“Relinquish your local status (temporarily) and embrace life as a tourist.

It’s about this time of year that we can really start to feel the itch to get away, as spring trips fade in the rearview mirror and summer looms near. Even if the calendar’s filling (or nearly filled!) with those big, budget-busting trips, sometimes we need a little something to grease the vacation wheels. Fortunately, as far as getaways go, we live in one of the best places in the world to escape without ever having to go very far. So, here’s to changing the scenery without changing your time zone, taking off with no need for air traffic control, and soaking up San Diego without having to go home and do the dishes.

A Downtown Diversion
When it comes to downtown hotel options, San Diego really has a wealth of riches. If you want to feel like royalty, The Westgate Hotel, a AAA Four Diamond destination in the Gaslamp Quarter, is about as elegant and opulent as they come, modeled after the Palace of Versailles. (Baccarat chandeliers? Check.) Its trademark Afternoon Tea tradition changes with the seasons but serves sophistication year-round, and a 40,000-square-foot wellness center, AquaVie, features a luxury spa and rooftop pool.”

Read the full Ranch & Coast article by Deanna Murphy and Mia Park here.