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Made in the USA is an OprahMag.com series that explores American cities. While social media makes it seem like real travel means escaping to far-flung locales, this series is an ode to the best places to road trip—or staycate!—right in our own backyard.
As I sit in a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York, surrounded by drab concrete buildings and the sounds of fire truck sirens and impatient-fueled car horns, I recall a quiet and picturesque moment from the past to distract myself. Drifting on the Caribbean sea aboard a glass-bottomed boat in Jamaica and dipping my toes into the soft, powdery sands in the Bahamas. And then, I quickly replace that with a more recent memory—one that didn't take place in an idyllic island destination.
And just like that, I'm transported back to April, when I was fortunate enough to be invited by a Pendry Hotels representative to experience their newly-built luxury hotel, Pendry San Diego. At the time, I was emotionally exhausted and vulnerable and in desperate need of an escape. Although the thought of traveling by myself to California was daunting, the excitement of a three-day getaway spent on the balmy Pacific Coast replaced all my anxiety and fear.
To prepare for my first visit to the sunshine state, I read countless TripAdvisor reviews about the boutique property and scrolled through endless photos on social media. Besides the major contrast between the dreary East Coast and sunny SoCal, what really made me agree to embark on the trip was Pendry Hotels’ motto: "Know Thyself."
As someone who was struggling with finding my purpose at the time, I figured it couldn't hurt to seek out the answer while lounging around a comfortable suite overlooking the bay and the bustling Gaslamp Quarter district. The weekend itinerary was jam-packed with outdoor activities and uniquely tailored culinary experiences. However, the time I spent in San Diego allowed me to do something I hadn’t done since moving to New York a little over a year ago—pause and be present.
My adventure began on a Friday, after a long flight complete with transfers and delays. Upon my arrival to the hotel, I was greeted by the front-desk staff, all wearing some sort of black-and-white plaid ensemble. The downtown urban oasis, otherwise known as Pendry San Diego, consists of 12 floors and 317 guest rooms and suites.
As soon as I opened the door to my room, I could already sense that the peace I was desperately searching for would be found in the accommodating space. Designed with the ocean and Southern California in mind, the suite featured calming blue wallpaper and modern furnishings, including a blue gingham print chaise sofa. But it was the glass-enclosed steel shower that left me in complete awe. It also served as a sad reminder of the cramped bathroom in New York I'd have to return back to once my trip was over. So before going downstairs for lunch at the Pendry San Diego’s Provisional Kitchen, Cafe & Mercantile, I took a moment to soak up the ambiance.
After a quick change of clothes, I ventured down to the second floor where the combined restaurant and marketplace was located and ordered a hefty Angus burger and fries for myself—plus forkloads of Bucatini pasta. Just as the fatigue of the day's travel and this large meal settled in, I was whisked away for my massage appointment. Nothing like getting every kink and tension kneaded out of my back and neck on a full stomach.
But before I was escorted to Spa Pendry, I made a pit stop at the coveted #ChamPendry, a Champagne vending machine that stores pink and gold wrapped bottles of Moët and Chandon for $20. Pendry San Diego is the first hotel to have a vending machine of this kind in California. Luckily, I was gifted a free token to use to retrieve a mini bottle for myself.
Surprisingly, the Spa Pendry was even more impressive than the lobby area, guest suite, or vending machine. There are two meditation rooms where guests can brew their own assortment of calming teas, plus zero-gravity chairs that would put any recliner to shame—especially when it comes to relieving stress and improving blood circulation.
Martin booked me for the therapeutic fusion stone massage, which incorporates warm, hand-carved Himalayan salt stones with a deep-tissue technique to restore balance. During the hour-long massage, I remember feeling connected to my body as I let every worry and negative thought from the week wash over me.
But I truly realized how slow the pace seemed in San Diego compared to the notoriously chaotic New York City during dinner on Friday night at Fifth & Rose cocktail bar. I never felt hurried when sampling various seasonal cocktails and the new spring menu filled with everything from whole prawns and a cheese and charcuterie board to truffle wood-fired pizzas and a citrus salad gelée. In the dimly-lit restaurant with publicists from the hotel and a fellow journalist who was also visiting the Pendry, we chatted about Ellen DeGeneres’ previous stay at the hotel and a random sighting of Twilight star Taylor Lautner lounging poolside. I could’ve sat there forever—but Saturday was scheduled to be a busy day, and the plush king-size bed in my room was calling my name.
Saturday began with a walk to the nearby Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres baseball team—for a guided tour around the stadium. The park is located just steps away from Pendry San Diego. Admittedly, I’m not a baseball fan, but it was interesting learning about the park's history and its players. The most fascinating moment, however, was visiting the press box—or "writer’s row," where all the storytelling about what happens on the mound happens.
After a quick power nap from all that walking around Petco Park, next came the highlight of my trip: Renting a bike for some afternoon cycling around Coronado Island. Coronado is a charming coastline and small beach town situated across the bay from downtown San Diego. While pedaling past statuesque waterfront mansions and teenagers taking photos on the beachfront boardwalk, I held my breath in wonder. Views of the lush scenery on the ride up steep hills eradicated the soreness from my limbs and my fears of biking in traffic. I savored the smell of clean air and the sight of sprawling beaches as the sun filtered through clouds. With nothing but the wind against my back and the bounty of nature in my peripheral, time stopped. I felt free.
All of a sudden, I wasn't thinking about a to-do list or what awaited me back at home in New York. Everything in that moment came to a halt. After months of adjusting to the frantic pace of the city, I realized just how much I craved stillness, respite, and the solitude of green space. For once, a couple of hours spent outdoors wasn't interrupted by noise and air pollution. It's cliche to describe it as a picture-perfect day, but it simply was. .
At dinner that night, I refueled on coastal surf-and-turf fare at the prestigious Lionfish restaurant located inside of the hotel. Little did I know that Sunday's farewell brunch at Provisional would be even more delicious. The Pendry San Diego sent us off with a breakfast delicacy that lived up to the hype on social media: the famous Sunny Side Up Ostrich egg. The seasonal dish is created from one large Ostrich egg that equates to 16 chicken eggs. Served on an oversize plate and dressed with a toasted baguette, sausage, roasted potatoes, bacon, and healthy veggies, the protein-packed special brings guests near and far to marvel over.
As I began on my trip back home, it was comforting to realize that one doesn't have to travel to a Saharan locale, the wilds of Australia, or some exotic destination to indulge in a Pinterest-worthy feast and enjoy serenity. My solo getaway to San Diego—just a few hours away via plane—demonstrated how something as simple as a bike ride can help me to slow down and be positively present.
Of course, now Coronado’s coastline is far away from my present-day reality in fast-paced Brooklyn. But thanks to that spring trip to San Diego, I've come to understand that an ideal vacation doesn't have to consist of an all-inclusive resort package or some international locale off the beaten path. And I walked away with a lasting memory that I can drum up anytime I'm overwhelmed by life in the city.
Most importantly, however, I discovered that Pendry does, indeed, live up to the promise in its tagline. I "know myself" now more than I did prior to my travels. And trust me, that’s a far better parting gift than Rosé from a vending machine.
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Michelle is the Culture & News Writer for OprahMag.com, where she writes about celebrities (she considers herself an expert on Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon), plus the latest in pop-culture news, binge-worthy TV shows, and movies. The transplanted Southerner turned ambitious New Yorker lives her best life by listening to hip-hop and Pod Save America, watching The Office on repeat, quoting Oprah-isms, eating dessert before dinner, and avoiding avocado. Seriously, she doesn’t get the hype.
It should say, “Michelle is the former Culture & News Writer for Oprahmag.com...”
