Break from the Ordinary in San Diego

George's is the place to eat if you want great food and atmosphere. Try to sit on the terrace that overlooks the ocean. I was so enthralled with the view that I could hardly look at my friend while we chatted through lunch. If you like the sun, it's a good spot to get some tan lines. If you burn easily, they have umbrellas for shade.

The menu has something for everyone, like meat entrées, sandwiches, and salads. If you're visiting the area, try the fish tacos!! They are an area specialty, and George's does them famously, very light and flavorful with fruit salsa on the side. They also make a fantastic strawberry lemonade with homemade strawberry-infused vodka. I swore I'd get the recipe but walked out without remembering.

Surf Divas is a great place to learn how to surf. They provide lessons for females only (sorry guys) and really give everyone of all levels an opportunity to hang ten. For about $160, you can have a 2-day group lesson that goes over the fundamentals of beginning surfing.

The instructors are very approachable and not intimidating at all. They go through dry land presentation on how to get up on your board before passing out wetsuits and jumping in the water. They keep you in shallow white water, which is great for beginners. I think everyone in my class caught at least one wave, and by the end of the first day, I was consistently riding waves in to shore. It's a really fun opportunity to try a new sport. I left feeling like I had a new hobby and had to move out of a landlocked state.

An animal-lovers dream!! It’s the best zoo I've ever been to. I would recommend buying the tram pass, especially if you have small kids or don't enjoy walking long distances. The exhibits are spread out and there is a lot to see. It has a typical zoo atmosphere, but they've got just about everything. The giant pandas, what the zoo is best known for, are cute, but if there's a long line, I'd wait and try again later. The naturalists keep you moving through the exhibit pretty quickly, so a brief observation is about all you get. The rest of the exhibits are all nicely laid out and have interesting information about the animals. The grounds are easy to navigate, but we found ourselves backtracking pretty often. If you're not going to go through the entire zoo, look at the map to determine the best route. We (two adults) did the entire zoo in a day (about 6 hours, including lunch), walking the whole way.