A Day in San Diego: Zoo, Food, and Sunset(?)

Hello! So I recently went on a mini road trip with my best friends to San Diego. We really wanted to stay there overnight, but it was just too expensive and difficult to plan. We still had a great one day trip there and wanted to share my day there.

Our first stop was the San Diego Zoo. It is a really well known zoo and I haven't been to a zoo since I was a little girl so I was super excited. Side note, Triple A members get a 10% discount so bring your card if you decide to go. 

I think tigers are absolutely majestic. I'm pretty sad about their dwindling population.

Absolutely adorable

Pandas are so lazy and useless. I'm rather convinced pandas are my spirit animals.

We stayed for around four hours before leaving the attraction. We had a pretty good time, but my only complaint was the polar bear/frozen exhibit, where the only ice was the fake playpens for kids. Even the polar bear exhibit was just melted water with desert rocks. Plus, the polar bears were outside in the blistering heat. It's already bad enough this species is about to become extinct, but choosing to not invest in a better cold facility for them? Shame. 

Our next stop was the renowned Phil's BBQ. We arrived there at an odd time (2:50 p.m.) in hopes to avoid the notoriously super long line. When we arrived, we still saw a super long line out the door! We waited for approximately 50 minutes. I was surprised to see it as an order-and-seat-yourself type of restaurant rather than a serving one. 

I got the baby back ribs with a side of fries and cole slaw. The meat was so succulent and tender. The marinade definitely had a slight kick to it. I could tell the rub was so flavorful and was so different from the sweet honey bbq I was used to eating at other bbq restaurants like Lucille's. The ribs were absolute perfection. On the other hand, the fries were a different story. They were bland and soggy, the opposite of what french fries should be. The cole slaw tasted delicious though. Phil's is also more affordable than I expected, with a full rack being around $20. All in all, Phil's was worth the wait and I highly recommend you try to go here if you're in the SD area.

My friends and I really wanted to see the sunset, so we decided to visit Sunset Cliffs. We were really disappointed though because the sky was full of clouds so we couldn't see a proper sunset. We still had a good time and you couldn't really beat the view. 

We also planned on going to Extraordinary Desserts but were too pooped and decided to go back home and grab some dessert. 

I'm so glad I got to share this mini adventure with my closest friends in San Diego. We're all going to be significantly far away from each other for college, but I'm not too sad about it because I know we'll be friends for life anyways. 

I hope you enjoyed this little travel blog post and let me know what places you love in San Diego if you've ever been. 

Top 5 Favorite TV Shows of ALL TIME

In case you did not know this, I am a HUGE TV junkie and love obsessing over TV shows old or new. I always end up finishing an old show or catching up on shows in a very short period of time, it's scary really. Anyways, I decided to share what are my favorite TV shows of all time. This post was slightly inspired by my good friend, Ahem It's Emme, so go check out her blog. 

1. Friends (1994-2004)
In case you have never watched Friends before, you are really missing out on life. I'm not kidding. One episode of this Emmy-winning comical show will turn anybody's depressing day around. The sitcom focuses on six New Yorkers who never seem to work. The story follows the drama and hilarious events that accompany these amazing characters. Watching the last episode broke my heart to let go of these lovable characters but then you re-watch it from episode 1 and get to relive the comedy once again. If you have netflix or any other sources to watch this legendary series, I definitely insist that you do. They also play re-runs on Nick at Nite from 11pm-1am every night (I still recommend watching it in chronological order though).

2. Lost (2004-2010)

Ah, yes, Lost, probably one of the most bizarre shows of all time. The synopsis consists of a plane crash on a mysterious island and the survivors must face weird happenings around them. The series finale did not tie up any loose ends and left their viewers confused more than they have ever been before. So why do I like it so much? The strangeness of the show and the attachment to the characters and their background are intriguing and captivated a majority of its fan base. To be honest, I don't even know why I like it so much, just ask any other Lost fan and I guarantee you they will most likely say the same thing. It's difficult to convey the storyline of this series without making the show sound absolutely stupid but you just have to take my word that this show is for a lack of better word, awesome.

3. The Walking Dead (2010-present)

Now I never in my life would have thought I would be watching The Walking Dead. The incredibly suspenseful show has dominated my Sunday nights (mostly my Monday nights since I procrastinate my homework Sunday). This is not just some zombie show, the script embodies the sacrifices the characters must make to survive the apocalypse. Consequently, there are dark character developments that truly epitomize what humans would become in dire circumstances. The fact that this show is only three seasons in and has become my third favorite TV show of all time means that I highly recommend anybody that can take gore to watch this epic show.

4. How I Met Your Mother (2005-present)
The CBS comedy show shares a striking resemblance to Friends, but still does not live up to the famous sitcom. However, that still does not mean this show is far from as Barney would say legen-wait for it-DARY. This show's definitely pulling on its last leg here with another season coming up. I truly hope for the cast and crew's stake that season 9 will indeed be the last since the creativity on this show is lacking. Nevertheless, How I Met Your Mother has been a wonderful journey to see five New Yorkers get on with their lives and further (or delay) their career. The star of this show is none other than Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and his flirtatious ways, but it is nice to see him settle down for the one and only--don't want to spoil it, so you just have to watch it :)

5. Grey's Anatomy (2005-present)
I almost omitted the Grey's Anatomy from this list since the past two seasons have really spiraled down. Nevertheless, the amazingness from the first 5-6 seasons have made up for the mediocre episodes that Shonda Rhimes has been throwing out the past year. Before plummeting to inexcusable boredom, this intensely dramatic and at times heartbreaking medical drama  was a wonderful show that threw out suspenseful and original storylines to capture the hearts of its viewers. Like all shows that run too long, the writers/directors took some missteps in order to rejuvenate the series, but unfortunately, it backfired. I still have hope and will continue watching this series until the end. Despite my criticism of the recent seasons, you should definitely start this wonderful--and always will be---show. And if you still aren't sold, McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) and McSteamy (Eric Dane) should be enough to hook you in ;) 

This was probably one of the most fun posts I've ever written. If you would like to see any other TV-related posts, please comment below (aka my fav reality shows, comedy shows, etc.)