Get out of the “Loma Bubble”

PLNU’s own stretch of Sunset Cliffs won’t ever get old…for the first few weeks of school. While students may get cozy and comfortable in what’s commonly known as The Loma Bubble, the immediate surrounding suburbs do little to offer college students activities outside of sightseeing. So for those slightly more adventurous students who want to plan a day (or weekend) out in San Diego, here’s a list of activities that can show you a different side of the peninsula…

Downtown San Diego’s Waterfront Park is a 10-minute drive or rideshare away from campus, and a 45-minute bike ride. A quick Google search of events at the Waterfront can provide options from music festivals and concerts, yoga retreats, food vendors and much more; and when it’s not grounds for arguably the most scenic concert you’ll ever experience, it can still become grounds to your picnic, daytime tanning session or whatever else you love to enjoy about public parks.

Tour San Diego from a completely different perspective on a harbor tour right across the street. Both Flagship and Hornblower Cruises offer one and two hour narrated cruises that show everything along the San Diego Harbor from sea lions right off Shelter Island in Point Loma to the naval ships just past the Coronado Bridge. Bonus: you can do a tour for under $30 per person and ask for a student discount!

Afterward, take a ferry to Coronado for about $10 round-trip and check out the architecture and historic Hotel Del Coronado. You can even bring your bike and continue to bike around before heading back to Loma.

Check out the best homemade cultural cuisine once your boat tour is done, because every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. the park off Broadway Pier (just a 10-minute walk south from the Waterfront Park) becomes home to food and drink vendors of all cultures and cultural crossovers. Prices range from $3 to $12 per plate, and it’s almost guaranteed that whatever you crave will be there and still be affordable.

Speaking of Instagram-able foods, Little Italy just up the street from the ferry can provide the best self-guided food walking tour. Artists commonly perform on the sidewalks, and lines typically lead out the door of some dessert parlors—for good reason; customers will willingly wait several minutes for ice cream that smokes at iDessert or award-winning cones at Salt & Straw.

Cabrillo Lighthouse is only a bike ride away from campus and offers the most scenic point on the peninsula. Guided museum tours can also provide insight into the history of Point Loma; all it costs is $7 for walk-ons and bikes or $15 for a car pass.

So prep your ZipCar, Uber or Lyft (or legs, if you plan on biking it) and take a ride past the Point Loma threshold. You might be in for a little bubble-bursting of your own!