San Diego

Dog Friendly Adventures with Sally the Bernedoodle in San Diego!

So, we have a dog named Sally… that we’re mildly obsessed with. A goal of ours since the beginning has been to focus on more dog friendly trips, since leaving her can be SO HARD. (Those of you with dogs can relate!) While international trips are pretty much impossible with a 60-pound Bernedoodle, we’ve found that taking her on road trips and staycations is the way to go. She’s great in the car, loves exploring new places, and it’s relatively easy for us to transport her! We recently did a little weekend trip to San Diego with Sally (her first time in a big city!) and it was a BLAST. Here are a few of our favorite dog friendly spots:

 

 

WHERE TO STAY

The Manchester Grand Hyatt is one of our absolute favorite places to stay in San Diego, and it just so happens to be extremely dog friendly! The location is clutch - right on the water next to Seaport Village, across the street from The Gaslamp, and walking distance to just about everything. 

Upon check-in we were greeted with water and food bowls for Sally, a bright red ball, and doggy treats in our room. Talk about royal puppy treatment!! Sally experienced her first elevator (she was a little confused at first, but learned to love it) and her first time admiring the view from 48 floors up! But let’s be real… she could’ve cared less about the view - all homegirl wanted was that ball!

The rooms are spacious, modern, and oh goodness… that bed. We’ve come to find that all Hyatt’s have the most plush and comfy beds. Even Sally agreed! 

 

WHERE TO EAT

If you’re a foodie like us, you know that the dining options in San Diego are endless. Every time we come back to the city we hear of new “it” places to eat, and so far nothing has disappointed! And while there are a lot of dog friendly spots, it helps to do your research beforehand. Here’s a few of our (and Sally’s) highlights!

 

SALLY’S FISH HOUSE :: Seaport Village

Yep, you read that right. The Manchester Grand Hyatt has a dog friendly restaurant named Sally’s Fish House, located right on the water. The views are amazing, the food is fresh and delicious (definitely consider the fish and chips!), and the doggy treatment is top notch. Not only do they have an extensive dog menu, they have custom bowls for the pups (they let us keep one!). They even had doggy popsicles for desert! We’ve never seen Sally so happy at a restaurant before. If we’re being honest, this meal was the highlight of our trip. HIGHLY recommend for all dog lovers!!

 

QUEENSTOWN PUBLIC HOUSE :: Little Italy

This Kiwi-inspired restaurant is not only incredibly Instagammable, but the food is insane. Their outdoor patio is perfect for dogs, and the servers even come around with gift wrapped dog treats! We recommend getting here early, as it fills up quick - and if you can, try to score a seat by the fire. Oh, and come hungry. The portions are huge!

LOFTY COFFEE :: Little Italy

Located right across from Queenstown Public House, Lofty Coffee is one of our favorite San Diego based coffee shops. We recommend ordering a couple pour-overs from different regions and sharing. It’s the perfect spot to sit outside with your pup, sip your coffee, and people watch. 

 

PUESTO :: The Headquarters

The Headquarters is a new dining and shopping experience just down the street from the Manchester Grand Hyatt. It’s a great place to explore with dogs, and most of the restaurants have outdoor patios. Our favorite spot is a Mexican restaurant called Puesto, that’s known for their innovative tacos and margaritas. It’s a really fun vibe, and great for dogs. Sally actually fell asleep while we were there, allowing us to eat our dinner in peace - which NEVER happens!

 

 

AREAS TO EXPLORE

Like we said, everything is super walkable from the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Most of our weekend was spent walking around different locations and neighborhoods around downtown San Diego. A few of our favorites are:

  • Seaport Village: Tons of shops and restaurants all along the waterfront. You could easily spend an afternoon walking around the village and having a drink at one of their many restaurants. Also, it’s a great place to watch the sunset!

  • Little Italy: Every time we go down to San Diego we find ourselves back in Little Italy. It’s charming, constantly evolving, and a blast to explore. Some of our favorite Italian food (and gelato!) is there, and it seems like everyone that lives in Little Italy has a dog. Our kind of place!

  • Coronado Island: Just across the bay from the Manchester Grand Hyatt is Coronado Island, one of our favorite places to explore! We parked near the Hotel Del and spent a morning walking along the beach, around the historic Hotel Del, and up and down the quaint streets.

This quick weekend getaway was just what we (and Sally) needed. It definitely got us excited for more dog friendly trips, and for the next time we can return to San Diego with our pup in tow. If any of you have any favorite dog-friendly locations or doggy travel tips, leave us a comment! We’d love to hear!

 

Quick Weekend Getaway: Historic Luxury at the U.S. Grant

This summer was full of jet-setting opportunities - from African safaris, to cocktails in Dubai, to hiking the Cinque Terre! While it's been a summer to remember, we're cooling down on our travel time and settling back into reality. That being said, we're all about the weekend getaways! Living in Orange County, the options are endless when it comes to pretty places to stay... This time around, we opted for a quick weekend trip down to San Diego. We wanted downtown luxury mixed with classic, San Diego charm. There's no better place to stay than the U.S. Grant Hotel!

If you are at all intrigued by hotels with history, this is the spot for you. Do yourself a favor and check out the U.S. Grant’s website and read about everything that has gone on there since they opened their doors in 1910. It was built by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. in honor of his father, the 18th President of the United States. We'll be the first to say that Ulysses S. Grant Jr did an AMAZING job - in more ways than one! The U.S. Grant was once famous for an incredible Palm Court above the massive grand lobby, which was literally an oasis of palm trees on the second floor - complete with a gorgeous view of the downtown. They have a Turtle Soup at the Grant Grill that is unbelievable… And don't let the word turtle scare you. It used to be turtle and now it’s mock-turtle, and is actually made with beef tongue! The hotel used to house a speakeasy during the prohibition era called the Plata Real Nightclub, where there was booze secretly brought into the hotel through underground steam pipes. Also, there was a sit-in at the Grant Grill in 1969 that carved the way for women’s rights in San Diego. We’re telling you… a lot has happened at this historic spot!

As for our stay… we arrived to find a elegant lobby with classic furniture and decor. There are beautiful chandeliers throughout the hotel, as well as numerous cozy nooks to sit, sip on a cocktail, and people watch. One detail we loved was that the U.S. Grant has their trademark “G” logo all over the hotel in really creative places. If and when you visit, make a  little game out of it by walking around and seeing how many G’s you can find. Similar to looking for “Hidden Mickey’s” at Disneyland. (You know we love Disneyland!!)

Our room was AMAZING. We could really dedicate this whole blog to our room alone!. It had a big, cozy bed with the kind of bedding that makes you never want to leave. Ever. The headbord was a painted one-of-a-kind art piece by French artist, Yves Clement. It's touches like this that we have come to really appreciate… beautiful modern, abstract art fitting in wonderfully with an elegant, timeless bedroom. 

We were excited to eat turtle soup at the Grant Grill and had also heard great things about their cocktail menu. It definitely did not disappoint. Our waiter, Brendan, started us off with a couple cocktails and a small loaf of bread, because that’s how all meals should begin right? Bobby had the most incredible Manhattan, while Alli had a tequila concoction that was torched with fire before she drank it. The turtle soup ended up being one of our favorite dishes - it was really tasty! And no turtles were harmed in the making of the soup!! We were stuffed with more amazing food including pork belly, halibut, and lamb loin (which is like the filet mignon of lamb). While our tummies were stuffed, we had to try some dessert. (Duh!!) Our server suggested we have the mango beignets with mint sauce, which ended up being a perfect light option!

We finished the night off with a short stroll of the Gaslamp and headed back to our room to enjoy a lovely air-conditioned night sleep (our home has been really hot with no AC - come on Southern California! Don't you know it's Fall?!). We slept in the next morning, and did not want to leave. The U.S. Grant was such a treat! It was a perfect weekend getaway and we cannot wait to go back! 

Conveniently enough, today the U.S. Grant is celebrating their 105th anniversary!! Congratulations, U.S. Grant team!