Rainy Day Fun

I can’t hardly believe that I am writing this post, but here I am.  It’s raining, and you know what, it’s been raining a lot in San Diego lately.  So much so, that I have been asked frequently, “what do you do in San Diego when it’s raining?”

Well, a lot of the time my answer is either, “stay home,” or “run errands;” basically continue with life as usual.  But the question remains, if you are looking for something fun to do in San Diego when it is raining, what do you do?

After a bit of brainstorming (in my pj’s on a nice rainy day at home of course), and with a bit a field research, I’ve come up with a few fun things to do when it’s gloomy in San Diego.  (To my dismay, going to Target did not make the list; however, the hubby is quite pleased about that.)

Go to the Movies

Nothing can be worse than going to the movies when the sun is shining and all you can think about is getting to the beach.  So on the contrary, I’m pretty sure that nothing could be better than enjoying a movie and a big bag of buttery popcorn when it’s gloomy and raining outside.

But don’t sell yourself short by heading to just any run of the mill theater, make the afternoon of it.  Drive over to Coronado and go to the historic Village Theater.  Believe me, the cute factor and the feeling that you practically have the place to yourself is definitely worth the drive.  And just in case you are interested, they are very generous with their butter to popcorn ratio.

Go to the Happiest Place on Earth

For those who don’t mind getting a little wet on a rainy day, definitely make the drive to Disneyland.  This might sound like strange timing, but trust me, Southern Californians hate the rain.  Seriously.  When there is rain in the forecast, or if it is raining even the slightest, it is like we are being hit with the next big snowstorm of the season.  Everyone cancels their plans and stays home.

This strange phenomenon (SoCal rain aversion) ends up making it the perfect day to visit Disneyland.  The lines will barely exist and you will really get to experience the magic of Disney without the craziness of the crowds.  We’ve only been lucky enough to experience this once before, but it was truly magical.

Go for a Coffee Break

If you are more of a homebody and prefer to stay in when it’s raining, at some point during your day you will probably start to feel a little stir crazy; or at least I do (probably because I work from home).  Grab a good book, a bit of work, or plan to make a phone call and head to one of my favorite coffee shops in San Diego for a delicious and warming cappuccino or macchiato.

Although I love (and you can find me here at some point most days) Pappalecco in Little Italy, we also love Caffè Calabria (just a little ways outside of downtown).  Both provide the perfect Italian oasis to escape the rain.

Go out for Happy Hour

True story: I grew up in a family of “storm watchers.”  Whenever a big Summer storm was about to roll in, my Dad would grab a chair and either sit on the patio or in the garage with the door open and watch the storm roll in.  Although we did our fair share of poking fun of my Dad for doing this (and many other things while growing up) (and actually we still do…sorry Dad!), I’ve got to admit, there is something very calming about the sound of rain and watching the clouds move in.

Since we really don’t get a whole lot of rain (and it often is more of a sprinkle), I love to listen to the rain when a real storm hits San Diego.  So, big rain storm?  No problem.  Head over to the always cozy and inviting Cafe Chloe, pick out a window table, order yourself a delicious glass of French red wine and watch the raindrops fall.

Stay Home

Okay, okay…although I said this was one of the things that we normally do when it’s raining, it is also for good reason.  Have yourself a little pj party at home (which I pretty much do everyday) – get into some comfy clothes (I do this everyday too), open a nice bottle of wine (yep, do this daily too), put on some relaxing music and cook a delicious dinner (and guilty as charged, we also do this most days).

Our rainy day picks are normally pizza or pasta, but get cooking with whatever floats your boat.  Enjoy your dinner sofa-side if you so desire, and pop in a good movie (the Holiday is always a favorite rainy day movie for us).  What could be better than a night in canoodling with your honey while the storm passes through?

What are your favorite rainy day activities?  Now that we have been getting loads more rain and gloomy days, I would love some more ideas for fun things to do!