Exploring San Diego - Trolley and Ferry

The weather is warming up in Southern California. It's not often that we get a hot day on the coast. It's usually about 10-15 degrees cooler and windier at the beaches than it is even 10 miles inland.

One particular Saturday was calling for temperatures in the 80s and sunny on the coast which meant we had to take advantage of our first beach day this season. Truthfully, I think it was the hottest day I have experienced on the beach in the last 10 months that we've lived here.

We also decided it would be fun to finally try out the trolley that comes right next to our apartment.

We took the trolley downtown then walked about two blocks to the harbor. It was really fun exploring our area on foot! We felt like complete tourists.


Apparently there was a march going on - the March for Science. I didn't even know there was such a thing. But I guess when you live in Southern California where the weather is so nice, you'll find any reason to get out and take a walk together.


Once we got to the harbor, we hopped on the ferry to take us over to Coronado. Another new experience for both of us which was so fun!

We boarded right next to the USS Midway.


Eric will be taking a little field trip to the submarine base in the picture below soon. After 10 years supporting the Navy, he is finally getting a chance to tour a sub!



When we arrived on Coronado there was an entire pedestrian zone with shops and places to eat, people having picnics, little beach areas, and so much to see. We already want to plan another trip just to grab ice cream or dinner and spend some time in this area.


We were running a little late though so we grabbed a quick Lyft to get across the island faster. We met up with Alison's family at the beach, they know how to do it right!

We brought our own towels, food, and sunscreen but we pack pretty light. With them having two young kids, they come extra prepared. They had a giant tent, chairs, food, grill, toys, and anything you could ever need.


The water was still cold, but it was so nice to finally have a beach day where it was hot enough to make you want to go in the water. Normally I'm bundled in a sweater, a very different experience than what we're used to on the East coast.


We had a great day grilling with them, digging in the sand, and enjoying the sun. It was the perfect beach day.


After we left we didn't have a schedule so we decided to walk the 1.5 miles back to the harbor on the other side of the island.

Along the way we saw some beautiful, charming houses. The houses were small but they had some of the most creative yards. Above, the picture doesn't even capture how elaborate the gardens were at this particular house.

And I fell in love with the little tree house at another place we passed by. Another house had roses that were the size of Eric's hand. And there were so many of them!

We also randomly passed by Coronado Brewing Co. and thought of Chris so I had to take a picture. Wish you guys were here and we could all stop in!


Needless to say, the walk across Coronado was beautiful and I'm so glad we decided to do it on foot. There are so many things we miss when we just jump in a car and take the quickest route.

The ferry runs every hour. We caught the one for that hour just in time.

When we got off, there were people with little rickshaws attached to the back of their bikes just waiting to give someone a ride wherever they needed to go. We didn't take them up on their offer, but it was crazy to me how easy it was to find different ways to get around.

Although our purpose of the day was to get to the beach, I think we had more fun just getting there! There are so many types of public transportation that are all so accessible to us here. I don't think I truly realized or appreciated it until now.
There are bikes all over San Diego to pick up/drop off anywhere you want. There are places to rent segways or motorized scooters at every corner. Even living in the Washington D.C. area (right next to a metro station) I haven't experienced this abundance and ease of public transportation. We're already coming up with different ways we want to try and get around next time.