A 2025 Thanksgiving Weekend Escape to Valley Center & San Diego

This 2025 Thanksgiving weekend, we took a short but refreshing getaway — first to the quiet hills of Valley Center and then down to the always-beautiful San Diego coastline. It turned into the perfect mix of relaxing views, great food, and spontaneous adventures.

A House With a Tremendous Backyard View

Our weekend began in Valley Center, where we stayed in a large hilltop home with a tremendous view stretching across the entire valley. What made the experience even more interesting was the real estate contrast.
The Valley Center home — a huge house on acres of open land — was priced around one million dollars, offering privacy, space, and breathtaking scenery.

Meanwhile, the next house we stayed in, closer to the ocean, was over two million dollars — and the homes there sit right next to each other, with almost no space between neighbors. Same Southern California, completely different worlds.

Incredible Local Pizza

We also stopped at one of the best local pizza spots in the area — nothing fancy, just incredibly good small-town pizza that easily beats many city restaurants.

A Surprising Stop at the Nuts Farm

We visited a local nuts farm expecting to see walnut trees, but discovered that all the walnut trees had been removed. Nothing was growing this season, which was unexpected, but still interesting to see how the farm had changed over the years.

Exploring San Diego, Mission Bay & Fiesta Island

After Valley Center, we headed down to San Diego and spent time exploring Mission Bay, one of our favorite areas to unwind. Wide paths, bay views, and calm water always make it feel like the perfect place to relax.

We also drove around Fiesta Island, a raw and open peninsula surrounded by the bay. It’s home to a 90-acre off-leash dog park, one of the largest in the country. Watching dogs run freely across such a massive open space was a simple joy.

A Tradition: Downtown San Diego, the Pier & the Playground

We continued our tradition of visiting Downtown San Diego and walking along the waterfront pier. There’s a playground near the pier that we always stop by — nothing extravagant, but the view of the bay and skyline makes it special and of course our kids enjoy the playground time.
This stop was one of the highlights of the weekend, but not the end of it.

Final Day: Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

On the last day of our trip, we explored Sunset Cliffs Natural Park. It’s one of the most scenic spots in the entire city — dramatic cliffs, ocean views, hidden paths, and the perfect place to end a holiday weekend.

While exploring, we also noticed how different areas of San Diego can feel.
Some open beach areas didn’t feel very welcoming — not the cleanest, and not the best atmosphere.
But Pacific Beach, on the other hand, felt much nicer: clean, vibrant, and full of life.

A Simple, Memorable Thanksgiving

Our 2025 Thanksgiving trip ended up being exactly what we needed — peaceful views, great coastal drives, good food, ocean cliffs, and a few unexpected experiences.
Sometimes a few days away are enough to reset, recharge, and appreciate the small moments.