Top 10 Things to Do for an Epic Summer in San Diego

San Diego is the best place to experience a real California summer. There's so much sunshine and plenty of parks and beaches to enjoy your time outdoors. My list of top 10 spots will help you plan your most perfect summer days.

The Ultimate San Diego Bucket List for Summer:

1. Take the Pup to Mission Bay

This park is my favorite for the dogs because the grass is always fresh green and very trimmed. Perfect for some fun doggie playtime with a sunset background. And you can see palm trees and ocean views from the park.

2. Sip Cocktails at Coronado

The beach is maintained by the prestigious Hotel del Coronado and has an old world charm. The best part is that the beach is open to the public, so you don't have to be a hotel guest to enjoy it. You can even order cocktails at the bar and sip a margarita on the beach!

3. Eat Tacos in North Park

The adorable little neighborhood of North Park has been blowing up all over Instagram lately and it's not hard to see why. The streets are painted those pastel colors we love, the walls are filled with urban succulent gardens and the matcha is oh-so-trendy.

Lucha Libre Tacos is a popular Mexican wrestling themed joint. The menu is a steal of a deal, for less than $5 my tummy was so full from my giant cheese and steak taco. When you snack on your chips don't skimp on the cilantro cream sauce at the salsa bar, it's amazing! Viva "Nacho Libre!"

4. Take Photos at Scripps Pier

I wrote an entire guide to the best photography spots in San Diego and Scripps Pier is by far one of my favorite locations.

5. Hike Potato Chip Rock

The Mount Woodson Trail is one of San Diego's favorite hiking destinations, mostly because of the rewarding views at the top. An oddly shaped rock formation known as "Potato Chip Rock" provides some fun and daring photo opportunities. Along with great views, this trail will also give you with a great workout. I personally don't find it too strenuous, but others have told me that it was intense for them. On the way up the mountain the trail is pretty much all uphill with a somewhat steep incline. You'll feel the burn in those calves for sure!

6. Watch the Seals in La Jolla

As it turns out, back in the 1930's a sea wall was built to create an ideal swimming pool for children. Well this also turned out to be the ideal area for seals to migrate and have their babies. Over the years the seals completely took over the area and now Children's Pool is blocked off to designate a sanctuary for marine life.

7. Eat Ice Cream at Mission Beach

Walk down the Oceansfront Boardwalk from Mission Beach to Pacific Beach, then stop to enjoy some sherbet and snow cones. We strolled down Crystal Pier and admired the adorable little white beach cottages that sit above the water.

8. Say Hello to the Elephants at the Zoo

The San Diego Zoo is located inside Balboa Park and is one of the largest and most renown zoos in the United States. Elephants are my all-favorite zoo animals and it's a fun walk through their exhibit.

9. Enjoy the Coffee Shop Life

I know many of you folks need your morning cup of caffeine and in San Diego we are so lucky to have many trendy spots to frequent. It seems that coffee and matcha have a well established culture in San Diego with inventive and gourmet drinks on the menu. For the locations I listed, the atmosphere is just as top notch as the food and drinks served. Some of my favorite items to order are turmeric lattés, matcha lattés and even horchata lattés. Drink up and enjoy!

10. Take a Mural Tour

Murals are all the rage right now, and unless you've been living under a rock you know that they've taken over our Instagram feeds. San Diego is one of the best places in the country to take photos with fun murals. When I first went on the hunt for fun and colorful San Diego murals, I found it very hard to get the info I needed to actually go visit them. So I did all the legwork for you guys and complied this list complete with addresses you can put straight into your GPS. Have fun and snap away Instagrammers!