On Kevin’s last day of video game testing at Sony I had the pleasure of meeting up with Amy from the charming site Do You Know the Muffin Pan? She has a great collection of recipes for muffins pans and tips to “muffinize” your favorite recipes! Such a cute blog!
We started with breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. Loved my California Eggs Benedict with turkey and avocado. Their hollandaise sauce was incredible!
Here’s Amy’s gorgeous Polenta Benedict with bacon, tomato, arugula and a roasted tomato hollandaise. That’s her freshly-squeezed tangerine juice in the background. *faints*
After breakfast we cruised down to Seaport Village to do some relaxing, wandering, and shopping. It’s right on the bay, the sparkling water was stunning!
When we got ready for lunch we headed over to Old Town, San Diego. I’d been hearing about Old Town Mexican Cafe and their wonderful fresh tortillas made right on site.
You could order fresh tortillas hot off the griddle and eat them warm and buttered, which Amy suggested we do.
Oh Amy. You are truly a gal after my own heart. *swoon*
Time to flip!
How wonderfully soft and crackly they were! Here’s my delicious adovada quesadillas, seriously yum.
After lunch we headed over to Coronado Island to explore, and just at sunset we walked down to the beach.
One of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Here’s how I shot the sunset photos.
Canon 7D
24-70mm f/2.8 lens
f/8.0
ISO 100
For the first two darker photos my shutter speed was 1/1600 sec and for the second two brighter photos, 1/125 sec.
Here’s cutie pie Amy. I used the pop-up flash to snap this pic.
One of my favorite things about sunset was turning around immediately after the sun went down and snapping a picture of the vibrant pink sky. We were standing on the beach right in front of the Hotel del Coronado and it was so expansive, I couldn’t fit the whole thing in my shot! Here’s one I snapped of one of the many guest houses.
*thunk*
I think I left my heart in San Diego. ♥
Hi – I just got back from Coronado… and miss it already
I love your blog!
Emily @ Town And Country Shuffle
You got to eat at THE COTTAGE!! So delicious, I always got their french toast. We are a military family and we just moved after 6 glorious years in San Diego. Your pictures are making me homesick for it!
what a great trip you had i am going to have to check out some of those places if we go back there. we love coronado and there is also a cool place on a cliff where they do paragliding or parasailing, it was really cool to watch and we wish we would have done it!
I’ve been visiting for a while now, and today I felt the need to express my admiration for your amazing photography!! My “attempts” of catching a good shot with my very tiny and humble camera makes me laugh when I see your talent. Still, who knows, maybe I’ll get something nice some day! :o) and you inspire me to keep on going.
Great adventure in San Diego! Seems like a great place, filled with things to do. Thanks for sharing.
Have a great day!
Dear God, Thank you for my eyesight so that I am able to view this gorgeous sunset my friend Amanda and her husband get to share together.
Amen
Your pictures are always so beautiful! Thanks so much for posting the camera settings so I can give em a try =)
I <3 San Diego…that's why I live there! ;) Glad you enjoyed your visit…come back soon!
I love the Seaport Village & Coronado. Those were our two favorite spots. I also have some great pictures of that area. When we were there last, there was some sort of sail boat race. All different color sails. The pictures were gorgeous with all the color. Thanks for sharing all your awesome pictures. :D
I love your website! Just found a few days ago. And reading your San Diego posts brings back memories of my freshmen year of college. I went to San Diego State University for one year then transfer to a local university. I’ve been to that restaurant in old town I loved their tortillas too and restaurant. Oh how I miss San Diego!
Absolutely gorgeous pics!!! The food looks sooo yummy. So while you guys are out and away from this ridiculous cold weather here in the south, who’s taking care of Miley and Howie????? How are those sweeties????
I loved San Diego…you captured it beautifully in your pics! You really should be a professional photographer!
How could you leave? Forgot, Howie and Miley are at home waiting for you guys to return. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing some of your settings with us. Your photos are amazing. I shoot with a Canon 40D. It is off to the shop to be cleaned next week. Thinking of an upgrade, how do you like your camera? What camera did you have before?
San Diego is my favorite place in the world!! I am so jealous! I spent a couple of weeks there on a family vacation back in July/August. Best time of my life.
I love your photography work – You definitely have a “signature look” as an artist. ;)
OH that brings back memories! My hubby and I stayed at the Hotel del Coronado once for a few days. It’s an unbelievably gorgeous hotel. So much history there and it’s just beautiful. I loved staying on Coronado. I think it was the best trip we’ve ever been on. I’d love to go back one day.
Love reading your blog and especially looking at your beautiful pictures especially of food. With all your “taste” testings, how do you stay so thin!!!
The water on the bay is GORGEOUS. I’m officially sad I don’t live by water!
I live in San Diego (much further East) and it is truly amazing how beautiful it is and how fair the weather is. No wonder it costs an arm and a leg to live here!!!
Hi Amanda! Glad you had such a great time in the lovely Cali. I love it there :).
Quick question- what comment form do you use? I love how you can reply to people’s comments.
-Danielle
You’re too much. Thanks for all the super nice words. I can’t wait til you come back. I had such a great time! Remember, there’s always a guest room open here at my casa! BUT how come there aren’t more pictures of your lovely face?! Hehe maybe because I had such a hard time taking them. Hehe I decided after that day to take lessons. I’m having my buddy come down who has the same camera as you and teach me a thing or two. Next time, all the pretty shots will be of you!
What a GREAT ADVENTURE Amanda! Thanks for being so candid about your posts. Just went to San Diego a few months ago – and anxious to go back again! San Diego has to be THE best city in the country for restaurants and food choices!! I grew up there and still hadn’t been to all the places you went! LOL. :)
I am thoroughly enjoying your blog. I’ve always wanted to visit San Diego and now I must make plans. And thanks to you I now know of a few places to visit.
Ok so now I REALLY want to visit San Diego. The pictures are amazing!
Coronado Island is beautiful! We spent our first anniversary there. Great pics!
These pictures are beautiful! I went there a couple years ago and we stayed in the Hotel Del Coronado and it was just wonderful. I would go back there any day!
Great sunset photos! Coronado Island and the Hotel Del Coronada surely resemble Eden, don’t ya think?!!
The Cottage in La Jolla…L-U-C-K-Y!
We have The *other* Cottage in Wellesley, MA. It’s delicious!! I’m on their email list but they only ever send out emails for the La Jolla location. Such a horrid way to tease someone stuck in the tundra of greater Boston. http://www.cottagewellesley.com/
California definitely has its own magic. The ocean shots are beautiful and I really liked how you captured the sparkle on the water. The pictures of the woman making tortillas on the stone says it all about how good those tortillas must have been. From your photo I can smell the aromas coming from that kitchen. Mmmm,sunshine, friends and good food..I can see why you have left you heart in CA!
Don’t you just LOVE San Diego???
I fell in love with the whole area when out there for a Jazzercise taping/conference. I asked a shopkeeper on the last shopping day we spent in an outdoor mall, “Is there anything wrong with this city?” No bugs, hurricanes, tornados, blizzsrds…….
The shots of the hotel and sunset are incredible. Thanks for bringing me back again. Now I am looking for bargain airfares for the fall…
Karen (kknola on Woof!)
You knew I was gonna ask…THANKS
Looking at all the beautiful pictures that you took really made me miss home! I lived in San Diego (South Bay area) for 16 years! I now live in a small town in Kentucky. When you live in such a beautiful city like San Diego, you take it for granted, and really dont realize the beauty of the city! I love going downtown on the trolley, driving on the Silver Strand Hwy from I.B to Coronado. Looking out my bedroom window and see the twinkling lights from the Coronado bridge and downtown. ::SigH:: I espically miss the 365 days of comfortable weather! No snow, no 16 degrees or less of coldness, no black ice to worry about when driving to work in the winter time! Now that i have lived in Kentucky for 10 years, I so miss the beautiful weather, wonderful food, great beaches and all my friends! I will move back one day, i just have to save alot of money so i can buy me that house on the beach that i have always wanted!!! :D
What a gorgeous shot of the Hotel del Coronado guest house! Loved your recap of San Diego…I left my heart there after I visited!
You captured the sunsets on Coronado Island just perfect! Your blog brought back many wonderful memories of my vacation. It is a beautiful place! So glad you were there for us lovers of your blog!!!!
Fabulous trip, fabulous pics, you ROCK!
I just set one of the sunset pictures as the background on my computer. You should sell your photos – I would buy them!
Loved all your pics of San Diego! Living in Phoenix, a San Diego trip is a yearly thing for us and I just love going there. Hotel del Coronado and their beach is one of my faves. Last time we were there we went to the Point Loma lighthouse. Not sure if you have the time to go but if you do, check it out! Love your blog, I keep up with it regularly. When I grow up, I wanna be you! Ha, ha, funny since I am 55! LOL
What gorgeous pics! I love traveling with you but… no dessert?
Gorgeous pictures!!! Looks like another great day in San Diego!
By the way, I was telling my husband about what your husband is doing out there and he wants his job! Not sure what he specifically does for work but my hubby wants to do it too!
I love your blog *sigh* makes me feel like I’m actually in the places you photograph does this mean I’m living vicariously thru u? Sunset pics are my weakness and yours were really breath taking. Thank you!!!
Beautiful photos! They make me miss San Diego so much!!
You did it again! This makes me so homesick. Maybe I need to see how much airline cost from Germany to San Diego. I keep telling my friends San Diego is the best place ever. Your pictures prove it.
Hello Amanda and an early good morning to you! I love the pictures…just got to get one of those cameras one of these days, and then that hard part…learning to use it, LOL! Thanks for sharing and have a great day. :)
Absolutely gorgeous photos! I want to frame the 4th one down. Beautiful Amanda!
I have always wanted to stay at the Hotel del Coronado, it is so beautiful. Maybe one day. Thanks for the sunset. Paulette
Thanks for the pic tips. Your sunsets were stunning!
Fabulous photography. Makes me want to go right now. The food looks divine. Will be stopping over at Do You Know the Muffin Pan? right now to familiarize myself…
Great post!
We lived on Coronado for a while when we first moved to California and let me tell you this: I will take a West Coast sunset anyday over an east coast sunrise! They are so beautiful and you captured them perfectly. Looks like you’ve been having fun out here :)