...it gets dark at 4:42 pm (and I am in bed by 6:30).

When I landed in San Diego on Friday morning, the first thing I did was check the weather. I had west coast sunsets on my mind, and I wanted to make sure I was able to catch as many as possible over my 4 day stay. It had been a few years since I had been in California, and not only was I excited about sunsets, but I had a long list of things I wanted to do and places I wanted to see.

Coffee shops topped my list. I love finding a good cup of coffee and a beautiful space to enjoy it in. Communal Coffee in South Park was my first stop off the plane, and I couldn't have made a better choice. Serving coffee out of a retro trailer situated on their outdoor patio, Communal is a great spot for a sunny mid morning break. Saturday morning, I ventured to Liberty Station to visit Moniker Coffee. I ordered their seasonal maple sage latte and pulled up a seat at the coffee bar with my book. The open air design of the coffee shop was abuzz with weekend energy. Sunday morning I walked along the Coast Walk Trail into La Jolla to stop by Sugar and Scribe Bakery for a toasted marshmallow latte and scone. I took my loot to the La Jolla tide pools for breakfast by the ocean. Monday morning, work emails and to do's took me to Better Buzz Coffee in Hillcrest, where I snagged a delightful pistachio croissant and their signature coffee while I crossed off my to do list. Better Buzz's interior was bright and exciting, fun lights and colors lined the walls and floors. I took a quick break to change up my scenery and visit my last coffee shop of the trip, another Communal Coffee location in North Park. Sidelining as a flower shop, this Communal Coffee location offered indoor and outdoor seating alongside ready made bouquets. I ordered the espresso tonic and sat outside to finish my work for the day.

The weather was mild for December, lingering around 40 degrees in the morning and hitting mid 60 in the afternoon. It was ideal for spending time outside, exploring the San Diego area. Balboa Park is a massive park in the heart of San Diego, with something for everyone. I parked my rental car and wandered through the desert garden, palm trail and Spanish village. You could spend a full day wandering the park, but I only stayed a couple hours, as I wanted to make sure I made it to La Jolla before sunset.

Once I checked into my hotel, I made my way to the beach. When I arrived at the beach I realized how close I was to the Scripps Memorial Pier, located on UCSD's Oceanography campus. I walked down to the pier and watched the sunset from there, snagging some great photos of the colors under the pier.

Only 5 minutes from the Coast Walk Trail, my hotel was prime location for walking into La Jolla. I made the walk multiple times, visiting The Cave Store on one of my trips. For $10, The Cave Store allows visitors the chance to take the stairs through a tunnel dug into the sandstone and walk out into a sea cave in the neighboring cliff. The story says that the tunnel was dug by bootleggers during prohibition, sneaking in their goods.

I treated myself to lunch on the patio at Duke's La Jolla. I couldn't come all the way to California without enjoying seafood of some sort. I ordered a mango old fashioned and enjoyed my lunch with a view along with my book. Not usually one to order dessert, I couldn't resist the Hula Pie; macadamia nut ice cream with a chocolate cookie crust and a generous serving of hot fudge on top. Don't sleep on the Hula Pie.

The most exhilarating part of my trip was my game time decision to jump off a cliff....at Torrey Pines Gliderport. I had seen the Gliderport online when I was researching the area, but was up in the air (pun intended) about if I actually would go paragliding. When the sun came out on Monday afternoon, I called to see if they were flying and was given the green light. I signed the waiver and was quickly ushered out to meet my pilot. Within 15 minutes we were running over the edge of cliff and soaring through the air over Blacks Beach. I had never really considered paragliding as something as I would want to do, but damn am I glad I did! The views were unparalleled and the feeling of free floating about the ground unmatched. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

California never disappoints, and I am glad I had the chance to spend a weekend enjoying the weather and activities that SoCal has to offer in December.