Things to do in San Diego
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Dog Beach
The real action in Ocean Beach, of course, lies on the sands. Just north of the half-mile-long Ocean Beach Pier is the headquarters for the beach scene, with volleyball courts and sunset barbecues. Further up you'll reach Dog Beach, where pooches can run unleashed around the marshy area. A few blocks south of the pier, you'll find Sunset Cliffs Park, a great spot to watch the sun dipping below the horizon.
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Ocean Front Walk
Between the South Mission Jetty and Pacific Beach Point stretch 3 miles of pure, unadulterated SoCal beach scene. Ocean Front Walk bristles with joggers, in-line skaters and cyclists - the perfect place for scantily clad pretty people-watching. Back from the beach, Mission Blvd consists of block after block of surf shops, burger joints and beer busts. Down at the Mission Beach end, beach bums pool their resources to rent small houses and apartments for the summer season. The surf is a beach break, good for beginners, bodyboarders and bodysurfers.
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Cafe 976
PB denizens of all shapes and colors flock to this mellow, yellow converted 1920s beach house for the magnolia-shaded gardens, the wraparound porch studded with colorful chairs, and eclectic comfort food like Indian tuna curry (limited menu at night) and vegetarian chili. There's local art on the walls and often more being produced right at the tables. Kids will be spoiled by options like grilled cheese with the crusts cut off.
You're all set if you need some wi-fi vibes to go with all the groovy ones here.
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Big Kitchen
The heart and soul of funky South Park, just to the east of Balboa Park at 30th Ave, Big Kitchen welcomes all to its enclave of food, art, music and civic bonhomie (though ardent Bush supporters may get a slightly frosty reception). The omelettes are stupendous, as is the challah French toast, and there's a whole page of breakfast combos named after regulars. It's many locals' vote for best brunch in town.
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Bread & Cie
The fantastic sandwiches and decadent pastries (try the almond croissant or the ridiculously oversized pain au chocolat) make this busy bakery a Hillcrest institution.
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Crystal Pier
Up in Pacific Beach (or PB) the activity spreads further inland, especially along Garnet Ave, with bars, restaurants and vintage clothing stores. At the ocean end of Garnet Ave, Crystal Pier is worth a gander. Built in the 1920s, it's still home to a cluster of rustic cabins built out over the waves.
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Hodad's
OB's legendary burger joint serves great shakes, massive baskets of onion rings and succulent hamburgers wrapped in paper. The walls are covered in license plates and your bearded, tattooed server might sidle into your booth to take your order. A second location recently opened downtown.
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Cabrillo National Monument
Enjoy stunning bay panoramas from the monument, which honors the leader of the first Spanish exploration of the West Coast. The nearby 1854 Old Point Loma Lighthouse helped guide ships until 1891 and is now a museum.
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Natural History Museum
Dinosaur skeletons, an impressive rattlesnake collection, an earthquake exhibit and nature-themed movies in a giant-screen cinema.
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San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
The main attraction in Embarcadero is the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum aboard the USS Midway, the navy's longest-serving aircraft carrier (1945-91). A self-guided audio-tour takes in the berthing spaces, the galley, the sick bay and, of course, the flight deck with its restored aircraft.
Any armchair Mavericks will want to check out Mach Combat on the hangar deck, below the flight deck (www.machcombat-midway.com) where you can 'fly' an F-4 in a mini-simulator at a desk. Alternatively, you can get the full cockpit experience in which you wear a flight suit, receive a mission briefing, close down the canopy and 'take off'. Make reservations.
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Hillcrest
Just up from the northwestern corner of Balboa Park, you hit Hillcrest, the heart of Uptown (buses 1, 3 and 25 go to/from downtown along 4th and 5th Aves). The neighborhood began its life in the early 20th century as a modest middle-class suburb. Today, it's San Diego's most bohemian district. University and 5th Aves are lined with coffeehouses, thrift shops and excellent restaurants in all price ranges.
The Hillcrest Gateway, a neon sign that arches over University Ave at 5th Ave, marks the center of the action.
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Children's Pool
Private property along the coast of La Jolla restricts coastal access, and parking is very limited in places, but there is a wonderful walking path that skirts the shoreline for half a mile. The path's western end begins at the Children's Pool, where a jetty protects the beach from big waves. Originally intended to give La Jolla's youth a safe place to frolic, the beach is now more popular with sea lions, which you can view up close as they lounge on the shore.
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El Prado
El Prado. Originally built for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, these Spanish colonial buildings are particularly beautiful in the morning and evening. The original exposition halls, which were mostly constructed out of stucco, chicken wire, plaster, hemp and horsehair, were only meant to be temporary. However, they proved so popular that, over the years, they have been gradually replaced with durable concrete replicas.
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Coronado
Hourly ferries shuttle between the Broadway Pier on the Embarcadero to the Coronado Ferry Landing at the foot of 1st St, where Bikes & Beyond rents bicycles, perfect for exploring the side streets of downtown La Jolla and cruising past the historic hotel and beaches.
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Old Town State Historic Park
Preserves five original adobe buildings and several re-created structures from the first pueblo, including a schoolhouse and a news-paper office. Most now contain museums, shops or restaurants. The visitor center operates free tours daily at 11am and 2pm.
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Waters Cafe
Here's a rarity: well-prepared, good value food at a museum cafe! Homemade soups and baguette sandwiches are some of the offerings at the elegant Waters Cafe, nestled in a courtyard overlooking the sculpture garden of the San Diego Museum of Art.
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William Heath Davis House Historic building
For a full historical picture, peruse the exhibits inside this museum; the saltbox house was the onetime home of William Heath Davis, the man credited with starting the development of modern San Diego. Self-guided tours are available and the foundation also offers guided walking tours of the quarter (adult/child $10/8; tours 11am Saturday).
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Hash House a Go Go
This buzzing bungalow makes biscuits and gravy straight outta Carolina, towering benedicts, large-as-your-head pancakes and, of course, hash seven different ways. Come hungry.
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Museum of Photographic Arts
Exhibits fine-art photography and hosts an ongoing film series.
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Stone Brewing Company
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AleSmith
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Salk Institute
In 1960 Jonas Salk, the pioneer of polio prevention, founded the Salk Institute for biological and biomedical research. Louis Kahn designed the building, completed in 1965, as a masterpiece of modern architecture, with a classically proportioned plaza made of travertine (aka immature) marble and cubist, mirror-glass laboratory blocks framing a perfect view of the Pacific. Stand on the plaza's east end let your eye follow the 'river of life', representing knowledge, as it 'connects' with the ocean.
There are three floors of laboratories, and above each of them is an entire floor used to house the necessary utilities. You can tour the Salk Institute for free with a guide on…
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SeaWorld
It's easy to spend a day at Mission Bay's four-star attraction. The biggest draws are live animal shows, like Blue Horizons, a bird and dolphin extravaganza, and One Ocean, featuring Shamu and his killer whale amigos leaping, diving and gliding. At the time of writing, the aquatic (and acrobatic) show Cirque de la Mer was scoring rave reviews. There are also zoolike animal exhibits and a few amusement-park-style rides. Parking is $14.
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SeaWorldreg; San Diego
Flexible (Departs San Diego, California)
by Viator
Spend a full day exploring the awe-inspiring world of marine life at SeaWorld San Diego, where every encounter is a new adventure. Come face-to-face with…Not LP reviewed
from USD$77.99 -
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Geisel Library
The University of California San Diego's 26,000 lucky students live and study amongst the campus' rolling coastal hills that are covered in fragrant eucalyptus trees. By far its most distinctive structure is the Geisel Library, an upside-down multileveled pyramid of glass and concrete whose namesake, Theodor Geisel, is better known as Dr Seuss, creator of the Cat in the Hat. He and his wife contributed substantially to the library, and there is a collection of his drawings and books on the ground level.
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