HotelTonight – Ocean Beach Hotels in a Few Swipes
I've always enjoyed traveling to places that are somewhat off the radar for other tourists. I feel like experiencing these places gives you a better idea of what a city, particularly a large city, is all about. I had been to San Diego several times, but only for work and I had only spent time in parts of town where work would typically take a person, such as Mission Valley and the Gaslamp Quarter. I was there again recently when a colleague told me about a community known as Ocean Beach, or "OB" as it was known to the locals. I wanted to see it, so I decided to take action. I extended my flight home out by a day and grabbed my phone. I logged onto HotelTonight and searched for Ocean Beach hotel rooms. I found one almost instantly and booked it. I was going to spend a day exploring this part of San Diego, and I could not have been more excited.
The Vibe
Ocean Beach is a haven for San Diego locals. It's not all that easy to find, as you need to drive quite a bit off the main freeways to get here and it's somewhat nestled between downtown and other beach communities. It's the kind of place where you want to park your car and walk, and that's what I did, walking down Newport Avenue, the main drag in OB. You see quite a bit of nightlife, some nice restaurants, quite a few music venues and artists and street performers everywhere. This is where people who want to live the beach life in relative anonymity come. I felt right at home.
The Pier
If there is a landmark in Ocean Beach, it's the Ocean Beach Pier. This enormous pier that seems to reach out endlessly into the Pacific Ocean opened in the late 1960's. It is nearly 2,000 feet long, making it the longest concrete pier on the West Coast of the United States. As you walk on it, you see day fishermen leaning over the railing with their buckets behind them. You see other walkers out there and if you go to the end you can see a long way up and down the coast. It was truly remarkable.
The Cuisine
Ocean Beach is known for its local cuisine, and there are a lot of different family-owned establishments in the neighborhood. You won't find any big chains, but what you will find is a lot of dedication to seafood. I went to one place for dinner right at the end of Newport Avenue. It's known for its fish tacos, a local delicacy in San Diego. I ordered a few and could not believe how well the soft, warm tortilla mixed in so well with the crunch of the fried fish, the cabbage and the white salsa. It was so good I had at least three more of them before I had to tell myself to stop.
HotelTonight – Ocean Beach Hotels at the Ready
As I begrudgingly headed back towards my hotel, I thought about how happy I was to have made the decision to stay here for a day. I had gotten to know another great neighborhood in San Diego, and thanks to HotelTonight I had found an Ocean Beach hotel in minutes. I was already looking forward to my return.
