At over 1,500 feet Black Mountain stands out as one the highest points in the city of San Diego. That elevation may not sound like a great deal but the official elevation of the city is 11 feet. Try and name another major city with such a dramatic elevation gain within its limits (okay Los…
Our house backs up to Black Mountain, one of the highest points in the city of San Diego. As development of the mountain has substantially increased in recent years, the city has set aside a 2,000+ acre portion as Black Mountain Open Space Park. For more information see our complete guide to the area. This…
Welcome to San Diego Hikes our guide to hiking in San Diego. Black Mountain Open Space Park is a great addition to the city of San Diego park system. Its key feature is the 1,500 ft Black Mountain which stands out for miles around as one of the highest points in the city. The Cole…
Welcome to our series San Diego Hikes. When it comes to hiking with a view in the city of San Diego it is hard to beat Black Mountain Open Space Park in the Rancho Penasquitos area. Because this park is right next to our house we have frequented the hiking trails for years. This is…
We admit we are among the legions of Phil’s BBQ fans. Overall this, now mini-chain, is probably San Diego’s most popular restaurant. The main location has over 11,000 Yelp reviews. Yelp consistently adds Phil’s to its top restaurants in the nation list. It was number 68 in 2016. So, of course, we need to add…
The closest beach to our house also happens to be a great place to hike. Torrey Pines State Beach is right next to the Torrey Pines State Reserve and we hike this area several times a year and have posted some family friendly hiking guides. Twice a year or so I like to do a…
We were lucky to get to see the awesome Lego Art of the Brick exhibit when it came to San Diego in four months in late 2016/early 2017. This traveling exhibit features over 100 Lego art pieces built by artist Nathan Sawaya. We were skeptical of going because 1) it was expensive ($25 kids 12 and under,…
The cliffs of San Diego overlooking the Pacific are really a sight that needs to be seen. This is one of the great freebies of living in/visiting Southern California. Overall it is a really easy sight taken for granted (or ignored) by residents but we bet many visitors miss it completely. The reality is this…
San Diego has about 70 miles of beaches and thousands of miles of hiking trails. One hike that we do infrequently is what we refer to as “The Naked Trail.” This is something we do NOT do with the kids because: 1) it is fairly strenuous and 2) along the way you are likely to…
San Diego is made for hiking and repeat visitors are always asking for new scenic hikes. However, the one hike that is always first on the list for its spectacular views is Torrey Pines State Reserve. This park has many trails and we have several hikes we do which range from 2 to 8 miles….