When I was invited to speak at Social Media Marketing World in San Diego, my thoughts centered around the fabulous event, amazing speakers and oh, a touch of warm weather (it’s been a pretty brutal winter in Boston, hasn’t it?). What I didn’t expect was how enamored I would be with the area – especially La Jolla. From hikes along the beach, to delicious al fresco meals and a few sunsets to remember, I have a good feeling that I’ll be back.
My home base for the trip was the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego. It’s where the conference was, but it was perfect. It’s a large hotel with a ton of amenities and the rooms are modern, spacious and very comfortable. We also had a wonderful waterfront view from our room which stretched out over to the Intrepid (which is actually a museum that you can tour!).
Fantastic view from our room
Welcome gift from the Social Media Marketing World team – it was immediately devoured!
Our lovely, spacious room
At night, the view was also spectacular – more so than the photo does justice.
View from our room at night
In between quality time at the conference, I snuck in a little ‘me time’ to go for a jog in the gloriously warm weather to take in the nearby San Diego sights. I also couldn’t resist stopping into the first Dunkin’ Donuts downtown post run as well for a much-needed Iced Coffee.
The famous kissing sailor statue (formerly called Unconditional Surrender statue) is a quick jog or walk from the Manchester Grand Hyatt
Also a quick jog or walk is a scenic boardwalk/marina area with shops, restaurants and gorgeous water/boat views to enjoy.
When I found out one of California’s first Dunkin’ shops was across the street from our hotel, I was SO HAPPY! Call it DDestiny :).
Photo of yours truly enjoying a little conference downtime with my amazing co-author, Ekaterina Walter.
Following the event, a friend whisked me away and treated me to some delicious wine on a patio overlooking Mission Beach. As we watched people walk by on the boardwalk with an epic sunset, it was the perfect end to a busy few days.
An amazing sunset in Mission Beach
The next morning, another dear friend from my college days decided she would kidnap me and show me her favorite part of the San Diego area – La Jolla. I’m so happy she did! Our first stop was Torrey Pines State Park where we walked along the beach and then hiked up steps carved into the cliffs.
I cannot help myself!
From there, we took in scenic vistas as we followed paths along the hillside. Absolutely gorgeous!
View from Torrey Pines
Another view from Torrey Pines
After working up quite an appetite, we went for lunch nearby – tacos at Brigantine. The restaurant overlooks the famous Del Mar Race Track. I decided to try one steak and one shrimp – they were both fresh and delicious!
Later on in the afternoon, we decided to take one more walk on the beach and watch the sunset. With my toes in the sand and my friend’s unbelievably cute dog by our side, I captured what might be one of my favorite photos of all time.
Walking on the beach with the oh-so-adorable Wilco!
I can’t believe I took such an amazing photo on La Jolla beach!
I can’t wait to come back!
The SavvyBostonian was a guest of Social Media Marketing World at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. All opinions expressed in this post post are her own.