Now that we have officially settled in sunny San Diego, we decided to sit down and dream up all the amazing things we could possibly do while living here. Coming up with our California bucket list was so fun. Our travels and adventures are limited right now with the pandemic, so this gives us something to dream about until we can be out adventuring again.

Justin grew up in Orange County, but left right before high school. We’ve been back a few times together, but there is still so much to explore. The national parks alone would keep us busy for a month. We tried to add as much as possible close to home because our travels will mostly be just a weekend or overnight. Our California bucket list will most likely grow over time, but this is what we have for now.

Our California Bucket List

Close to Home in San Diego

  • San Diego Zoo. It’s just classic and we want to check it out. ✅
  • Torrey Pines State Reserve. My dad says this is the most beautiful place he’s ever golfed and since there are tons of hiking trails and beautiful cliffs, it’s on the list. ✅
  • Museum of the Man. Located in Balboa Park, it’s one of the museums that was recommended by a friend when we got here.
  • Take a surf or kiteboarding lesson. We want to take advantage of the ocean in a few different ways. I’ve never surfed, but Justin loves it. Maybe it will be a new hobby or maybe it will be a complete disaster. ✅
  • Cuyamaca Peak Loop. This is the second highest peak in the San Diego area and we love a good loop trail.
  • Cowles Mountain Trail. One of the most popular trails in San Diego county – there’s obviously a reason. We want to find out for ourselves.
  • Have a drink at Hotel Del Coronado. It’s a classic spot.
  • Hike to Three Sisters falls. Waterfalls should always be on adventure lists.
  • Explore Old Town San Diego and the missions. We want to learn more about the history of our new city and that seems like one place to start. ✅
  • Camp on the beach. It doesn’t matter where, but it just seems like a wonderful thing to do and I know there are parks that we can take advantage of.
  • Padres Game. If baseball happens again in stadiums, Petco Park is our new hometown ballpark and we will hopefully be able to check it out.
  • Gulls Game. A hockey game in San Diego? Yes please. The Gulls are in the American Hockey League and we’ve heard their games are super fun.
  • Walk to Mexico. There is a shuttle that goes to the border and you can cross on foot. I’ve never been to Tijuana so it sounds like something we just have to do.
  • Snorkel with the Leopard Sharks. At the end of the Summer, you can snorkel with the sharks near La Jolla. We might even take the plunge and get our own gear.
  • Annie’s Canyon Trail. This looks like one of the coolest spots in the area, but it won’t be opening again for a while because of the tight spaces. Fingers crossed we will be able to check this out eventually.
  • Wander around Little Italy. It looks like there are tons of great restaurants and breweries in the area. It would be awesome to be able to explore a little more when things are safer. ✅
  • Kayak in Mission Bay. There are tons of rental spots in the bay, so I definitely want to spend a day paddling around.
  • Picnic at Sunset Cliffs. There are tons of great spots to see the sunset, but why not plan on doing it at a spot that’s named for that specific activity. ✅
  • Spend a beach weekend in Rosarito, Mexico. Justin remembers going as a kid and I would love to explore a little beach town just across the border.

Southern California

  • Spend a mountain weekend in Idyllwild. It’s a strange little mountain town just two hours away from SD. We want to do some hiking and explore the area. ✅
  • Broad Museum in LA. This was a recommendation from a friend and I love a new museum.
  • Hike to the Hollywood Sign. We’ve seen it and driven past it, but I’d love to hike up to the sign itself. It always looks like the views are great and it’s iconic.
  • Go to a Kings game. Justin is a lifelong LA Kings fan, so I’d love to be able to catch a home game with him.
  • Return to El Capitan Canyon to stay in the yurts. We did this a few years ago for just one night and I can’t wait to return with friends and spend a long weekend hiking, hanging out around the campfire and biking down to the beach.
  • Spend a weekend wine tasting in Temecula. This little wine region is just an hour away and would be a perfect day trip or overnight.
  • Enjoy a night away in Santa Barbara. It’s one of the prettiest cities and I absolutely love wandering around there. ✅
  • Wander around the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market. We were there once on a day that was 105 degrees and I want another chance to enjoy it.
  • Spend a night on Catalina Island. I think there’s a campsite on the island, but I know it’s only accessible by ferry and it seems like it would be an amazing getaway.
  • Act like a kid at Universal Studios or Disneyland. Whether it’s Harry Potter world or the original Disney princess castle, it would be fun to have a day at one of the amusement parks.
  • Hike Mt Whitney. Justin immediately added this item to the list without checking to see if it is even possible without rock climbing gear. Turns out, it is. We will just need to do some training and serious planning if we are going to make it happen.
  • See a show at the Hollywood Bowl. My dream show would be John Mayer, but I would see almost any musician or theater performance there. I just love the idea of outdoor entertainment in such an iconic place.
  • Ferry to Channel Islands National Park. Exploring this national park via kayak or hiking would be awesome. It’s one of the least visited because it’s only accessible by boat.
  • Visit Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I love the desert and one of the state’s largest state parks is just over the mountains from San Diego. Camping here would be awesome if the temps become comfortable enough after summer.
  • Return to Death Valley and actually spend the night.
  • Spend a weekend in Ojai. Wine, mountains and the adorable town – I want it all.
  • Visit Mojave National Preserve & Castle Mountain. Another desert area I would love to explore.
  • Hike to the “Top of the World” in Orange County. The views are supposed to be incredible from this hike.
  • Ski/board at Big Bear. This is on the list for those winter weekends where we miss the snow.
  • Go to a Dodgers Game (and maybe an Angels game). We have a lifelong goal to see all the baseball stadiums.
  • Camp at Joshua Tree National Park. The park is beautiful and has some pretty incredible campgrounds to choose from. ✅
  • Visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. This means STAYING on the paths, but I would love to see all the flowers when they are blooming.
  • Enjoy an OC Beach Day – 1,000 Steps and Table Rock Beaches are both high on the list.
  • Check out some of the hidden staircases in LA. There are 42 in total and they each have special history.
  • Spend a relaxing weekend in a Palm Springs AirBnB. I’m a sucker for those colorful doors and midcentury modern houses.

Northern (and Central) California

  • Hike in the Ritter Range. Anything that is located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness just sounds like it will be stunning.
  • Visit Yosemite National Park. From what we’ve researched online, there are about six months’ worth of activities for us to do there. No California bucket list is complete without a trip here. I’m hoping that we will be able to put together at least a week long trip to explore.
  • Visit Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. They are right next to each other so it makes sense to lump them together into one adventure if possible.
  • Hug a tree in Redwood National Park. I know there’s much more to do, but it’s one of those silly pictures I just want to have. ✅
  • Enjoy everything about Big Sur. We want to do the long slow road trip up the coast and stay in yurts and soak in all the beauty of that part of California. ✅
  • Ski/board in Lake Tahoe. We’ve been in the summer and done some hiking, but we would love to get back when there’s feet of powder.
  • Explore Monterey Bay.
  • Drive through Pinnacles National Park on our way to or from somewhere in the northern part of the state. The park isn’t visited by as many people, but it looks awesome.
  • Eat all the food in San Francisco (and explore more). We went a few years ago and spent just a few nights there. I think we are quite a bit better at traveling now and would love the chance to explore a little more.
  • Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park. This gem is so far away from everything else on our list in California, but the pictures look incredible and we never say no to a national park.

Are we missing anything that you would recommend adding to our California bucket list.

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california bucket list