Sun, Soak & Savor: A Southern California Wellness Family Weekend

When your entire family lives in Montana and one of you lives in San Diego, getting everyone together feels like a pretty good reason to make a whole weekend out of it, especially when it is National Wellness Month!

We packed three of the best days with good food, wellness, new people and places, spa research, a little shopping, and as much family time as possible. Basically, the perfect mix of discovering and relaxing, with a lot of eating in between.

Here’s our guide to what felt like the perfect family and friends weekend of sun, soak, savor & wellness, in Southern California.

Friday: Let the Weekend Begin, With A Massage

Start the weekend with a massage, as often as possible. Mom and I both had manual lymph drainage massages with Carla, owner Aria Spa Therapy. Carla is one of those people with a truly magical touch and the sweetest energy, so it was the perfect way to start the weekend and our lymphatic flow.

Dad and my sister arrived from the airport and we went straight to our eat at Fortunate Son in Normal Heights, and explore the area.

The retro-chic space, Chinese motif, family-style tables, and Lazy Susans made it such a fun first dinner together. We ordered what felt like one of every popular option on the menu; and somehow, everything was amazing. Even dishes as simple as the cucumber was worth talking about. Of course, chicken and Dan Dan noodles were mandatory to try as well!

Then we headed to An's Dry Cleaning for gelato. Yes, there was a line. Yes, it was worth waiting for an hour (or longer) hanging out together. This Instagram famous ice cream shop is designed like an old-school dry cleaner and the gelato flavors are inspired by different fabrics. We did the flavor tour, filled our already-full bellies a little more, and called it a (very happy) night.

Saturday: Wellness, Shopping & Space Travel

Saturday started with coffee and pastries at Il Giardino di Lilli, a beautiful little Italian garden café in La Jolla. Of course we filled up on almond croissants and coffee before walking next door to Soul Plunge.

This stop was especially meaningful for me. I've been working at Soul Plunge for the past year, and my family had been waiting to experience the space I've talked about so much.

Matt and Mia, the founders, have poured so much love into Soul Plunge, and you can feel it the second you walk in. We did breathwork together and left feeling grounded, grateful, and very impressed with how well we all received the breathwork session. The style is what we really loved: loud music, different layers, and impactful moments of pausing (& screaming!). We left inspired and with a new Spotify playlist from class. Thanks Matt!

Next up was Estancia La Jolla, where we met our dear friend and spa director, Marissa Edwards, and spent the afternoon by the pool eating, drinking, talking, and enjoying a much needed reset. Nothing like a catch-up in some slow laying in the sunshine, good for the soul. The gardens and peaceful atmosphere made it feel like we had left San Diego without actually going anywhere. Thank you so much, Marissa, for such a special treat, special space and for filling our cups so graciously.

Of course, we couldn't visit from Montana without squeezing in a little shopping. We made a quick trip to Fashion Valley with exactly two things on the list: new work glasses (snazzy ones, of course. Thanks Warby Parker), and a new fedora style hat for Dad’s birthday. Dare I say he looked Fedorable.

And somehow, we were in and out in about an hour. A true Collier girls' accomplishment! Dad didn’t say it, but I know he was impressed at our new record.

That evening, we headed to Mothership in South Park, a must for our family because, yes, we love wellness, but we also love a good sci-fi moment.

The space looks like the inside of a crashed pirate spaceship, complete with glowing lights and starry ceilings. We shared a bunch of small plates, including the legendary “Potato,” which was so good we demolished it and immediately wanted another.

Then, somehow, another Potato accidentally showed up at our table, did we manifest that? We took it as a sign from the universe and added it to the bill with big smiles on our faces.

We ended the night watching the sunset over San Diego before heading back to recharge for our road trip.

Sunday: Farmers Market to the Desert

Sunday morning took us back to La Jolla for what Mom and I believe is the best farmers market in San Diego: the La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market.

We had breakfast sandwiches, a completely unnecessary but necessary amount of hash browns with the eggs, and very cold drinks to beat the heat: coconut, Thai iced tea, and matcha included.

We sat at the grassy community seating area, listened to live music, picked up fresh fruit and local treats, and loaded up the car.

Then we headed to Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel. And wow.

Jacumba truly feels like entering another world. Every detail is intentional, the space is beautiful and welcoming, and the whole place invites you to slow down and soak it all up, literally.

We stayed in a little casita just down the road and spent the day soaking in the mineral pools, wandering around, eating, drinking, and exploring all the cool spaces Jacumba offers.

Dinner at Long Shadow was the perfect way to end the day and celebrate life: live music, incredible food, and, naturally, another family-style meal because apparently we have no interest in choosing just one thing! Too many amazing options.

We got there early, stayed late, and soaked up every last bit of the magic on Monday morning after check-out.

Monday: One Last Night Together

On Monday, the drive back to San Diego was mostly spent talking about how amazing Jacumba was and how quickly the weekend had gone, and how restored we all were feeling, flowing with gratitude.

We headed to Little Italy, Mom's favorite, and met up with Kiara's boyfriend Nate for one last family dinner at Allegro. Kim and her love for a cannoli will never fail to get us to little Italy at least once.

We sat in the Lemon Garden patio, surrounded by hanging lemons, and enjoyed pasta, drinks, and one last long dinner together. It was tough not to go to one of our longtime favorites, Nolita Hall, but we weren't disappointed with pasta and a spritz tower by any means. Twist our arms!

After dinner, we caught one last San Diego sunset over Little Italy, drove around the bay for one final view of the city under the orange sky, and ended the night back at the house to give the cats a goodbye hug.

And just like that, the weekend was over. And, good news, mom got her cannoli!

Until Next Time

When your family lives states apart, time together feels extra special. This weekend reminded us how much fun it is to step outside of our normal routines, try somewhere new, eat really good food, laugh a lot, and simply spend time together, thats living wellness.

So here's your reminder to book the family trip, or the solo trip, and do the things that make your heart sing.

Try the restaurant you've been curious about. Go somewhere you have never been. Try a new class. Order the Potato. Stay for one more soak. Get the almond croissant.

Now the famous question: where to next?!