Old Town Trolley Tour in San Diego, CA

During my October trip to San Diego, I did the Old Town Trolley sightseeing tour. It’s an excellent way to learn a bit about San Diego while exploring a limited portion of the city. I hopped on the trolley at the Horton Plaza stop as soon as the tour got going in the morning. Ric was working at the Horton Plaza stop (tickets are available at that stop) and provided me with great information about how to navigate the stops. I highly recommend dropping a pin on your phone’s map app because while most of the stops that sell tickets are easy to find, some of the other stops aren’t as well-marked. Some of the drivers were more entertaining than others, but I learned much about San Diego’s history regardless of who was driving. I didn’t get off at every stop, but found plenty to do at the ones I did—Coronado, Balboa Park, Old Town Market (everyone has to get off there), and Embarcadero Marina. There was so much to do that I ended up using the trolley from its first pickup time at Horton Plaza all the way to the last run of the day.

On Coronado Island, I explored the Hotel del Coronado which has quite the history (including being where L. Frank Baum wrote a lot of his books). The beach there is beautiful. I'm now planning a return trip so I can stay at the hotel.

Balboa Park is home to the Museum of Man and California Tower. The tower was closed until 2015, but now visitors to the museum can buy an additional ticket to take the stairs almost to the top. It's well worth it for the spectacular view. (I’ve been to the San Diego Zoo previously, so I didn’t visit this time but it can be reached from this stop.)

At the Old Town Market stop, I walked over to Whaley House which is said to be the most haunted house in America though I didn't experience anything spooky.

My last stop on the trolley tour was the Embarcadero Marina where I walked along the waterfront and visited the Maritime Museum.

Given the cost of parking and gas, the Old Town Trolley tour is more than worth the cost. According to the website, the tour would last two hours if one does it without getting on and off.

Sofia Hotel in San Diego, CA

Walking into the Sofia Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp District, I was greeted by a statue called "That-a-Way" which was created by Seward Johnson. Upon walking through the sliding glass doors, I was immediately impressed by the lush look of the lobby—there are gorgeous couches and chairs that just call out to be sat in. Unfortunately, hotel guests don’t tend to spend much time in the lobby, especially when there’s no continental breakfast or happy hour provided. At the desk, I was informed of a $12.50/night charge for services. I was prepared for the charge because I’d read about it in reviews for the hotel, but was surprised to learn that tax is also charged making it $14.97/night. The check-in process was smooth until the clerk realized my credit card didn’t have raised numbers and a photocopy would be needed. It took more than a few minutes for the copy to be made by a second person working the desk. During that time, the woman checking me in offered a map of the Gaslamp District and circled the two locations I said I’d be going to. She didn’t know, however, that one location (the Balboa Theatre) was less than a mile away and advised that I arrange for transportation until I pointed out its location on the map. She then said she was new. After my card was finally returned, I rode one of the two elevators up to the fourth floor.

On the way to the room, I noted that old photos were hung in the halls with information about the hotel in the past. I paid for a standard room and that’s what I received. The room was small and cramped, with the armchair making one side of the bed inaccessible. Staying by myself, this wasn’t an issue, but couples would likely find it a problem. I moved the chair some just to test it out and found that it would be a very tight squeeze for a second person even with the chair pushed against the window. Each side of the bed has just one outlet though the side without the chair has an alarm clock that will charge the iPhone 4S and older.

The bathroom is also quite small with the sink in the entryway and the toilet and shower squeezed in on the other side of the door. Apparently because of the small space, the shower has only a half door. The lighting in both the toilet/shower and sink areas is very dim. It would’ve been difficult to try to shave my legs in that lighting (I did not attempt). There is a nod to the low lighting by the sink with the addition of a lit makeup mirror. Unfortunately, the mirror can only be adjusted horizontally so that I, at 5’3”, had to stand on my tip-toes to see. My guess is that the mirror would work for those 5’5”-5’7”.

The room has some nice touches like an orchid on the bathroom counter and a lavender sachet on the bed, but those things don’t make up for the lack of a security latch. To my horror, I discovered the housekeeping staff (and I would assume all other employee keycards) can override the door bolt. Fortunately, I was dressed and close to leaving when she entered the room, but I did not sleep easy that night. Also, after housekeeping came in at 8:15am with me in the room, no one ever returned. When the desk clerk asked how my stay was I mentioned this as well as the loudness of my neighbors on Friday night (they were quite, uh, enthusiastic about each other and I eventually called the desk to complain because it had gone on for over an hour), he removed the $14.97 service fee for one of the nights.

My travel plans did not allow me to take advantage of the yoga, walking tour, or available bicycles, but I did hope to indulge in a spa service; when I called for an appointment, I was told no one was available. I did give the WiFi a try and the speed was sufficient, but it didn’t appear secure so I only used it briefly. The best thing about the Sofia Hotel (other than the location) is the attached restaurant. Currant had delicious beignets for weekend brunch and an excellent happy hour. The waitstaff was incredibly attentive and accommodating. I highly recommend the beignets (especially with the lemon curd) and butter cake.