This is a great small place for 2 people with several outdoor spots to sit and look over the canyon. It is at the end of a cul de sac so very little traffic and easy to park. Although we didn’t get to meet Erin in person, she emailed several times to check we were ok and to see if we had any questions so her not being around was not a problem.
We would recommend visiting Kensington which is just a few minutes drive away where there are a number of places to eat and also a nice (if expensive) food shop opposite Kensington Cafe. If you like Mexican food then Ponce’s just a little further along the road but do make a reservation as it is incredibly popular even in the middle of the week - beware, their margueritas pack a real punch!
Further afield the Old Town Trolley Tour is a good option to see a lot of different areas of the city. The tour takes around 2 hours but you can get off and on as many stops as you like so it could take all day. It’s worth visiting Balboa Park (one of the tour stops) - we only saw a small part of what is a very big area (including the zoo).
If you like craft beer then there are many craft breweries - we visited 2 ( Eppig at the marina and Stone at Liberty Station). The latter is a very big space with both indoor and outdoor seating - we had lunch there but it looked as though it would be lively in the evenings and I think they have live music at times.
Point Loma is well worth a visit, giving a great view back over Coronado Island to the city. It costs $20 for entry but take some food as there is none in the park area, and spend the day there, exploring the tide pools and walking the various trails.
There is much more to do in San Diego than we managed to cover but that just leaves a good reason to return and the casita would be the place to stay again.