Summer Fun in San Diego

If you’re a Padres fan — and maybe even if you aren’t — I recommend overnighting at the Omni San Diego Hotel. The 21-story property is only a sky bridge away from Petco Park and midway between the Gaslamp District and the San Diego Convention Center. This location proved to be priceless when my husband and I stayed there. We had tickets to a game that went into lots of extra innings and, while we didn’t want to leave before the game was over, we felt the need to get warm and be horizontal. Lucky for us, we had a reservation at the Omni and all we had to do was walk across the bridge and flip on the TV. That gave us a great view of the game and we could hear the crowd roar through our open window. I can’t remember who won, but I’ll never forget how much fun it was.

Petco Park and the Omni San Diego both opened in 2004 and the hotel has just completed a top-to-bottom renovation. This includes 511 guestrooms and the rooftop pool with a great view. Tortuga, the hotel’s new rooftop bar and restaurant, specializes in Baja-inspired dishes such as grilled fish tacos, poke bowls, and shrimp adovada.  

On the other side of Harbor Drive, we enjoy going to concerts at The Rady Shell in Embarcadero Marina Park South. This venue offers a wide variety of programs. In one week last month, that included the San Diego Symphony presenting an evening of Beethoven, Stick Figure reggae on stage, and Field of Dreams in concert. In addition to great music, I love the views out over San Diego Bay and back to the convention center and the city. We haven’t yet overnighted after a concert, but I have to say that the Hilton San Diego Bayfront is nearby and wonderfully convenient.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt, the tallest waterfront building on the West Coast, is also an easy walk from The Shell. We sometimes park there and enjoy dinner at Sally’s Fish House & Bar, which is right on the Embarcadero and overlooking the marina. Sally’s, named after the daughter of developer Doug Manchester, offers a delicious range of seafood dishes, including my favorite: Chilean sea bass. For those dining on the patio with a four-legged friend, Sally’s offers a dog-friendly menu that includes pupcakes, frozen yogurt pawpsicles, and rawhide bones.  

In addition to dining at the Hyatt, we’ve had fun at the hotel’s Rooftop Cinema Club on the fourth floor. There is nothing quite like sitting in an Adirondack chair, munching popcorn, and taking in the city lights while watching a movie. Out-of-town visitors seize on the opportunity when they’re in San Diego because our venue is one of only seven Rooftop Cinema Clubs in the U.S. Popular films include Anchorman, La La Land, and Wedding Crashers. This summer season ends on September 2.

Prefer to wiggle your toes in the sand while you watch movies? The Hotel del Coronado is offering family-friendly films and cult classics on the beach on Sunday nights through September 8. The seating choices include beach chairs, day beds, or sitting around a private bonfire with s’mores. The lineup includes Some Like It Hot, which was filmed at the hotel, on August 4; The Wizard of Oz on August 25, and Field of Dreams on September 8. The hotel’s roller rink, open through September 2, is another big attraction. Helmets aren’t mandatory, but guests are welcome to bring their own. Tickets include roller skate rental and up to 90 minutes of skating. Shore House at The Del, the newest of the hotel’s five neighborhoods, offers “residences” with one to five bedrooms. These have direct access to the beach and a pool, and come with all the comforts of home, including full kitchens.    

South of the hotel, The Gondola Company is offering private, 50-minute gondola cruises through the canals in Coronado Cays. Each gondola accommodates up to six passengers, and wine and snacks are available for purchase. It’s also fun to ride bikes around Coronado because it’s flat and there isn’t a lot of traffic.  

The Lodge at Torrey Pines has two fabulous dining events happening in August. Playing With Fire on August 12 will be an outdoor grilling session featuring Chef Marty Fay from Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters and craft brews from Pure Project Brewing. The Artisan Table Signature Wine Dinner on August 15 in A.R. Valentien will feature acclaimed Hundred Acre Wines and a carefully crafted seasonal communal meal prepared by The Lodge’s Executive Chef Kelli Crosson. 

My personal favorite after-dark summer event is the Symphony at Salk. Each year, a well-known vocal artist joins the San Diego Symphony on stage in the courtyard of the Salk Institute. Both the setting and the music are divine. This year, the event will take place on August 17 and the program will feature 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster and Broadway star Katharine McPhee. 

Speaking of stars, our wonderful San Diego Zoo has recently received two giant pandas from China. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are the first pandas to enter the U.S. in 21 years. Yun Chuan’s grandmother is Bai Yun, who lived at the zoo for more than 20 years. The pandas will be ready to meet the public beginning August 8 after their required quarantine period. First-time visitors to San Diego are motivated by our great weather and they return because they discover our many ways to have fun. Pandas, it seems, are motivated by TLC and fresh bamboo.