Valentine’s Day is two weeks away! Do you have a plan yet?
Whether you’re thinking a picnic at Kate Sessions or a nice dinner in Gas Lamp, you definitely should start planning now! There are a lot of cool events and places to check out in San Diego, check out the list below!
Dates
Valentine’s Day 10k, 5K, and 1 Mile Fun Run
If your life partner is also your running partner, consider the Valentine’s Day 10k at Cornado. This event takes place on Sunday (the day after Valentine’s) in Tidelands Park. The event officially starts at 7am and the races start at 7:30 and then 8.
Be sure to sign up soon! https://www.valentinesday10k.com/
Hiking
There are many beautiful hiking spots around San Diego, especially along the coast. One of the best places to check out is of course Torrey Pines. But if you’re worried it’ll be even busier than usual, have you considered the Bayside Trail? This trail curves around Point Loma and gives unrivaled views across all of San Diego’s harbor. It’s a 2.2 mile moderate trek, just be sure to check weather ahead of time! If you’re looking for something easier, Sunset Cliffs gives you an amazing view of the ocean. There’s also Annie’s Canyon trail, but this sandstone canyon does close after significant rainfall.
These are all part of the Seven-Star Coastline Hiking trails, for more check out this site!
https://www.sandiego.org/explore/things-to-do/sports/hiking/seven-star-coastal-hikes.aspx
Sight Seeing
From Mission Bay to Point Loma, there is a lot of cool places to check out in San Diego. If you’re looking to just wander about and see what the County has to offer you can’t go wrong with these amazing places: Coronado, La Jolla, Point Loma, Liberty Station, and the Embarcadero. If you want something a little less local, you can head north to Cardiff-by-the-Sea and explore the waterfront, its whale watching season, so if you’re lucky you might spot a pod on the horizon!
Dining
Downtown
You really can’t go wrong with most restaurants in Downtown. Some highlights are Florent, Rustic Root, or Coasterra. We could go on, but a lot of places are already booked out for Valentine’s Day!
Balboa Park (and the surrounding neighborhoods)
The Prado almost always tops the list for “romantic restaurants in San Diego” and we recommend checking it out if you can grab a seat. If you can’t manage to find one then you might have better luck in North Park. There are plenty of cool places to eat, such as Dunedin, Alexanders on 30th, Smoking Goat/One Door North, or Encontro. Or try idyllic South Park, Buono Forchetta and Harland both get rave reviews. Then there’s of course Hillcrest’s Arrividerci and Parma Cucina Italiana. These are all popular places, so again! Be sure to call as soon as you can.
Tips for Finding a Reservation
San Diego is definitely a food city, so if nothing sounded appealing in those earlier options, there’s more to check out. We recommend calling and asking if they have a wait list. It’s also always best to call during off times, so that way you’re not interrupting a rush and the staff member might be able to spend some more time helping you find a slot.
A lot of restaurants have online reservation systems, if they do you can always check back to see if there’s been a cancellation. Most restaurants are fully booked 5 days before Valentine’s Day. And they tend to get most of their reservations exactly one week prior. So, try and call before February 7th!
Another secret tip is to partner up! It might be less romantic, but a lot of restaurants have 4, 6, or even tables meant for parties of 8. So, they might be booked up for 2 people, but not for a bigger group.
If that doesn’t work, sometimes there’s nothing more romantic than a homecooked meal!