2 DAYS IN SAN DIEGO UNDER $250

Think it's impossible?

Me & my Son managed to stay within this budget just a week ago! and I'll be honest, it's the most fun I've had with him in a long, long time. I guess because we are not so busy going from Theme Park to Theme Park and thus exausted from trying to cram as much as possible in our 2 days.

Arived late on Wednesday do to a tire completly coming appart while driving! Thank God I drive slow...
To make a long story short, we ended up at the gates of Camp Pendelton because there was nothing close to buy a new tire and I was not going to make it with my spare very far... they were kind enough to let us "IN" and had our tire changed at a Firestone Tire inside the base.  My son loved seeing all the Fighter Jets & how the Marines live on base... so he loved it!

Once we finaly arrived at  DOLPHIN MOTELin Point Loma which was an incredible value at $55 per night with free parking & free breakfast and an amazing owner & staff ( I highly highly recomend it) we went to have a quick dinner at COTIJA'S TACOS in Point Loma.
They have the most amazing Carne Asada Fries (HUGE) for about $6, and we also had really good fish tacos with no skimping on the fish!

Instead we took it slow and it was very relaxing and to my surprise, my 11 yr old was not bored... actually, he enjoyed taking turns with our camara to get some cool & weird shots...

We rode in our car to FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMENTERY which has gorgeous views, beautiful grounds and my son truly felt respect for all those men & women who fought for us, some were so young and i think it was an awakening for him to see the sacrifice these men and women go through to keep our Country Free.

Later went to Mission Beach and parked at the BELMONT AMUSEMENT PARK for free! (got there early) and went to RAYS RENTALS across the way with a coupon from their website and rented a bike for the whole day for $10!

It was old, but it worked... and my Son had his bike that we took, so that saved me even more money.

We rode all the way to Pacific Beach, nice & slow all day taking breaks for pictures, etc.

had a late lunch at BAHIA DON BRAVO IN PACIFIC BEACH which was just O.K. kinda bland the food.

Rode all the back again and had an amazing bonding time with my son. He was really exited and thought I should buy myself a bike...

I do need to mention that I had not gotten on a bike for about 17 years... so the 1st time i got on I was so scared and i had a hard time balancing the bike for a few minutes... but i eventually got the hang of it! My son though it was so funny!

Later went back to the hotel and relaxed a bit before driving for dinner to SUPER COCINA which was SUPER! LOL

Had Real Mexican Food! My son somehow always chooses the best dishes and this was no exeption,

he had Mexican Squash stuffed with cheese, battered and fried with a light tomato sauce on top, and perfectly cooked Carnitas (all searved with rice & beans)

I had a Delicious Pozole soup with cabage on top and lime  and Cochinita Pibil.

It was very good, great service and truly a great deal at $16 for both!

Later went walked about a block to a Mexican bakery and had some sweet breads to go.

Day 2 we were looking for some sort of free walking tour...

and I found I good one!

Went to the HISTORIC PARK IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO and they have free tours every day at 11am & 2 pm.

Some of the houses are still originals... and they give you a nice mix of history from those days. Even my 11 yr old son was interested! it took about an hour.
 From there we had lunch at CAFE COYOTE which was average at best and the "home made" tortillas were not cooked all the way and too thick so they were "gummy"

i would not recomend it... but if you are not so into food as I am, the ambiance is nice, especially if you sit outside.

After Lunch, we walked around Old Town to window shop... and One of the stores in the Historic Park is a Candy store!!

Of course we had to try it and spend a good amount of time there.. and they even had lots of samples.

We picked & choose our favorites, I paid & then started heading home.

Had a wonderful time!! here's the rundown of our expenses for 2 people:

Dolphin Motel (super super clean & amazing people) : $120 ( 2 night weekday)
Gas (from L.A. and back) $40 (I know its cheap, but I have a small car)
Rays Bike Rental : $12 ( it was $2 extra for the basket & lock)
Cotija's Tacos: $11
Bahia Don Bravo lunch: $15
Super Cocina: $17
Bakery 1 block from Super Cocina: $4
Cafe Coyote: $22
Candy @ Historic park in old town: $4
Total: $245!