Cake + singing, anyone?
Today, we celebrate SDtoday’s first birthday and from the moment we launched — November 15, 2021 — it’s been one heck of a fun trip around the sun, San Diego.
We’re feeling grateful and nostalgic, so let’s take a trip down memory lane with some memorable stories + moments.
✏️ Most-clicked stories
Actions speak louder than words — here’s what our SDtoday readers loved clicking on:
- 8 San Diego speakeasies to explore | Because who doesn’t love a stiff drink + a good secret?
- Botanical Building in Balboa Park closes for renovations | The most-photographed spot at the landmark is getting a major makeover.
- ‘Top Gun’ 101: San Diego locations where the movie was filmed | The Tom Cruise flick synonymous with our city still takes a local’s breath away.
- 10 unique restaurants that opened in San Diego in 2021 | Foodies, y’all came out in full force for this one.
- 7 lakes to visit in San Diego | Yes, we are first and foremost an absolute beach town , but our lakes are great, too.
Things that made us go hmm
As we explored our city, we sure learned a lot. Here are a couple of stories that expanded our horizons:
- Mike loved learning about San Diego’s Victorian home history , chatting with Jay Jay “Jaycation” Maniquis , sharing his love of Pacific Beach , and learning about Balboa Park’s cheeky history.
- Monica loved exploring the stories of five NASA superstars with ties to San Diego , welcoming the San Diego Wave FC to the city, chatting with the San Diego Brewers Guild , and celebrating the debut of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center .
Posing with our birthday candle, before the ocean breeze blew it out.
Photo via SDtoday
💜 Our favorite moments
Wow, what a year it has been.
- Trekking Through Comic-Con | Mike was so happy to explore the return of Comic-Con with Monica + get his just desserts at the “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” 40th anniversary ice cream truck.
- Summer concerts at The Rady Shell | Boyz II Men, The Beach Boys, and more incredible shows were the highlight of Monica’s summer, that’s for sure.
- Stopping to Smell the Roses in Balboa Park | A lot of events returned this year. But, Mike still found time to appreciate the everyday beauty of Balboa Park.
- Debut of Little Blue Penguins at Birch Aquarium | Monica still thinks about Azulito and his tiny, California Burrito-sized friends — and how she wore an all-blue outfit hoping to become part of their family. They did not fall for it.
- We both loved our many co-working sessions at local coffee shops and, of course, the historic excitement of the Padres’ postseason .