By Darlynne and Marc Menkin | It’s All Happening

Something is always happening in Coronado

This is such a great time of the year; the weather is still nice but the temperatures are starting to cool off and the holiday season is starting to kick in. This is the time of year when we especially enjoy taking walks around certain neighborhoods. Take Coronado, for example. We had just wrapped up one of our Saturday Coronado biking tours and were hungry, so we decided to head over to McP’s Irish Pub on Orange Avenue. If you’ve never been here, it’s a popular spot among locals.

Ron’s Garage, a favorite local band, was playing all kinds of classic rock hits and people were really into it. It was a pleasant 72 degrees and it was the weekend before Halloween, so there was a party vibe in the air. We were all grooving to the music when all of a sudden a huge, vintage, London-style double-decker bus pulled up. The doors abruptly opened and about 60 women dressed as witches, all came pouring out. Apparently the women do this pub crawl every year. They all have October birthdays and this is their way of celebrating their special day.

Before we knew it, McP’s was packed with witches and the band broke out with the song Witchy Woman. It was quite a scene and it definitely attracted a lot of looky-loos as this all happened at the bar’s outdoor patio along Orange Avenue.

This is exactly why we enjoy roaming around our neighborhoods because we never know what we’ll discover! The next time you’re exploring Coronado, you might want to see what’s happening at McP’s Irish Pub. Ron’s Garage is scheduled to play there a lot in November. Their next gig at McP’s is Nov. 9. Find out more at ronsgarageband.net.

We later paid a visit to the Hotel Del Coronado to see a great sunset from the upper level deck.

If you like people watching, The Del has it all and it’s always different. While we were enjoying the sunset, we noticed something different on the beach. After the sun had set, we saw multiple bon fires in the northern section of The Del’s beach. We found out that the Del offers a cool experience called the Classic Roast.

This is such a unique idea especially for those who love beach bonfires and roasting marshmallows but not necessarily all the hassle that comes with it. With the Classic Roast, you just show up and the Hotel Del staff takes care of everything from setting up the bonfire, supplying the traditional graham crackers, Hershey’s chocolate and jumbo marshmallows. They even provide beach chairs! It’s $135 for up to five people. If your group is six to 10 people, it’s $170. You can also upgrade your ingredients and add things like Ghirardelli chocolate, fresh fruit, candy toppings and, yes, bacon for an extra cost. If all this isn’t enough to get you into the holiday spirit, don’t forget that the Del’s Skating by the Sea kicks off Nov. 27 and runs through Jan. 4. This is one of our favorite holiday scenes. There’s nothing like seeing a huge, spectacular ice rink set right on the Del’s Windsor Lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Only in Coronado! For more info visit hoteldel.com.

We want to hear from you — Another hidden gem we discovered recently is a cool place called The Sol Cal Cafe at 910 J St. in Downtown. It’s a vegan market that just opened and features healthy foods like acai bowls, gluten-free dishes and fresh fruit juices. Take a creative photo of you and a friend at this colorful café and email it to [email protected] by Dec. 3 and the best photo will win a Coronado bike tour for up to four people. 

—Marc & Darlynne Menkin are the co-owners of “Where You Want To Be Tours.” Many of their tours and team-building scavenger hunts feature secret Downtown areas. They can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about their walking, bicycle and bus tours of San Diego, visit wheretours.com.