Saffron Noodles and Sate is located on the edge of Little Italy and Mission Hills in San Diego. Owned by Su-Mei Yu, a woman from Thailand who wanted to recreate the types of foods that she grew up with sold by street vendors in Thailand. The food is really fresh and I love the pumpkin, coconut, tapioca pudding they have every fall. Also, they have a refreshing home-made ginger ale- the best I've ever tasted! If Thai isn't your thing, there are a half dozen restaurants in this little block. One is Blue Water Grill, a fish sandwich place made famous by appearing on the show 'Dives and Diners', not once but twice. Also, you can find Luche Libre taco shop, definitely worth a check out just for the interior pink dining room with Luche Libre wrestling paraphernalia on the walls! These are all great places to eat and will all be crowded the same hours as I listed in the Tip- read below... Tip- between 12 and 2pm Mon-Fri and early to late evenings on weekends is very crowded. Try to come between those times.

The Fig Tree Cafe, located in the eclectic historic community of Hillcrest in San Diego, is one of my favorite places to start a relaxing weekend. They have a great menu of homemade items and you definitely have to try the in house made rosemary focaccia bread. They open at 8am on weekends and I recommend coming early, the place will fill up fast. There is patio seating where you can sit and enjoy the soft morning light. They also have health drink shots, like acai berry to give you an energy boost. I'm not really into a lot of sweet stuff in the mornings, but their mascarpone stuffed french toast topped with strawberries and mangoes is absolutely divine! I can only eat one and the other I take home for desert later.

Berta's is a hidden gem with delicious South American food located in Old Town. There's a large chain restaurant next door and it always astounds me that tourists (an locals) will saunter past Berta's fresh cooked food into a place that serves over-fried seafood. Everything I've had here is good, but Olinda's pudding topped with a port reduction sauce for dessert is a specialty that Berta makes as was taught to her by her grandmother.

What fascinates me the most is that Balboa Park was built as a series of temporary structures during the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. And they are still standing today. The structures have been slowly replace with more permanent concrete additions. Regardless, the whole park was supposed to be temporary! Inside the park are 17 museums, 19 gardens, the Old Globe Theatre and much more. There are two restaurants, my favorite being the Del Prado and there's an arboretum which is where this image was taken. Many festivals are held here, a popular one is December Nights which is usually held in the 2nd weekend of December and is a huge event attracting thousand of San Diegans & tourists. The Earth Day festival is also held here. Don't miss the Spanish Arts Village, a cool little village where you can watch artisans create their art in their shops, if you like, you can purchase. I like to watch the glass blowers, and many of them offer classes if you're in town long enough to try them out! There's way to much here to describe in the 1500 characters allowed, you'll just have to check out the park for yourself when you come to San Diego. Start with the web link I provided so you can know if there are any festivals or special events going on while you are here! We come here often to hone our photography skills, bird watch and just walk around looking at the interesting architecture.

Old Town in San Diego has a LOT going on, including many yearly festivals. You can find shops selling kitsch, pottery, beautiful items hammered from tin, Tibetan goods & clothing. At one end is a large square park surrounded by a few restaurants & museums. My favorite shops are the San Diego Mineral & Gem store and South American Imports. If you're into ghosts, there's a haunted ghost tour as well as the Whaley House, one of the most haunted homes in the U.S. San Diego's only African museum can be found here run by a professor named Chuck Ambers.Check out the African & black American artifacts & learn about black Americans who took part in the founding of San Diego. If you go, make sure you have a few hours because he has a lot of stories to share! For eating, you have many choices. My favorite is Berta's South American cuisine located in a little white house. Gorge is the server and if you have a couple bucks, wave down the occasional street musician and he'll play you a song while you eat. At Fiesta del Reyes, there's a stage where you can watch traditional Mexican dancing on weekends and enjoy a mojito on the large outdoor patio, no indoor seating. There's some more shops around there to check out! Finally, there's the remodeled Cosmopolitan hotel & restaurant. It's made to look like the early 19th century and the food is pretty good. Watch those drinks though, the recipes are from the time period and apparently, folks drank it strong back then!

Bread & Cie is located in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, CA. Not only is Hillcrest one of the most vibrant and historical neighborhoods in San Diego, but you can find many great places to eat. Bread & Cie makes their bread fresh every day in a huge hearth deck oven. Using natural starters, all natural ingredients and organic flour, the bread is absolutely delicious. And I'm not even much of a bread eater! They bake a wide variety of breads with rosemary, olives, peppers, walnuts, sourdough, onions, garlic, figs......They also have wonderful pastries, salads, sandwiches and more. The interior of the bakery is Old World brick style. You could sit indoors, but since this is San Diego, the weather is always nice enough to sit outside!

This is a funky little gem located in the heart of the Hillcrest neighborhood in San Diego. The cow skin covered seats, chandelier from the ceiling and warm ambiance creates an interesting but comfortable atmosphere. I really enjoyed the portobello & brie pannini. Their crepes are a decadent treat in the morning, and they serve breakfast all day.

Blue Water Grill has the best fish sandwiches I've had here in San Diego. They have fish plates, sandwiches, cocktails and chowders. Everything is fresh- they only serve what was caught that morning. They don't skimp on the fish in your sandwich, so it's well worth the money. I always get the wild trout sandwich grilled in lemon/garlic butter with avocado added. Maybe one day I'll get something different...but the trout is just so good! Tip: Even before this place was featured on the TV show- 'Diners, Drive in's and Dive's' it was very crowded at lunch time (11:30-2pm). If you want something here around that time, call in your order and then bypass the long line to pick your food up at the register.

If you're looking for a chill place to enjoy a glass of wine and a gourmet pizza, the Park Blvd Wine & Pizza bar is the perfect stop! My husband and I enjoy coming here after a long hike. Pictured here is a glass of pinot with an organic apple, arugula, gorgonzola and pesto pizza. Delicious! They have an extensive list of gourmet pizza choices. Or, you can order salads, sides (such as baked honey brie) and sandwiches. You'll find this gem tucked away on Park Blvd just north of the University Heights sign. It can be really crowded in the evening and lunch hour, so the best time is between 1:30- 4pm where you can grab the best seating and eat in a chill atmosphere.

My favorite independent bookstore located in seaport village.., a mix of eclectic nostalgia items amongst coffee drinks and stacks of books. Here is where u find peace amongst the tourist busy bodies

Tecolote Canyon was once inhabited by the Kumeyaay peoples. This park has about 6 1/2 miles of hiking and bicycling trails. A great part of it runs along the Tecolote Canyon golf course. My husband and I love visiting nature centers to learn about the surrounding environs and the one here is one of my favorites. There's a display that groups together the tracks, scat and skulls of the various animals in the area. Very cool! They also have several snakes on display so you can see the difference between a gopher and a rattlesnake. Besides the rattle, they do look a little similar! Tip: San Diego has a unique climate, during our summers everything is dried out and golden brown. Our green seasons are the winter and spring when we have a little rain and everything is green and the flowers are blooming. This canyon hike isn't too interesting in the summer (our summer is late July-October), but during the the other months it is really pretty.

After an amazing day of seeing beautiful vistas, wildlife, & surfers along the coastal area of San Diego (Pt. Loma, Sunset Cliffs), I grabbed a burger at Hodad's (http://www.hodadies.com) and enjoyed the view. What made it more remarkable was I am from Boston, it was the middle of our winter and I was in summer clothes with an amazing backdrop for outdoor dining.

A very cool Top Chef owned dining experience in San Diego's Gaslamp district. Whether you are stopping by for a drink and small bites or decide to try out the entrees, you will not be disappointed. Besides sensational food, the design aesthetics of the modernly outfitted restaurant will please the eye and the hip crowd will keep you entertained!