Spring break guide: San Diego
San Diego, about a five-hour drive from Phoenix, is filled with outdoor activities, beautiful beaches, great restaurants and vibrant nightlife.
The Gaslamp Quarter and Pacific and Mission beaches are most popular among spring breakers. Here are our picks for things to do, places to eat and drink.
Play
Belmont Park: This attraction on Mission Beach features an amusement park with a Giant Dipper roller coaster and FlowRider wave machine. The park also has a great restaurant and bar called Draft, featuring massive arched windows, a gorgeous beach view and an extensive draft-beer menu. Happy hour runs 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close on weekdays. There are shops if you're looking for souvenirs or beach wear.
Details: 3146 Mission Blvd., San Diego. 858-228-9283, belmontpark.com.
Fluxx: This downtown club has both the good and bad elements of a Las Vegas dance palace. The bad: There are long lines, pricey drinks and guys have a harder time than girls getting past the bouncers. The good: The music fuels non-stop dancing, the people are hot and the atmosphere is intoxicating. Celebrities are frequently spotted at this hot spot.
Details: 500 Fourth Ave., San Diego. 619-232-8100, fluxxsd.com.
Lahaina Beach House: This beachfront bar is packed on weekends, with the crowd enjoying pitchers of beer, fish tacos and people watching on the boardwalk. It's not uncommon to see people wearing board shorts and bikinis come in straight from surfing or tanning. It's also a great stop for a bar crawl if you want to continue the drinking adventure, including the Wood, a rooftop bar with a rowdy atmosphere, and Pacific Beach Ale House just a couple minutes away.
Details: 710 Oliver Ave., San Diego. 858-270-3888.
The Tipsy Crow: This popular nightlife spot features three levels: the Main, with craft beer, cocktails and food; the Underground, with dancing and DJs; and the Lounge, a casual hangout. The Tipsy Crow features live music most nights, comedy nights, and one of the most popular draws: the Drink Exchange, until 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 5 p.m. to close on Sundays. The "drink stock market" features a screen with drinks with prices that go up or down depending on consumer demand.
Details: 770 Fifth Ave., San Diego. 619-338-9300, thetipsycrow.com.
Eat
Rare Form: This restaurant near Petco Park has a laid-back, hipster vibe with fantastic cocktails including the Buck Hunter, a bourbon-based drink, and the Basil G&T. The food menu features affordable and tasty sandwiches, such as the Rare Form 44 made with pastrami and braised sauerkraut, cured bites, salads and waffle sandwiches like the Hangover Helper.
Details:795 J St., San Diego. 619-255-6507, godblessrareform.com.
Karl Strauss Brewing Co: With its wide variety of craft brews and upscale pub grub, this San Diego-based brewery is the SoCal equivalent to the Valley's Four Peaks Brewery. Red Trolley Ale, one of six signature brews, won the gold medal for Irish-style red ales at the 2012 World Beer Cup. The signature beers and a rotating seasonal brew are always on tap, along with a monthly special beer. Spring breakers can sample March's Scottish ale. For the full Strauss experience, order the beer sampler. If you're hungry, try the Big Beer Burger with gruyere cheese and beer-basted onions, mushrooms and bacon, or share the spicy hummus and flatbread appetizer.
Details: Various locations around San Diego. karlstrauss.com.
PB Shore Club: Locals love this unassuming oceanside bar and restaurant for the seafood tacos and beer specials. The Pacific Beach hot spot serves grilled and fried seafood tacos, including mahi-mahi, shrimp and lobster. The breakfast menu, with eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros, is served until 3 p.m. daily — perfect for late-sleeping spring breakers. The place comes alive around sunset, when beach-goers head in from the hot sand for a cold one. Drinks, from commercial Mexican beers to signature Vodka Red Bull Slushies, are served in schooner glasses. Try the So-Cal fries, seasoned fries topped with cheese, guacamole, sour cream and your choice of chili, carne asada or chicken. Special events include Taco Tuesday and Gold Fish Race Wednesday.
Details: 4343 Ocean Blvd., San Diego. 858-272-7873, pbshoreclub.com.
Stay
Hotel Indigo: If you want to stay downtown, check out this boutique hotel. The rooms have sleek bathrooms with glass-door showers and Aveda toiletries, flat-screen TVs, plush bedding, and free high-speed Internet. Along with its prime location in the Gaslamp Quarter entertainment district, the hotel has a healthy-dining restaurant called Table 509 Bar and Kitchen. The Level 9 Rooftop Terrace bar offers a limited menu, fire pits and a full bar. The pet-friendly hotel is also a LEED-certified green property.
Details: 509 Ninth Ave., San Diego. 619-727-4000, ihg.com.
Pacific Terrace Hotel: This boutique hotel right on Pacific Beach is popular with spring breakers. Each room has a balcony. Rent a bike and coast down the boardwalk — there are plenty of restaurants and bars right outside the hotel.
Details: 610 Diamond St., San Diego. 858-581-3500, pacificterrace.com.
Hard Rock Hotel: This hotel, much like its Las Vegas counterpart, is the place to party. It has nightclubs: 207, which features state-of-the-art LED lighting, and Float, the rooftop, poolside bar that hosts Social Saturdays and Intervention Sundays with celebrity DJs. The hip and stylish accommodations will make you feel like a rock star, and restaurants Nobu and Mary Jane's are great spots if you want to splurge.
Details: 207 Fifth Ave., San Diego. 866-751-7625, hardrockhotelsd.com.
Vacation rental on the beach: Countless restaurants, bars and shops line the boardwalk along side-by-side Mission and Pacific beaches. If ou don't plan to venture far from the beach, look into renting a vacation home, condo or room right there. There are plenty of options, from one-bedroom villas to six-bedroom houses. Try Airbnb.com or vrbo.com.