Sweet Ride
Flying to Europe can be a conundrum. Depart from San Diego’s airport and deal with higher costs and inevitable layovers, or hoof it to Los Angeles’s bigger airport via train, car, or a combination of the two—and hope you get there in time. But now, making that LAX departure just got easier thanks to Tesloop, a new ride-share startup that transports passengers across San Diego, LA, Orange County, and Palm Springs in a Tesla.
Launched by 18-year-old wunderkind Haydn Sonnad, Tesloop hosts rides navigated by vetted “Tesloop Pilots” in electric cars equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, charging stations, healthy snacks, cold brew, pillows, and noise-canceling headphones. The San Diego–LAX route launched in June, with rates starting at $29 per person (prices vary based on your seat location) and up to $147 for the whole car. Pickup locations span Encinitas, Hillcrest, downtown, Chula Vista, and more. Best of all, a regular car ride between San Diego and LAX weighs in at about 117 pounds of carbon. A Tesloop? Zero.
Present Perfect
Just in time for holiday gift-wrapping, beloved stationery brand Sugar Paper has debuted a location in Lido Marina Village, Newport Beach’s revamped, ultra-chic shopping center. The waterfront complex is stocked with cult favorite brands like Clare V. and Le Labo fragrances that are hard to find in San Diego, plus accessory and activewear boutiques. All that retail therapy means you need to refuel. Try bistro fare at Zinqué or craft beer, wine, and tapas at Lido Bottle Works. And if you’re cruising the waters, they even offer dock-and-dine service.
© Simon Lewis Studio
Flying High
JetBlue Mint, the airline’s luxe flight experience, recently launched nonstop service to New York and to Boston. The premium ticket includes lie-flat seats, a tapas menu, gratis amenity kits, and free in-flight entertainment. Two daily flights from San Diego to JFK and BOS operate on the Mint aircraft, with fares starting at $599 one way for each route.
For a more far-flung vacation, Edelweiss Air has introduced nonstop (12-hour) flights between San Diego and Zurich. And next summer, Lufthansa Airlines will begin nonstop journeys between SAN and Frankfurt. Layovers, begone!