Bike ride on Coronado of course. Also biking in Balboa Park is great. As far as places to stay, we had a lovely long weekend in LaJolla. There are lots of cute cottage where you can walk to the beach and out to dinner/shop.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8522065?s=qww4Xz_M

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8194788?s=qww4Xz_M

All that said, I think 10 days is a lonnnnng time for a city the size of SD, even for a honeymoon, I'd combine it with LA (2.5 hrs drive) and stay in Santa Monica.

Depending on their interests, hot air ballooning or horseback riding are fun options. It is always fun to do the regular tourist activities enjoying the beaches, the zoo or safari park, Seaport Village and Balboa Park. I second Santa Monica as a expansion destination. Fun for celebrity sightings and it has a cool CA vibe. Palm Springs can be fun (but not as young and hip). The aerial tramway is great.

September is usually southern California's second hottest month after August so plan accordingly. Also, HERE is an article you may find interesting about romantic places in San Diego.

Great ideas! I completely forgot about LaJolla. Love it there.

I think I'll suggest San Diego, then Santa Monica and back to La Jolla so they will end closer to the airport. And now an excuse for more cute sundresses and straw hats. She'll appreciate that Fun!

My favorite thing to do in San Diego is take a long walk on the beach, with my feet in the water if it's not too cold, listening to music on my ipod (you can share those, right?). I usually do mission beach from the jetty to the pier, preferably as early in the morning as I can, when there are few sunbathers. There are places to eat (fish tacos and strawberry margaritas are my fav, overlooking the ocean), and I think a little amusement park, beach shops, cotton candy - nothing to go out of the way for though. I usually stay at one of the hotels walking distance from mission beach.

There is also sea world and the zoo and historic downtown. Haven't done those. We used to go on a dinner cruise in the bay on a 3-level boat when I went to the conferences there. I don't know if that's available to the public. It was fun. I have also seen surfing classes there.

I have to agree with Mtn, 10 days is a very long time~I lived there 20+ years. Two or three days in Coronado is enough to check out shopping, beach(COLD water!), and restaurants. My favorite thing was driving thru the neighborhood behind the Del with houses from many different eras and countries. I've heard when many high ranking military officials decided to settle in Coronado, they wanted to build a home which represented a particular coutry they were stationed in. It's quite a beautiful neighbirhood, and in the evening many of the homes have candles(electric)in the front windows.(I sure hope they're carrying on this tradition). LaJolla and Prospect Av is worth a look-see, with breakfast/brunch at the LaValencia Hotel~Eggs Benedict TDF! Maybe a one-night stay too. Great little piano bar in the beautiful lobby to spend a leisurely evening after a dinner at Georges at the Cove.

Driving up the coast on 101(not the 5!!)is a MUST on any afternoon. A stopover in Del Mar(30-35 minutes from SD, depending on traffic),and walking thru this beautiful little village(much like a European village)with great restaurants, small art galleries, is worth the time. One of my favorite restautants was in Del Mar Plaza on the main street of Del Mar. If memory serves me right it was Pacifica Del Mar. Best fish tacos ever! Everything is in walkable distance, including the beach. Could catch the sunset up at the plaza and then walk down to the beach. A night at L'Auberge(honeymoon territory)would be very romantic. Further up the coast is Solana beach, one of my favorite haunts from years ago. On weekends there is a flea market, but also lots of shops, kind of an 'arty fartsy' place, but interesting, and was home to my goto beach, Solana Beach. They should check out the Belly Up Tavern~I saw Sting there many moons ago, and it was the happening place. lol Since they'll be in the general vicinity they should also check out Rancho Santa Fe, anothe small village with quaint shops and dining on the patio. Continuning up the coast is Carlsbad, Encinitis, but I don't feel they're worth a stop. Capistrano is interesting with it's old Spanish mission, but not much else. Laguna Beach is a neat place with lots of art galleries, and they'll get a glimpse of every type of boat imagineable!

If they're going up to LA, Malibu should be on their list of places to visit. There *was* a great little restaurant on the beach, but it's been years. Not sure of the street, but there's a restaurant in LA named the Stinking Rose, garlic delights, and the ambience is also rather unique.

Am sure they will fall in love with SD, everyone does. They can see quite a bit in 10 days, but will need to leave SD.

Driving up the coast on 101(not the 5!!)

Sorry that is going to be the 5 going up the coast until south Orange County.

Some may feel Carlsbad and Encinitas are not worth a stop but particularly Carlsbad is a "destination" to consider. Check out the Omni LaCosta, lots to do, great location to the beaches, lagoon walks, shopping and restaurants, historical Carlsbad and funky old town Encinitas. If they choose to "be still" a few days and not travel everyday, it would be a good choice.

Driving up 101 or I5 is interesting, so many charming communities to see north of San Diego County and the bonus is there is often soooo much traffic. Yes, I live down here. Yes, I go up there (ie Laguna, Newport, Malibu) (or south to SD) but the traffic and parking are generally a pain.

The Omni has more activities and is a more charming property, the Villas there are frequented by celebs regularly. (Award winning Spa with "couples rooms", Chopra Center, Fitness center with gym and classes, golf, tennis, pools etc on property, literally minutes to the beaches, lagoon hike/walks, shopping and more restaurants, movie theater - with the easy chair seating).

There are less expensive rooms as well. They do lots of destination weddings there. The Hyatt used to be a Four Seasons and is also quite nice......just not as much to do there on property but still a great location to stay at for area activities. They are very only a few miles apart.

No, I don't work at either, I live in the area, very close to the Omni. It is somewhat slower pace in North County San Diego here but lovely just the same.

On the way to LA, they should plan a stop at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. They should plan to spend about 3 hours touring the mission and taking a walk on the main street right outside the Mission. If you are from another state, touring a Mission gives you a good glimpse into what life was like for the first settlers in CA.

There is also a great shopping area near Newport Beach.

Laguna Beach also has an art show that runs for most of the summer and has a nice main street near the Ocean.

Take a surfing lesson in Santa Monica.

People watching in Venice Beach.

I was in San Diego a couple of years ago for a conference at the Grand Hyatt. We had an amazing corner room with panoramic views of the harbor. There are different boat cruises, both with and without dinner.

See a San Diego Padres game.

I see cool concerts scheduled all the time for Solana Beach Belly Up Tavern, so check out Pollstar. Our friend also goes to concerts at a racetrack.

I would also recommend the drive up to Santa Monica.

The Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts ends August 31, 2017.

I adore the Zoo and Wild Animal Park (or is it Safari Park, now?). Sea kayaking off La Jolla Shores is fun.

A day trip up to Julian (old mining town famous for its apple pies) could be fun, looping through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. The Anza Borrego desert is further out, but September is probably not the optimal time to visit.

Second much of what's been said already

La Jolla with sea lions

San Juan Capistrano-the Mission with charming gardens around..than walk past old/new train station there(5 min walk) and eat at Ramos Cafe

Laguna Beach-Festival of Arts, Montage (name of a hotel) for the beautiful grounds and views, downtown with boutiques and galleries..K'ya Bistro and Bar for the atmosphere, Watermark for food and cocktails:)..if there for breakfast-check Orange Inn..there's another place I love, the name escapes me though

Balboa Island in Newport Beach-lots of yachts, and frozen yogurt:)

Then head to LA..Venice, for yes, people watching, Santa Monica..Beverly Hills (or Pacific Palisades. or..) for pretty houses..Topanga Canyon for a nice picnic, great nature trails..Getty Museum for art (and view of the city)...West Hollywood for nightlife..and shopping..:)

Wow, I'm surprised at everyone saying they need to drive up to Santa Monica. I've lived in both places. Santa Monica traffic is so bad there, you'll spend all your time stuck in traffic. San Diego has wonderful beaches, and at that time of year, there is great beginner surfing and lessons at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. It is a clean, lifeguarded, beautiful clean-sandy beach with clean bathrooms(!), outdoor showers, firepits, and live outdoor music in the evenings, certain nights during the summer. Grab some In-n-Out Burger on Encinitas Blvd, only 2 minutes from Moonlight Beach. There are VRBO rentals right on this beautiful beach.

Encinitas/Leucadia has a wonderful beachy-funky walkable town, with great outdoor dining; come barefoot if you want to. Check out the Self-Realization Fellowship & Gardens, and Quail Botanical Gardens.

Don't leave a 10-day trip to San Diego without visiting beautiful, huge Mission Bay. Lots of VRBO places to stay, or beautiful hotels. They can rent a paddleboat or sailboat or catamaran, or just sit at a dockside restaurant watching the beautiful sailboats go by. There is snorkeling, kayaking, standup paddle-boarding, and even sailing lessons, and much more.

Honeymooners might enjoy hiking Torrey Pines for the fabulous views, or go 20 minutes south through Rancho Santa Fe and hike Penasquitos Canyon a couple miles in. You might see a small waterfall at the end!

Inland, as someone previously mentioned, is Julian. The leaves will be starting to turn, and the old-fashioned town with its famous pies is memorable.

Nothing to see in Carlsbad? Well, the flower fields won't be in bloom at that time of year (google to see them in all their spring glory), but there are incredible beaches with easy parking, and Old Carlsbad has lovely dining and views and a walkable town as well. If the newlyweds are the adventurous sorts, they can try paintball at Camp Pendleton, right on the Marine base (civilians need to go to The Paintball Park website and register ahead of time to gain base access). For about $50/person, you can immerse yourself in military paintball/airsoft heaven, beginners and tourists welcome.

I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I hit Submit!

You've all painted such a charming picture I think I need a second honeymoon :)

Thank you so much for helping make this fun! Such great insight!

Ok, I did forget to mention: Del Mar Horse Racing! They will be there during the horse racing season, if they are interested.

They can check out the Midway if they like history, or the Safari Park if they like animals. They have a very long zip line there too.

I can easily fill 10 days in San Diego County alone -- it is a big county! Most of my suggestions have already been mentioned; just want to point out sailboarding lessons on Mission Bay, cycling, the wild animal park and zoo - it is a great place for those who want an active vacation. There are tours of ships on the Embarcadero. Encinitas did have some great little restaurants (haven't been there for a few years, but for pizza I'd recommend Leucadia Pizzeria and for donuts, VG's in Cardiff-by-the-Sea).

A day at the Del Mar racetrack is fun, if they are racing. The Belly-up Tavern (mentioned above) used to have swing dance classes on Tuesday evenings before the shows, I wonder if they still do? but it is a great place to catch some great music (warning, it is LOUD)

Also, I always enjoy just rambling around various neighborhoods getting a feel for the area. http://sandiego.about.com/od/neighborhoods/tp/Top-Urban-Neighborhoods.htm

Just had lunch at the Hotel Del on Monday. What a beautiful spot and fun to ride the old fashioned elevator. At least it looked like fun, since it is reserved for guests and we only had lunch. The hotel has a gorgeous beach so they can just hang around the hotel for a day or more.Another interesting sight was a person who came and released a falcon to scare off the seagulls, which evidently were helping themselves to people's breakfast plates while they visit the buffet.

In La Jolla, we ate at Eddie V's and it was excellent with lovely views. Another night we ate at The Fishery near Pacific Beach, also excellent but more casual and less pricey.

Too bad the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla is closed for renovations. Not sure of the reopening date.

I would definitely plan for a day or two outside of San Diego, unless they are really into water sports or lying on the beach.

Ah, restaurants! I always have especially high expectations in California. We ate at a place that had a great view of the cove and was highly rated but I thought was awful… I could've sworn it was Eddie's, but after reading what dedtired said I went back and looked and it turns out it was someplace called George's.

There are many great places in San Diego proper, but we largely enjoyed walking around in Lajolla where we were staying. I highly recommend Whisk and ladle, and a place called Herringbone that has beautiful trees growing inside of the restaurant.

We took a drive up to Delmar and had a very fancy meal at a restaurant called Addison, which is also a family name and one of my children's middle names for good measure. Anyway it's a very precious pricey sort of place, but it was quite memorable and quite good especially if you're a foodie. It's also very lovely.

I think we mainly wanted an excuse to drive somewhere in our convertible… Which brings me to another point, renting a convertible is a must! Also, we rented electric bikes to ride around San Diego, which was a lot of fun and a good idea since it's pretty hilly.

Hth

San Diego has a Little Italy, in case no one has mentioned it. Nearby, there is also Extraordinary Desserts, most known for a dulce de leche cake, but it's all good.

Decision time on the LaJolla Airbnb.

The adorable properties mtn posted don't have AC...There are a few others with AC a little south of mtn near Windansea Beach South. Obviously don't have the exact location, but it looks like there is a Travelodge and Holiday Inn Express within the radius. Wonderful reviews though. Short walk to the beach.

Do you think this area is ok?

Air conditioning is usually not considered a must-have in coastal areas.

I don't think you need a/c in LaJolla.

You really don't need AC in San Diego, at least near the coast. The Pacific Ocean is cold, so unless there's an odd weather pattern with offshore winds (not a normal situation), it's not likely to be hotter than the mid 70s. And not much humidity.

No, you don't need AC if you are near the coast. I stayed just a few blocks down from Windansea, which is a famous surfer's beach. It is a very nice area, although not walkable to the shopping and restaurants of La Jolla. There are some restaurants along La Jolla Blvd, but just casual places. Tourmaline St beach is nice, if they are near there. They should buy raffle tickets and see if they can win this house!

San Diego Dream House Raffle

Except if you win the dream house raffle, you can't afford the taxes on the prize (or the property taxes on the house, probably).

Someone mentioned the 15 earlier, and that made me think of something else --winetasting in Temecula!

Disneyland and San Diego are where we spent our honeymoon almost 34 years ago.

We took the kids on the same trip about 20 years ago. We had to wait until the youngest was over the minimum height requirement for the Disney rides. They were only getting one trip to Disneyland and one to DisneyWorld out of us.

Anyway, we stayed in La Jolla both times and really liked it. Sea Lions were great, the zoo which had switched directions between our trips from a tourist event to a teaching/research facility which was really interesting.

I don't have much more to add to what has already been mentioned.

I live a few miles from the coast. Five miles inland, many people don't have A/C, or rarely if ever use it. We don't have it.

Thanks everyone! So many more options w/o AC, so thank you for that!