From My Hometown To Yours - Kelsey of Eat, Drink, Be a Tourist

*Thank you everyone for sharing some of your leaps of faith yesterday, I appreciate all that you share with me!
I am so excited for this addition of the next installment of my hometown series, why because I know, love and have been to this hometown many many times. One of my good friends from college is from this town and I visited her a lot down there. My friend Laura who I straightened her hair recently and posted up here on the blog, that is her and her mother's favorite beach town to hang out. But I don't want to talk about it, I want Kelsey to talk about it! Plus Kelsey is really nice, I met her at the blogger met-up held last month and she is mighty nice!

hi friends! kelsey here! so happy to be a part of meg's hometown series. i love learning about all the different towns and cities that are home to so many fabulous bloggers.

i love my hometown. i was born and raised here, in beautiful san clemente, ca, and i am so lucky to call this city home. san clemente is a little beach town that holds the title as the southern most city in orange county. it's home to some of the best surf spots in southern california, rainbow sandals, and san onofre power plant. it's smack dab in the middle of los angeles and san diego, so day and weekend getaways are easy and enjoyed often! and as much as i could go on and on about san diego, today i'm here to talk about san clemente, and make you fall in love with my hometown, which won't be that hard.

there's really no wrong time of year to visit san clemente. we honestly have the best best climate in the world. but, if you want to know a secret, early fall might be the best time to come. the weather is still super warm, but the crowds are gone. once school starts up in september, the tourists and inlanders are no where to be found during the week and you can have the beach all to yourself.

if you were coming to san clemente, i'd make sure to tell you all the best places to eat and see so you could enjoy san clemente to the fullest. 

breakfast: so many options, i'm not sure where to start. there's the sugar shack, which has some of the best cinnamon and stuffed french toast around. it's packed on the weekends, but their food is pretty darn good, so it's worth the wait. or you could head down the street to pipes, and have one of their breakfast burritos (the #1 is my favorite!).

lunch: there's no better place to eat lunch than on the pier at the fisherman's restaurant. one side is the restaurant, which is classy and on the high side of the price ladder. the other side is the bar side, my favorite place to be. you seat yourself and if you're lucky you can grab a table on the railing. the seating area overlooks the ocean. it's the perfect place for an ice cold corona and some fish and chips.

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dinner: oh boy, the options are endless! one of my favorite places is south of nicks. it's a fairly new restaurant right in the heart of san clemente. their food is a mix of mexican with a modern flare. their classic and delicious mexican dishes and signature drinks are sure to make your taste buds dance! not to mention the service is amazing and the atmosphere is fun and flirtatious. if you aren't a fan of mexican food or want something a tad bit low key, you gotta hit up selma's chicago pizzeria or pizza port. pizza port brews their own beer on site and their specialty pizzas are amazing. selma's chicago style pizza is a little slice of heaven. yum!

looking for something fun to do while you're visiting? how about some shopping? the downtown district of san clemente is a shopper's dream come true. cute vintage and specialty shops line the street, nestled between mom and pop delis and ice cream parlors. the spanish style architecture makes the street feel warm and exotic, like a little spanish village by the sea. 

if you happen to find yourself in san clemente on a sunday, be sure to stop by the farmer's market on del mar. if it's the first sunday of the month, you've hit the jackpot, since it's the handcrafted arts fair as well. during the summer there is the ocean festival and fiesta day, and the whole town rolls out to celebrate san clemente. bands, food, drinks and vendors line the street and it's essentially one giant block party!

and of course, you can never go wrong with the beach.  there are so many different beaches to choose from in san clemente.  there's always something going on at the pier, with restaurants and lots of people watching.  or you can choose a quieter beach, that may require a bit of a walk to get to, but will be worth the extra privacy.  

if you decide to stay in san clemente, there are plenty of hotels and motels and beach front bungalows to choose from.  and if you really want to experience san clemente, you can camp at one of the two state parks in town.  during the summer, the campgrounds are usually full, but if you get reservations, take advantage of it and enjoy some beach side camping.

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so, are you in love with san clemente yet?  yea, i knew you would be!  i could go on and on about things to do and see, but i'll wrap it up and leave you wanting more.  that way, you'll have to come visit! but if you do want to read a bit more, you can do so here, here & here.

thanks again for having me meg.  and come say hi over at my blog, eat drink be a tourist.  you can also find me on twitter & pinterest!

Thank you Kelsey for writing about San Clemente and seriously everyone is you are ever here in California, you have to stop by San Clemente and stop by the Rainbow store and pick up yourself a pair of the best sandals ever!