San Diego Up Close

I had already written an extensive post about recommendations for visiting San Diego, but since then, I have frequently returned to visit family and speak at conferences. I will periodically share new images and tiny details from the trips with fresh recommendations.

Soak in the succulents & cacti. (Sep. 2023)

San Diego’s Mediterranean climate is characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Its consistently mild temperatures, ample sunlight, low humidity, and sandy soil are particularly suitable to cacti and succulents.

On a recent visit, I stayed just over a mile from Balboa Park. Popular for morning walks, it’s a great place to catch golden light on the brugmansia trumpet flowers and the iconic aerial buttress roots of ornamental Moreton fig trees.

In September the blooms were going strong throughout San Diego.

Finally, I spent ages on a damp sidewalk in the rain to ogle this bright green hawk-moth caterpillar while it chomped on a red and orange colored Euhorbia tirucalli, or fire sticks plant.

Visit the San Diego Zoo (Nov. 2023)

I recently returned to San Diego to speak at a conference and planned two extra days into the trip to spend at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, from open to close. Traveling alone allowed me to spend as much time with each animal as I wanted, waiting patiently for different behaviors and gestures to photograph.

I captured portraits of 36 of the more than 650 exotic wildlife species and subspecies guests can see and learn about at the San Diego Zoo, with their designated conservation status, according to international conservation organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Wildlife Federation and country-specific wildlife organizations.

Hike Blue Sky Reserve to Ramona Dam (Mar. 2019)

I wanted a hike, so I joined my friend Ben to hike the Blue Sky Reserve to Ramona Dam, about 45 minutes outside of San Diego proper. It’s an approximately 5.25-mile out-and-back trail that took us about an hour and a half to complete. The weather in San Diego had been uncharacteristically cool, damp, and rainy lately. While it meant a little mud on our shoes on the trail, we were also treated to a beautiful green landscape with a misty fog nestled over the tops of the rolling hills.

Eat in Little Italy (Mar. 2019)

Once again I found my way back to the Little Italy neighborhood. Just like last year, I went to Ironside Fish & Oyster for lunch at their bar (my god, the Phantom Creek oysters – still my favorite and this is the only place I’ve ever found them). I joined my friend Ben for brunch at Herb & Wood. We shopped at Atacama Surf Shop to pick him up a hat. We celebrated our friend Ryan’s birthday with drinks in the cabanas at the Kettner Exchange. The week in San Diego was unseasonably rainy – but most of my Little Italy time had wonderful, sunny, warm weather.

Go Whale Watching (Mar. 2019)

I have wanted to go whale watching forever. Ben and I booked some seats with Adventure R.I.B. Rides for a super fun day on the water. We did manage to see several species of dolphins, some sea lions, and one whale tale, but sadly the whales were pretty quiet on this trip. It was still an absolute blast and would love to go again.