Cake + singing, anyone?

Today, we celebrate SDtoday’s first birthday and from the moment we launched — November 15, 2021 — it’s been one heck of a fun trip around the sun, San Diego.

We’re feeling grateful and nostalgic, so let’s take a trip down memory lane with some memorable stories + moments.

✏️ Most-clicked stories

Actions speak louder than words — here’s what our SDtoday readers loved clicking on:

8 San Diego speakeasies to explore | Because who doesn’t love a stiff drink + a good secret?
Botanical Building in Balboa Park closes for renovations | The most-photographed spot at the landmark is getting a major makeover.
‘Top Gun’ 101: San Diego locations where the movie was filmed | The Tom Cruise flick synonymous with our city still takes a local’s breath away.
10 unique restaurants that opened in San Diego in 2021 | Foodies, y’all came out in full force for this one.
7 lakes to visit in San Diego | Yes, we are first and foremost an absolute beach town, but our lakes are great, too.

Things that made us go hmm

As we explored our city, we sure learned a lot. Here are a couple of stories that expanded our horizons:

Mike loved learning about San Diego’s Victorian home history, chatting with Jay Jay “Jaycation” Maniquis, sharing his love of Pacific Beach, and learning about Balboa Park’s cheeky history.
Monica loved exploring the stories of five NASA superstars with ties to San Diego, welcoming the San Diego Wave FC to the city, chatting with the San Diego Brewers Guild, and celebrating the debut of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.

Posing with our birthday candle, before the ocean breeze blew it out. | Photo via SDtoday

💜 Our favorite moments

Wow, what a year it has been.

Trekking Through Comic-Con | Mike was so happy to explore the return of Comic-Con with Monica + get his just desserts at the “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” 40th anniversary ice cream truck.
Summer concerts at The Rady Shell | Boyz II Men, The Beach Boys, and more incredible shows were the highlight of Monica’s summer, that’s for sure.
Stopping to Smell the Roses in Balboa Park | A lot of events returned this year. But, Mike still found time to appreciate the everyday beauty of Balboa Park.
Debut of Little Blue Penguins at Birch Aquarium | Monica still thinks about Azulito and his tiny, California Burrito-sized friends — and how she wore an all-blue outfit hoping to become part of their family. They did not fall for it.
We both loved our many co-working sessions at local coffee shops and, of course, the historic excitement of the Padres' postseason.