at all costs!
We took a mid-morning flight into Ontario and arrived without issue and headed out to Corona where the wedding would be that evening. Of course we stopped for some obligatory In-N Out animal style fries and a shake!
We checked into the Home2 Suites in Corona and got ready for the wedding. Friday night was spent celebrating a beautiful couple, dancing, and making lots of new friends. See my Instagram for a wedding highlight!
Saturday morning was my birthday so we slept in and went for a leisurely brunch at the Broken Yolk Café, a local chain of brunch spots that looked amazing. It did not disappoint! I am a huge fan of eggs benedict and this place had such a variety. The best part was, you could mix and match and try two different types of benedicts on the same plate. Such a great option for trying everything!
From brunch we headed slightly south to Escondido for our traditional birthday tea. Last year we were at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, this year I found a spot just outside San Diego called The Grand Tea Room for birthday tea. The spread was incredible, and the best part was we were able to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather.
From tea we drove into San Diego proper and headed immediately for the ocean. Stopping at Mission Beach we dipped our toes in the freezing cold Pacific and walked along the beach for a few hours. Being from the Midwest, I love seeing and smelling the ocean since there is nothing like it between the coasts. Mission Beach is a great public beach to go sit and relax and take in the California vibe. It is clean, family friendly, and you can walk for several miles up and down the waterline.
After we walked up an appetite, we headed into Belmont Park which was right behind the beach to check out the arcade and vintage wooden roller coaster. This would be a fun place to bring kids since they have lots of activities like a rope course and large arcade that little ones would enjoy.
We walked back to the beach to watch the sunset then grabbed some tacos for the drive back. They were THE best Al Pastor tacos I’ve ever had!
Sunday we slept in and took the morning a bit more slowly since we had plans to meet friends in Los Angeles later in the day. We headed north towards the city, encountering the infamous LA traffic and met up with our friends at The Last Bookstore. This cute used bookstore is an LA destination for its book tunnel and unique book finds. We found a few items to bring back with us and headed out in search of more tacos.
Our friends brought us to Grand Central Market, a massive indoor food court with every imaginable food variety from Korean BBQ to tacos, to fresh bread and ice cream. It is a place I would love to go back to someday just to try other food.
After a lunch of more tacos and the best ceviche I’ve ever had, we walked to the Disney Concert Hall and found a gorgeous little secluded spot to enjoy a dessert of doughnuts.
We continued walking to Little Tokyo to see the large indoor, underground mall of anime and all things Japanese culture. It is definitely a place to check out if you are in LA!
We walked on to a German style Beer Garden called Wurestkutch for beer and brats (only ginger beer for me). It was a refreshing and needed stop after all the walking we had been doing.
The evening ended by walking back towards downtown, taking in the city as the sun set. The architecture is beautiful and I enjoyed seeing everything in a different light. It was a perfect short trip to LA! I would love to go back and see more of the Hollywood side of things, but getting to experience some of the cultural spots was perfect for our first trip.
We took an early morning flight back to Dallas then headed home to Austin, ready to collapse in our own beds. For a short trip, we packed a lot in, and loved every minute of it!
