Working Up A Sweat in San Diego

Happy Sunday! As you read this, I am en route back to Connecticut after nine days in sunny Southern California. My days at Disneyland were filled with fun, food, and running, from my arrival and the Expo to discovering the parks on day two to running the Disneyland 10K and Disneyland Half Marathon to complete the Dumbo Double Dare. On Labor Day, I took a drive with my friend Ashley down to her hometown of San Diego for another five days of adventure. It was toasty on the way down, and by Tuesday morning we realized that I had come at the start of the hottest weather San Diego has had all year. But that didn’t stop us from running and exploring. We were on our way to working up a sweat in San Diego!

 

Tuesday morning, we went for a run around 6am and got to watch the sunrise en route. After cleaning up and eating breakfast, we headed out to our first stop, the famous San Diego Zoo. I was there once with my cousins when I was 3 years old, but didn’t remember it at all so it felt like my first visit. When we arrived around 11am, it was already 95 degrees, so we were worried the animals might be hiding in the shade, but we got to see a fair few creatures, from my favorite panda and polar bears to a tiger, a hippo, and more.

 

 

 

 

The panda looked happy but so, so hot – I felt bad for him as he panted in the warmth. The koalas were cooler with their spritzers of water, but they were curled up asleep to beat the heat in their own way. Still adorable, of course.

 

 

 

 

After the zoo, we went to Balboa Park for an iced coffee and got to poke around the outside of some of the museums before heading home to clean up for dinner. Which, I might add, was my second trip ever to the Cheesecake Factory (and the first was when I was about 12 and I don’t remember it). I had the Fresh Vegetable Salad with grilled chicken, lettuce, cucumbers, asparagus, edamame, beets, Cheddar cheese, and balsamic vinegar to ensure it was gluten free, and it was pretty good.

 

 

 

On Wednesday, we woke up early again to run at Miramar Lake, which was gorgeous. Getting up at 5:30 to beat the heat was worth it for these views.

 

 

 

 

Later in the morning, we took our drive for the day toward the downtown area of San Diego. Our first stop was in Old Town, which has lots of little shops with handcrafted goods as well as museums showing what life was like in nineteenth century San Diego. I liked the little red schoolhouse and Wells Fargo museums, as well as the candy, candle, and tea shops. It was 97 degrees when we left, so I bought a few pieces of saltwater taffy to replenish my energy, as it was flagging a little! Like the prior day, I wore running clothes around since I was pretty much sweating constantly 😉

 

Old Town tea shop

Wells Fargo museum

Schoolhouse museum

Fudge at the candy shop

Handmade candles

 

 

Afterwards, we drove a little further to the Gaslamp District, where we had lunch at a little diner called the Broken Yolk. I got two scrambled eggs with some Cheddar cheese, and a gluten free pancake, off the sides menu. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was (though not as good as my favorite gluten free pancakes). 

 

 

 

The late afternoon was spent walking along the San Diego Bay. We began at the Embarcadero marina, then strolled through Seaport Village and onward towards the USS Midway and Star of India ships. It was  gorgeous walk, and despite the nearly 100 degree heat at the height of the afternoon, I was glad I got to experience the bay shore path in the sun. Hope you enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for more San Diego adventures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever been to San Diego?

What are your favorite spots?

Do you struggle to keep exploring when Mother Nature turns up the heat?

 

 

 

 

 

© 2015 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.

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