What's a travelgirl to do in...san diego?
Sunny California - San Diego
story by Judy Harmon

The Spaniards came, they saw, they conquered . . . And they liked it so much . . . They stayed.

San Diego: The seventh largest city in the United States combines the best of its Spanish/Mexican heritage with great surfing and almost constant sunshine. It’s unlike any other American city.

It isn’t a hustle-bustle city focused on big business, financing and the arts like New York;
It isn’t centered on ocean shipping and the food and wine industry like San Francisco;
It isn’t the hub of American travel and sales offices layered with Southern charm like Atlanta.

Nor is it like its sprawling neighbor, Los Angeles, with its emphasis on glamour, wealth and the movie/entertainment industry.

San Diego is a sophisticated but laid back city that has some of all of the aforementioned elements (though its charm is homegrown, not Southern), but which has escaped the dominance of any one industry or occupation.

One of America's Oldest Settlements
Its history is as venerable as almost any other city in the United States. It was discovered in 1542, and settled by the Spaniards in 1769 (Plymouth was settled in 1690). The Mexicans seized the area in 1821, and ruled for about 25 years until it became part of California in 1846. The Spaniards left behind a compound now under earthen mounds that was once their seat of government on Presidio Hill, above Old Town. The latter, a restored village where tourists can now be entertained by Mexican dancers and visit quaint, adobe shops, has been called ‘The Williamsburg of the West’ by Frommer’s.

The first settlers were Spaniards, so both they and subsequent immigrants from Mexico have flavored the city with their colorful culture, and are reflected in the music, food, architecture and other aspects. This is a city of salsa, red-tiled roofs and Mission design, chips and guacamole, and a mixed lingo that crosses back and forth between English and Spanish. Americans of Mexican descent now make up about 25 percent of the city’s 1.2 million population, not surprising when you realize that downtown San Diego is only 15 miles from the Mexican border.

Casual With Highs in the 90s
Situated on the Pacific coast, with suburbs that are beach communities and weather that is invariably glorious, San Diego is relaxed and welcoming. There is no bad time to visit — with the exception of the ‘June Gloom,’ when what’s known as the “Marine Layer” gives the city a gray and overcast appearance. (It’s actually moist air in contact with the ocean that envelops parts of the city in a thick mist.) San Diego is blessed with moderate temperatures and low humidity year-round and most residents don’t bother with air-conditioning because a balmy breeze off the ocean cools them just fine. The temperature rarely dips below freezing, but temperatures in the high 90s are not unusual.

Tourism. Flowers and Military Bases
San Diegans make their living from electronics manufacturing, military bases, tourism, ocean shipping and more. Agriculture is important; San Diego County grows a lot of flowers and avocados, and is reputed to be the Poinsettia capital of America.

Tourist attractions include the excellent San Diego Zoo (619-234-3153), Sea World, Del Mar racetrack, many golf resorts, the Scripps Aquarium and Seaport Village — where you can see Californian and New England seaports from the turn of the century, yachts and houseboats, and indulge yourself in dozens of restaurants and sidewalk eateries. The historic Gaslamp Quarter has charming Victorian buildings and is the premier dining, shopping and entertainment district. It has fine antique shops, boutiques and specialty stores and comes alive at dusk, when the old gaslamps glow (619-233-5227).

Spread over 1,200 acres, Balboa Park (619-239-0512) is home to fifteen museums, as well as the zoo, and receives more than 12 million visitors each year. Many of the museums are housed in gorgeous Spanish Colonial Revival buildings originally built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. It’s also renowned for its vibrant displays of flowers, groves of trees and meandering paths through rolling lawns.

In close by Anaheim, you can visit Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Resorts, hotels and motels cater to every taste and income. Campsites are also an option!

Among the upscale is the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island (which is really a peninsula) and the Rancho Santa Fe, northeast of the city, where the wealthy racetrack crowd stays during racing season. There are plenty of independently-owned beach motels dotted along the coast.

 

Fish Tacos, Surfing and Unique Festivals
Dining out also offers a broad and delicious selection. Seafood and Mexican restaurants are abundant. Among the most outstanding: Anthony’s Star of the Sea Room (downtown), The Brigantine (in Old Town and Coronado), Fidel’s (in Solana Beach) and Top of the Cove (in La Jolla). Taco stands are a much cheaper and typically San Diegan alternative. If the timing is right, there are some delightful and distinct festivals in San Diego that you might want to include in your visit. The Del Mar Fairgrounds are a quaint and lively mixture of an old-fashioned carnival and a country fair, held every year in the last two weeks of June through July 4th. Old Town celebrates Cinco de Mayo; and the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition held at Imperial Beach Pier 1, in Mission Bay, offers something unique. Among slightly more conventional sports events are the World Championship Over-The-Line Tournament, featuring beach softball competitions on two weekends in July; and of course several surfing competitions, including the World Bodysurfing Championship and the Longboard Surf Club Competition, held over a three-day weekend in mid-August in Oceanside.Secret) as well as many independent boutiques.

Driving in San Diego is Challenging
If you plan to drive in San Diego, get a good map and plan your route carefully. The ramps on the freeway system are a challenge, and they drive fast here. If you don’t want to drive, there are trolleys that run throughout downtown and all the way to the Mexican border; and a commuter train called ‘The Coaster’ that runs from the city north as far as Oceanside. The bus routes are comprehensive, and there’s even a ferry to Coronado Island if you don’t want to drive across the two-mile long bridge.

Now, get out that map and let’s go see the highlights!

travelgirl Heads Up:
Balboa Park: These 1,200 acres in the heart of San Diego began as an exhibition to honor the completion of the Panama Canal. It is now the cultural center of the city, with museums, botanical gardens and the San Diego Zoo. (619) 239-0512.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps: In the town of La Jolla, this Pacific Ocean collection of sea life fills 33 tanks and gives visitors a rare look at kelp gardens, octopi and eels. La Jolla. (858) 534-3474.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club at the Fairgrounds: Horseracing at its finest. This track was created by stars like Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. Its season starts just after July 4th and lasts until September. The term, “Where the turf meets the surf,” started here. Del Mar. (619) 236-1212 or www.sandiego.org.

Gaslamp Quarter: A stretch of 16 downtown blocks that was the center of San Diego activity around the turn of the century. Now housing modern and historical curiosities, the area flourishes with attractions for visitors and hometown folks. San Diego, (619)233-5227.

Hotel Del Coronado: Built in the late 1800’s, this multi-turreted, fabulous old hotel, now refurbished and polished to its former glory, continues to attract the famous as well as people like you and me. The hotel was built to be the most lavish resort hotel on the west coast and has frequently been used as a film set. Coronado, (619) 435-6611.

LEGOLAND: Set in a 128-acre park that opened in 1999, LEGOLAND’s models are
a feat of engineering and fascinating to kids and grownups alike. Carlsbad, (760) 438-5346.

Old Town: The center of San Diego has lively entertainment and restaurants that
reflect Mexican culture. There are walking trails to museums and other attractions. San Diego, (619) 220-5422.

San Diego Wild Animal Park: Compliments rather than duplicates the zoo; 3,000 animals roam free on 2,000 acres in open-range exhibits. Escondido, (760) 747-8702.

Seaport Village: A row of distinct seaside shops and restaurants, with a carousel and a bandstand right in the middle of town.

Sea World of California: A wonderful experience for young and old, this 100-acre aquatic park has performing dolphins and whales, an Antarctic exhibit with penguins, a shark exhibit and a Shamu Adventure Show. You can spend a whole day here and still not experience everything it has to offer. Mission Bay, (619) 226-3901.

Spend time in San Diego and its appeal can be addictive . . . like the Spaniards and the Mexicans, you might want to stay. But keep in mind travelgirl, falling in love with this city could prove dangerous for your finances, unless you have deep pockets. Real estate is very precious — the average price of a home is well over $300,000 and consequently, only about one third of residents own their homes.

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