Back from La Jolla
An amazing trip with two of my absolute favorite people <3
When we went to San Diego for our babymoon, we knew we wanted to come back as a family of three and stay in La Jolla. There are so many cute shops and restaurants along the beach (plus the seals!!)- everything is walking distance. We only ended up using the car once to drive downtown, and other than that, we pushed Livi around in the jogging stroller or wore her in the men tai.
We left Saturday afternoon when I got off work, and got to our hotel around 2am. The awesome thing about doing it that way was that Liv slept almost the entire time, and when we woke up Sunday morning, we were already at our destination, ready for adventures.
Here are some of the things we did while we were there:
-Seal watching! This is probably my absolute favorite part of La Jolla- I could watch the seals swim and sunbathe all day. Little loves:
-Eat. I think we successfully ate our way through La Jolla. Some of the delights:
Breakfast:
-The Cottage
This is our favorite. I love it because they have gluten-free toast and chicken sausage, and the Pilot loves their French toast. It was tempting to eat there everyday, but we decided to try a couple of other places since there were so many options to choose from.
-The Coffee Cup
A quaint, funky little diner, and had FANTASTIC breakfast tamales. 2 tamales, eggs and black beans- I was a happy girl.
-Brockton Villa
It was built in the late 1800s by a San Diego physician (he bought the property for $165- I learned that from the story on the menu, haha) and overlooks the beach. The atmosphere was incredible and we both loved the coffee and omelets.
Lunch:
–Lean and Green. This is brilliantly close to La Jolla Sports Club, and has pretty much everything I could wish for on a menu. Gluten-free wraps and sandwiches, smoothies, juices, rice and quinoa bowls, yogurt/granola bowls, gloriousness and happiness. The Pilot had an awesome turkey wrap and juice, and I enjoyed a green juice and kale power bowl.
-Xtreme Pizza. We were actually in line to eat at Lean and Green (the next day) and the Pilot said, “I could really go for pizza.” I looked him in the eye and we knew. We walked out together (embarrassing) and got insane pizza from Xtreme Pizza. He got some slices to go, and I ordered a small Pandora’s box gluten-free pizza (half cheese, half no cheese) and it was, hands down, the best gluten-free dough I’ve ever tried. The Pilot had a couple of slices and couldn’t believe the dough was gluten-free- not the least bit chewy or weird.
-Cody’s. This was lunch/dinner the first night we were there, and chose Cody’s because of the eclectic menu- lots of Mexican twists on traditional dishes, healthy options, and burgers. We shared the ceviche, and I had a lemon-thyme champagne spritzer:
and for my entree, I rolled with the salmon salad.
Dinner:
-The Fish Market, The Pilot told me that this place had wonderful seafood -he ate there while he was in SD for work a couple of weeks ago- and they have pretty much any seafood option you could want: grilled, sushi, smoked, soup, the list goes on. The view is breathtaking, too- overlooking the bay:
Here’s what our table looked like:
Crab legs, shrimp cocktail, side of veggies for Liv, cheesy bread, shrimp salad, the BEST, freshly-smoked Alaskan salmon
(I salivate looking at that photo)
and a man who takes his seafood very seriously.
Bahaha.
The entire time he was putting his bib on, I was cracking up and asking him if he was for real. No, he was joking, but it was about 10 seconds of pure awesomeness.
-PrepKitchen. No pics from this meal, as I was enjoying the company (which included the lovely Whitney)
but there is a salad I’ll be re-creating ASAP 🙂
Everything else:
Cups. All you need is Cups.
Gluten-free cupcakes and almond milk lattes. It’s a beautiful thing.
So we ate at incredible restaurants, walked around, shopped, caught up with friends, had the chance to take a couple of new-to-me workout classes (I’ll write about those later tonight) and were able to just enjoy each other and relax.
The Pilot always works long and intense hours, so I’m always glad when he gets the chance to chill. We took naps together as a family, and even Liv was on vacay mode- she slept in until 7 or 8 each morning and napped like a champ. While I didn’t feel like I needed a “break” per se, I was pretty exhausted before we left. Usually for vacations, I’ll get stressed out about packing (because we all know about my history of last-minute packing and missed flights), and don’t really wind down until I’m at the destination. This time, the second we were in the car, I felt my body sigh with relief.
My days are very full, but I’m fortunate that they’re all things I choose to do and enjoy. At the same time, the 2 solid months of sleep deprivation after Liv was born… well, almost every night since then I’ve felt pretty worn down- definitely ready for some relaxation and sleep catch-up. I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, and grateful I got some quality time in with the people I love so much.
It’s back to work (and Zumba!) for me over here, but I hope your day is this kinda happy:
xoxo,
Gina
*Thank you again to these fabulous ladies for guest posting while I was away! <3
-Later today:
Fashion Post from Meg
My vacay workouts
Summer Shape Up: It’s Tabata Thursday! Choose one of the last two videos for today’s 12-minute max cardio blitz. Leave a comment to check in with how many rounds you did and how triumphant you feel! 🙂 Check out the July calendar if you’d like to join in with this month’s workouts <3
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Hi,
I was just wondering where you stay when you go there and if you would recommend it? Thanks!
Karoline
I’m so glad that guys had such a wonderful time! There’s really nothing better than a little family vacation (and family naps are always a huge plus). 🙂
You went to all of my favorite restaurants in La Jolla. My parents live there and I grew up there. Roppongi’s is another one of my favs. I haven’t tried Cody’s but your pictures make it look so delicious I will try next time I’m in town. Glad you enjoyed LJ. One of my favorite places ever!
The pizza looks so yummy! It really is hard to find GF pizza. They usually throw it on a flat frozen tortilla and call it pizza. If you ever come to the VA/DC area there is a place in old town alexandria that makes awesome GF pizza dough. Their own personal recipe. 🙂
That looks like such an amazing family vacation. So much yummy food and lovely naps…the best way to relax and reset. I swear, you are a Master at finding restaurants with gluten-free options! I live in San Francisco, and even though it’s fairly progressive food-wise, you’d be surprised at the lack of places that serve gluten-free toast or almond milk, for example. Definitely writing down your San Diego restaurants for my next trip there 🙂
Looks like a fun fam getaway! I’m visiting La Jolla for the first time this October…definitely bookmarking your eatery suggestions!
I mean your on vacation…. would it really kill to NOT get a salmon salad? Thats all you eat when you go out… im pretty sure there are other healthy choices on the menu and it wouldnt kill you to live just a little. If I have to see one more salmon salad, I”ll scream! or just stop reading this blog.
whoa there. i’m pretty sure that while you’re on vacation you’re supposed to eat food you enjoy? i like salmon salad- especially with such fresh ingredients. i also ate the ceviche with chips and a champagne-lemon drink with that meal.. sounds like an awesome vacay meal to me
Lol, you were kind to even respond to that comment. I mean, did you really have to SLEEP at night on vacation too? You do that, like, every night at home too. As a blogger, you have an obligation to do something different all the time, so I say you STOP sleeping at night and then give us all the details of the other things you did instead 😉
ok, i’m on it 😉
I’m sorry, have you HAD salmon salad?
I rest my case.
Umm.. I don’t think Gina’s choosing what she eats in a restaurant with a specific view to what will entertain you most! Give the poor lady a break – or at least some courtesy!
Vacation is NOT the time to try out something new. What if you get sick??? I always stick with food that my body is used to esp when I am far away from a nearby restroom!
Um, yeah, I’ve made the mistake of trying new foods on vacay way too many times…nuff said. Plus salmon salad is delicious.
What a great trip! Lean & Green sounds delicious and I figured there would be a salmon salad somewhere in your eats! Glad you had a great time. 🙂
I love your vacay posts because I feel like you go to places not normally on my radar (like San Diego) but seem low key/perfect for a vacation that I want to keep in mind for future adventures.
What an amazing trip with beautiful pictures of the family! My twin nieces are in San Diego so you’ve given me some great ideas for future exploration. The food looks incredible, too!
And I had a great time posting and chatting it up with a few of your readers so thank YOU. 🙂
That smoked salmon looks TO DIE FOR! Looks like you had a great time, as for feeling sleep deprived, I have s13 month old and I don’t think I’ve felt rested since before I got pregnant with her haha
Looks and sounds like a lovely time! How special that the three of you got to return together after your babymoon 🙂 Love the significance.
I’m so glad you had a great trip! Killer workout this morning = 1st tabata video, workout 4 (with added tabata between 4 & 5), 2nd tabata video. Best part was doing the leg/calf raises with my toddler climbing on me. I guess you can call that added weight! 🙂
haha you definitely can! GREAT workout!
Those seals are soooo cute! How do you find out about all these awesome places to eat? Do you research before you go or just browse cafe menus etc as you walk until you find one with healthy options? Or…is everything in CA just that healthy lol?
haha from what i can tell, there are a TON of healthy options. i asked for advice via twitter and from friends, and from that, everything we tried ended up being a winner
Looks like it was an awesome vacay! Sometimes the mini breaks are just what is needed to get you back up and running!
SEALS!! Oh my gosh, that looks like the best vacation spot.
Did you do anything differently with Liv in terms of sleeping to get her to sleep in so long?
We’re almost at 8 months here and she’s still up about 4 times a night. At this point, I’m looking for any advice I can get. 🙂
4 times! you are a superhero.
i did the baby whisperer routine early on + tips from reading “healthy sleep habits” and it turned liv from a very poor sleeper, to an insanely awesome sleeper (knock on wood)
It sounds like this trip was exactly the refresher you needed! I’m glad you got in some quality time with the Pilot and Liv. And good food too! I would have been all over the food at that seafood restaurant. 😀
Hey lady! Love the blog and congrats on your beautiful family! I had to cOmnent on this post because I live in San Diego now and my brother works at Brockton villa! Glad you were able to relax!
I salivated at that pic of seafood and cheesy bread also! What a great vacation!
First family vacay! That makes me so excited for you guys. It’ll be fun for you guys to keep going back as Livi gets older and see how much the trip changes as she’s able to do more and more!
Oh man, you are making me so excited to go to San Diego in a few months! My grandfather lives in La Jolla, so I’m going to have to bookmark this post so I can remember all of the amazing gluten free places you ate at. Thanks so much for posting! I haven’t had a gluten free cupcake in ages. 🙂
Looks like a wonderful trip, and that picture of the three of you is adorable! You deserved it, i’m glad to see you enjoyed yourselves.
Ohh it looks like you guys had an absolutely fabulous vacation! I had no idea that the Cottage (one of my fave restaurants) now serves GF toast?! That’s so exciting! And mmm cups and xtreme pizza really are delicious! So glad you had such a nice trip!
Glad you had such a great time; looks wonderful!!
Love the picture of all three of you! I did two rounds of Tabata this morning. I LOOOOVE these workouts. Takes just minutes, but you feel like you’ve worked really hard when you’re done. (Although my poor neighbor downstairs probably wonders what all the jumping around in 20 second intervals is…I swear I try to land lightly!)
It looked like a wonderful time…and it proves that you can still have fun vacations after the baby is born. I swear that so many people have told me otherwise. All of the yummy looking food is making me hungry!
Sounds like you had a fantastic time! So nice to just tune out for a bit, isn’t it?
Just finished week 4 workout x3 with 3 rounds of tabata. ….and I’m dead.
Daaannggg girl! Mandy M you are my new hero.
LOVE all the pics! 🙂 You look like you guys had an amazing time! 🙂
Looks like such a nice relaxing trip!
I was wondering what jogging stroller you have and your opinions on it. I’m in the process of making my baby shower registry and am lost in a sea of strollers! I don’t think I remember reading a family post on this topic….
we got the bob because it went on sale over $100 off on amazon- we’re both crazy about it and liv loves riding in it. it’s a great running and adventure stroller
Looks like such a nice trip Gina! It must have been so great just to get away for a bit with the people you love the most! Those meals all look incredible! I went to la Jolla a long time ago (like over 10 years) and the only thing I remember from it are those seals! So Cute!
I forgot to look at the seals last time I was there. And I’ll have to try that pizza place out!
What a beautiful post! The sentiments shared, the sighs and pics of San Diego…funny that I live 10-15 mins from all the places you were but very rarely go into downtown La Jolla..this reminds me to “take a vacation in my own backyard”…and soon! 🙂
First of all, your trip looked amazing! So great that you and the family got to get away and just enjoy each other and the sunshine!
Second of all, tabata thursday plus workout 4 was INSANE. I warmed up, did 1 tabata, did 1 round of the workout, did another tabata, did 1 more round of the workout and tabata in the middle of it. Whew!
whoo hoo!!!!
It looks like you had a WONDERFUL time! You guys work hard… you deserve it! And that food! Well, let’s just say I’m salivating as I type. 🙂
What a truly beautiful little girl! Nice place for a relaxing getaway ?
I’m glad that you had a wonderful vacation! The pictures are great.
Check in time! I just finished Workout 4 + Tabata. We did the workout circuit through twice with Tabata mixed in both times. It was killer! The plank walks make my arms scream! I love mixing in Tabata with my strength training. Since I only have about 30 minutes to workout, it’s the perfect way to mix in a little cardio on my strength days.
Thanks again for SSU! I’m going to spend the next 4 weeks doing SSU 2011 to keep pushing and challenging myself.
ROCK STAR!
and i totally agree that it’s better to get in a quick effective workout than a long one
let me know how ssh 2011 treats ya!
Welcome back – sounds like some amazing eats were discovered!!!
Love the pics…thanks for sharing! You totally hit up all of my favorite spots and places I frequent on a near daily basis. So happy to hear you and the familia had a great time. Only wish it could have cleared up along the coast a little earlier in the day for you guys while you were here. Still looks like a fab time and good eats though 🙂
little liv is SO cute! that little pink and white outfit is adorable. i can’t believe that she is eating solids…I remember the post when you were headed to the hospital in labor! you are so blessed and i just love reading your blog! thanks for sharing as always 🙂
thank you so much for reading! <3
La Jolla is probably my favorite town in California. I was there visiting for just the night ten years ago after I was in San Diego, and I would love to go back!
Oh my gosh, those seals are adorable!
Oh MY goodness! What a great looking vacay 🙂 And so yummy too! Must try La Jolla sometime!
Wow I’m so jealous of your trip! I’ve always wanted to explore California. You guys are the cutest family. I want those chips and dip from Cody’s, looks delicious!
This looks like an amazing trip! I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself! The food looks amazing and your family is beautiful! What more could you ask for?
Wow! That’s the kind of vacation I’d like to have…Awesome food, wonderful company, beautiful weather = unforgettable memories.
I wish I can get into zumba..I really did love it the couple of times I tried…it’s just that my hips won’t move! Any tips? 🙂
the harder you try to shake, the harder it is! let it go and it will happen 🙂
what a fun trip!
btw I ordered Sunwarrior from you 2 wks ago and it is sooo good that I took advantage of the 4th of July deal and ordered one more!!
i’m so glad you’re a fan- it’s the best
Your photos are beautiful, – the food pics look amazing. And Liv is absolutely gorgeous! Good looking family you got there 😉
thank you! i’m a very lucky girl <3
So glad Im not the only one still recovering from the sleep deprivation. Although we are 6 months today and have gotten good sleep since 3 months, I STILL don’t feel 100% normal. Plus every day takes so much energy with a baby so even when Im rested I feel tired by the end of the day. Glad you had a nice vacation and enjoyed a salmon salad. LOL
I cannot get over HOW cute Liv is!! She gets cuter by the day I swear!
So glad your little family had such a good vacation. It looks like a TON of fun. My cousin actually lives really close to where you were & she always tells me how nice it is. One day I will definitely have to get out there 🙂
You hit up all the good spots. I LOVE lean and green…the brown rice bowls are so good! 🙂 Next time you go to the Fish Market, try to sit at the Oyster Bar and they will custom make your seafood dish for you. It’s pretty fantastic and a secret that not many people know!