Weddingbee boards

FH and I are looking into honeymooning in San Diego or somewhere in California. Any advice on where to stay and what to do? Neither one of us have been to California so we can't be sure we are staying in a good area or not. I've been trying to do research on it but there are so many hotels that I am starting to go cross-eyed.

Thanks in advance!!

I don't know if you're still planning or not, but I'll chime in and maybe pay it forward to some other people interested in San Diego. San Diego is beautiful and fun -- just know that June is not our most beautiful month of the year. We get this thing called "June Gloom" and it's often gray and cooler than visitors expect. That said, you'll still be on vacation, and on your honeymoon no less!

The Gaslamp area of downtown is pretty popular and has a party/bar scene/tourist feel. You can defintely feel like you're on vacation there, even so close to the main business district. It's urban and, while you're near the bay, you're not going to find any beach front hotels there.

There are tons of hotels in the rest of downtown. The US Grant is especially beautiful, and, since they moved the Greyhound station, the slight (and, really, totally normal for a bigger city) sketch factor on that part of Broadway has gone down a bit.

Coronado, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Encinitas, and Carlsbad are different types coastal towns to try if you want to be by the water. Caveat: some places are "Ocean view" or "Beach view" -- typically it means just that. There are a lot of cliffs in San Diego and, if your hotel sits on one, the *view* will be gorgeous but you *won't* be a short stroll from any actual beach.

If I was visiting I'd absolutely do:

Car rental

The Zoo/Balboa Park (I'm getting married in the park)

Surfing lessons (Summer is not prime surfing time for serious folks, but I think it'd be totally fun to try)

Fried Shrimp Tacos at South Beach Bar and Grill (in the Ocean Beach neighborhood)

Stone Brewery in Escondido -- kind of a hike from downtown San Diego, but worth it to many beer enthusiasts 

Maybe catch a Padres game. I'm not a huge baseball fan, but the stadium is beautiful especially as the sun sets during evening games.

Camp at San Onofre http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=647

Paragliding at the Torrey Pines Glider Port http://www.yelp.com/biz/torrey-pines-gliderport-la-jolla

We do a lot of outside stuff here :)