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Planning a “Treat Yourself” Vacation to San Diego

For whatever reason, we tend to put ourselves last in importance, always tending to the needs and wants of our family, our friends, and our bosses, but this year, we at Penny Realty think it is time to put yourself first for a change! Eat that last piece of pie you have been craving, sleep in a few extra moments on the weekend, letting the kids get their own bowls of cereal, and plan a treat yourself getaway to idyllic San Diego. We can’t think of a better place to spoil yourself, and when you choose a one bedroom San Diego vacation retreat, the spoiling will continue at the end of every day of California adventures. This guide will give you more than a few ideas on how to fill every minute of your San Diego journey.

Elevated Epicurean Adventures

A good meal is one of life’s ultimate luxuries, and the restaurant landscape of San Diego is known to be a foodie paradise, making it easy to treat yourself to a truly excellent meal. The most difficult part of this journey will be narrowing down your choices to a few perfect meals, but we hope this guide will help give you at least a few ideas.

Wolf in the Woods, 1920 Fort Stockton Drive Suite C, Closed Sundays & Mondays

Wolf in the Woods was recently voted as Restaurant of the Year Critics’ Choice by San Diego Magazine, which should capture your attention right away. The food they serve is a blend of French and Spanish cuisine, and the wines they offer will add a pleasant glow to your dining experience.

And although the restaurant is a little pricey, with meals running in the $50 to $100 range, compared to other, less worthy restaurants, you will definitely get your money’s worth. Located in the historic Mission Hills neighborhood, their Tapas are highly acclaimed, and because this is the journey of treating yourself, we suggest you save room for their Kakawa Chocolate Pot, made with hatch chile chocolate, cake crumble, raspberry coulis, and a host of other delicious ingredients.

Animae, 969 Pacific Highway, Open Daily at 5 PM

Moving up the pricey ladder, Animae is an Asian Fusion restaurant specializing in high-end steaks and costing in the $100+ range, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Dining at this Michelin recognized restaurant is an experience, offering velvet and leather banquettes, golden swoops of curtains, and a genteel ambience that will make you feel pampered and spoiled. Their sake is small batch and created in the traditional manner, their cocktail program shines bright, and they offer a multi-course menu that will make you believe in magic. Desserts at Animae are an experiment in absolute delectability, and their Buko Pandan, a young coconut mousse, will change your life.

Madi, 3737 Adams Avenue, Open Daily

For reasons unknown to us, breakfast is the meal we treat the harshest, choosing to eat toast, cereal, or skipping it altogether, even as we are taught it is the most important meal of the day. And when you really think about it, is there anything more luxurious than sleeping in late before enjoying a rich and hearty breakfast? Madi understands the importance of breakfast, offering a California Mediterranean brunch every day and taking wonderful liberties with their pancakes; their blackberry goat cheese pancakes are something you never knew you needed and will never want to live without again after your first bite. Madi is a casually wonderful restaurant providing a cheerful ambience and shareable waffle churro sticks as well as offering a variety of mimosa flavors that will be the perfect accompaniment to your San Diego breakfast.

A Tour of Day Spas

spa

You put your body through a lot every day. The tension of real life affects every muscle and joint, as do the workouts you try not to skip, and although the latter is good for you, it still doesn’t feel good the next couple of days. But even if you aren’t in pain and you have forgotten all your stress, a visit to any of the day spas listed below will have you feeling like a brand new person.

Spa Kingston, 2230 5th Avenue, Closed Saturdays

Spoiling yourself is a great idea, but letting the talented staff at Spa Kingston spoil you is an even better one. Offering what they call “a prestige level of treatments,” not only will you feel like a new person at the end of your treatments, but you will also look like one as well. Services cover everything from acne treatments to Supernova facials and couple’s massage to strengthening and stretching massages, and if you are getting married during your San Diego journey, we suggest you explore their bridal party package.

Saffron and Sage, 2555 State Street Suite 101, Closed Sundays

Saffron and Sage is more than a day spa; it is a wellness center that concentrates on every part of your being. Offering special events that include seminars that will help you deal with stress, Q&A sessions with doctors that specialize in women’s health, and empowering holistic health care for the LGBTQIA+ community, this business is really a one-stop spoiling center. The list of treatments offered by Saffron and Sage covers the gamut from acupuncture to nutritional therapy, and their costs are surprisingly affordable considering the extensive number of services they supply.

Girl on the Go Wellness Spa, 830 25th Street #103, Closed Weekends

Voted best day spa in San Diego, Girl on the Go Wellness Spa specializes in skin care, body treatments, and waxing. Body treatments include a Body Detox session that targets cellulite, stretch marks, edema, loose skin, and swollen body parts. Life is hard on your skin, and their treatments are guaranteed to show your skin some love, because when you treat yourself, you should be treating your whole self, not just bits and pieces. And because the costs of Girl on the Go Wellness Spa treatments are surprisingly affordable—this is San Diego after all—you will have money left over to find new ways of spoiling yourself.

Luxury Experiences

Luxury can be defined in a million different ways, but underneath all the definitions it is just another way to spoil yourself, and San Diego is filled with luxury experiences that will change your outlook on life. Some of our favorite are listed below.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Excursion, 15500 San Pasquale Valley Road in Escondido

lion

An African safari is something we all dream about, imagining what it would feel like to sleep in a tent under the immense sky, getting up and close and personal with herds of elephants, bloats of hippos, and possibly even a pride of lions. Africa is a long way away, though, and although we can’t promise African baobab trees, a safari excursion at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will serve as an excellent substitute.

Offering a variety of experiences to choose from, the Ultimate Safari will bring you closest to an authentic African safari, lasting anywhere from 5 to 7 hours and taking you to the most exclusive spots in the park. Because it is personalized, the safari will be tailored to your tastes. This VIP excursion will be a dream come true as you will get to choose the animals you want to get “close” to!

San Diego Beer, Wine, Spirits Tours

We love a good winery tour, but the problem is transportation. Either someone has to limit their drinks and be the designated driver or you will be limited to the number of wineries that you can explore, as rideshare costs will creep up into the danger zone. The Chauffeured Vineyards Adventure, offered by San Diego Beer, Wine, Spirits Tours puts the fun back into the tour, offering the opportunity to explore the best family-owned vineyards in the area while someone else does the chauffeuring!

Includes pick up and drop off at your Penny Realty sanctuary, the tour lasts approximately 6 hours and will include a charcuterie board filled with yum, wine tasting, guided winery tour, and a dinner overlooking the grounds of one of the area’s most acclaimed wineries. All you will have to do is sit back, sip, and savor the stunning views at the vineyard and what you see along the way!

Rent a Luxury Car or Charter a Yacht from San Diego Prestige, 4655 Executive Drive Suite 103

If you have ever imagined yourself driving around town in a luxurious Lamborghini or Ferrari, you can stop imagining and start doing during your San Diego adventures with a visit to San Diego Prestige. Offering the finest in luxury cars, including Rolls Royce, Maserati, and McClaren in addition to the ones previously listed, you can luxuriate in the smell of rich leather as you bebop around town sitting behind the wheel of your dream car.

Want to take your adventures to the next level of excitement? San Diego Prestige also offers yacht charters, and we can promise you that this is a treat you deserve and one that you will never forget. Each yacht comes with its own crew, enabling you and your friends to zip around the waters of San Diego, sipping champagne, snacking on caviar, and living the high life!

yacht

A Tour of Gardens

We all need to take the time to stop and smell the roses, and a visit to Balboa Park will let you smell all the flowers, bushes, plants, and trees! Offering more than 10 different gardens, each one featuring a theme that will charm. The Japanese Friendship Garden offers a blend of stone, plants, and water features, including a koi pond, bringing with it a sense of tranquility that will quiet the noises in your brain.

The Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden offers an explosion of color and scent and will make visitors believe in magic and the Kate O. Sessions Cactus Garden reveals a beauty that most people are surprised to discover exists. There is nothing extravagant or over the top about the gardens of Balboa Park, but their simple beauty will offer a wonderful way to treat yourself, bringing peace in a world that often lacks it.

A Tour of Museums

Finding pleasure in the past is easy to do with a tour of museums, also at Balboa Park. As a matter of fact, you may just find that Balboa Park lies at the center of most things wonderful, offering the gardens we just spoke about and 18 museums, including its newest one, the Comic-Con Museum that celebrates San Diego’s most popular annual event. You’ll also find the San Diego Air & Space Museum here, which honors the future while paying homage to the history of man’s explorations of space. The final museum we want to talk about, the San Diego Automotive Museum, will be especially enjoyed when you drive up to its parking lot in a rented Maserati from San Diego Prestige.

Browse our Beachfront Rentals in San Diego Here!

Immerse Yourself in Art & Culture

Art is everywhere you look in San Diego, enticing you to immerse yourself in art & culture at the places we have listed below. And yes, we will be bringing you back to Balboa Park to explore the art museums that can be found there as well!

The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego and the Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park

Offering a varied selection of contemporary art that comes from all over the world, the Institute of Contemporary Art is one of our favorite places to explore, with the Mingei International Museum coming in a close second!

Parq Nightclub, 615 Broadway

A night on the town is destined to be one in which dreams come true during trip of treating yourself in San Diego, and when you party the night away at Parq Nightclub, you may find yourself rubbing shoulders with celebrities as well, but just stay cool. They like to dance and listen to music just like everyone else, and Parq offers almost total anonymity for the superstars and a thrill to all who recognize their secret!

Treating Yourself at Home with Penny Realty, Inc

Our Penny Realty, Inc properties make it easy to treat yourself, offering all the comforts of home and a quiet luxury that will appeal to all. Reserve your favorite retreat today!