About San Diego
With more than 70 miles of coastline, it offers surfing, swimming and vista views from high cliffs. But the real center of activity is Mission Bay, a large bay with calm waters that make lots of water sports possible. In contrast with many major cities, San Diego’s boasts a downtown that is very much alive and well with several districts offering shopping, dining and entertainment. You'll need a car to get around, as you do in most of California, but the city’s multiple freeways flow well if you don't travel at commuter times. And don't forget to visit some of the nearby upscale communities such as Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe and others, to view multimillion-dollar homes.

San Diego is a golfer's haven. The top two manufacturers of golfing equipment call Carlsbad home, TaylorMade and Callaway, and Carlsbad has top-end golf courses.
San Diego is also a great place for family fun with a heavy concentration of theme parks and related attractions. World class San Diego Zoo houses 4,000 animals, representing 800 species and subspecies. San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, 30 miles northeast of downtown, covers 1,800 acres with wild animals roaming free in natural settings reminiscent of Africa and Asia. Sea World on Mission Bay not only draws millions of visitors, but has an active self-funded sea animal rescue program.

Legoland, California is the newest attraction. A miniature Las Vegas replicates many of the Vegas casinos with 2 million Lego bricks. Whatever your interests, move around because North County, along the coast and inland, also offers many interesting attractions and things to do. The weather, described by some as the best in the world, allows you to pursue most activities throughout the year. And, in the winter, you can ski at nearby mountains. The experience won't match well-known ski resorts in the West, but it is a change of pace from other activities. The locals are laid back, so you don't have to dress up much wherever you go, except for fine dining and high-end entertainment at night. But you still don't have to put on a tie. Just relax and enjoy everything.

Jump into adventurous water sports such as parasailing (www.goparasailing.com), rent a powerboat or go sportfishing. Or, charter a sailboat for a personalized spin around San Diego’s waters.

• Take a day's trip to hike Cedar Falls in the hills of eastern San Diego; also, you can swim in the springtime when the water is sure to flow. Continue to Julian, a quaint old mountain community and enjoy one of its famous apple pies Julian was the epicenter of the only gold rush in Southern California; its Stonewall Mine was abandoned in 1893 after 23 years in production.

• Sightsee in a hot-air balloon departing from Del Mar, or take an hour's drive to the north and glide high over wine country in Temecula just outside San Diego County.

• Want more adventure? Torrey Pines Gliderport offers sailplane flights with an instructor. You can go hang gliding and paragliding from the same place.

• If you are really an adventurous traveler, visit Ensenada, Mexico, a little more than an hour's drive south of San Diego, to go sportfishing, then wrap up the day with an authentic Mexican meal south of the border. But, be prepared for a long wait getting back into the United States.

• Hike in the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park northeast of the city. Time this right and you will see stunning arrays of wildflowers (March and April).

• Don your goggles and experience flight in any of several vintage aircraft provided by Barnstorming Adventures (www.barnstorming.com). Choices are 1920s biplanes, so-called “air combat” planes that saw service in various wars and another called the warlord, an advanced trainer for pilots in World War II. With any of the aircraft, you would have the option of taking the controls, no pilot’s license required.

• Sign up for a off-road mountain bike tour in local parks, such as Mission Trails, Penasquitos and Rose Canyon areas.

• Want to be part of the funkiness that California exports to the world? In Pacific Beach, which attracts the 20-something crowd, you can get body piercing and choose from an array of tattoo parlors. Some down-and-out bars add to the town’s uniqueness.

• Hop on the inexpensive trolley to the border at Tijuana and walk across into Mexico. Taking a car can be a hassle because of the need for insurance for Mexico and the long wait to reenter the United States — and your car may not be safe there. The town's dirty, you get hassled to buy everything imaginable and you should keep your hand on your wallet. Bearing all that in mind, Tijuana is fun and a change of pace.

Take a self-guided tour of the aircraft carrier, the USS Midway, which was dedicated as an official museum in May 2007. Retired Navy veterans donate their time to explain things. You can also see Navy ships docked nearby or moving out for active duty.

• Make a day (and evening) of it at the huge and beautiful Balboa Park. It offers the world-famous San Diego Zoo, a golf course plus free summer concerts featuring its outdoor organ. Rent a bike to get around, or plan to do a lot of walking.

• A bit expensive, but a helicopter ride can give you a view of San Diego not seen by most people. Look up www.corporatehelicopters.com.

• Take the 30-minute drive to the Wild Animal Park, run by the San Diego Zoo. Here you see exotic animals in their natural settings. Go early in the morning when the animals are most active and to avoid the afternoon heat (inland San Diego County gets hot in the summer).

• Head to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter for great dining, unique shops and Victorian architecture. And see Old Town which also is of historic interest; it has shopping and some worthwhile Mexican restaurants. Seaport Village is another place to shop and dine in a setting of vista views.

• Take a guided, or self-guided, tour through the historic Mission San Luis Rey, located a few miles from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County. Now operated by the Franciscan Friars of California, it is one of 21 missions established by the Spanish.

• Kayaking and snorkeling tours are available in La Jolla, a close-to-the-waterline way to see the coastline. Tours run from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.

• Ride the restored 1925 Giant Dipper roller coaster in Belmont Park. The wooden structure is the only U.S. roller coaster to have National Landmark status and to be on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Go whale watching at the glassed-in observatory at the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma. From December to March, up to 200 whales pass San Diego daily en route to Mexico.

• Eat lots of avocados. Four towns in San Diego County claim to be the world’s avocado capital: Carlsbad, Escondido, Fallbrook and Vista.

Visit Coronado Island and make it a point to go in the historic Victorian-era red-roofed Hotel del Coronado. Featured in the movie, “Some Like It Hot,” it has a Sunday brunch in the famous Crown Room (expensive and only moderately good, but you may want to try it). But window shop at the unique hotel boutiques, then buy an ice cream cone and walk along the beach.

• Book your tee times. You've got more than 90 choices in San Diego County, from expensive to reasonable. Topping the list, but high-priced, are Barona Creek Golf Club, Four Seasons Resort Aviara, La Costa Resort and Spa (Carlsbad) and Torrey Pines. Pala Mesa, Rancho Bernardo Inn and San Luis Rey are more moderately priced.

• Test your luck at any of several casinos; most also serve Las Vegas-style brunches. Some spots to consider are Barona Resort, Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort, Pala Casino Resort and Spa, Sycuan Casino and Viejas Casino.

• For a few shivers, visit the Whaley House in Old Town. Sometimes called the country’s most haunted house, it is said to have at least seven ghosts.

• Take the family to Legoland. Kids can choose from more than 40 interactive attractions while you are reminded of childhood days with Lego blocks.

• See the San Deigo Harbor aboard a cruise that may include a lunch or dinner (www.hornblower.com).

• Attend a San Diego Padres baseball game.

• Add extra days for sightseeing in San Diego if you are coming to town for a cruise. Major cruise lines use San Diego as their port of departure for sailings headed down the Mexican coast or to Hawaii.

• Choose a museum or two from this list: Aviation Adventures & Film Museum (Hollywood aviation movies, flight simulator, interactive exhibits), Birch Aquarium at Scripps (unique fish and stunning ocean views), Firehouse Museum (antique equipment in San Diego's oldest firehouse), Maritime Museum of San Diego (fine collection of historic ships), San Diego Air & Space Museum (lots of history) and the San Diego Automotive Museum (more than 90 cars and motorcycles).

• Check yourself in at one of the area’s upscale spas for some relaxation and healthy eating.

For more information, consult the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.sandiego.org.

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