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San Diego
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San Diego Overview
San Diego is a big city with charm. Classic California beaches intermingle with quaint artist communities and huge metropolitan regions bordering ranches and orchards. This is avocado country with over 40% of California's avocados grown here. Even though it has large population and location on the border of a poor third-world country, San Diego has a surprisingly low crime rate. San Diegans live the good life and some regions have topped the list for the most expensive property in the entire United States. Downtown San Diego is very clean and contains many tourist attractions within moderate walking distance including Gaslamp Quarter, Padres ballpark, Little Italy, Aircraft Carrier Museum, Maritime Museum, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza and several luxury hotels. Most of the county's museums are found in Balboa Park along with the San Diego Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
TIP: Click on the ads to the right for LARGE DISCOUNTS on multiple attractions. Most of the major attractions are included and you'll save a lot of money. We wouldn't have them on our site if they weren't a benefit to you.
 Check our Downtown San Diego blog for more details.
 See our San Diego photo album on Flickr.
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Cabrillo National Monument is located on the southwestern point of the San Diego Harbor entrance. The old Point Loma Lighthouse, Cabrillo Monument, Bayside trail and Cabrillo Tidepools can all be explored here. MORE DETAILS
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San Onofre State Beach is mainly a surfers beach with breaks like Old Man's, Churches and Trestles. Expect crowds and a line to pass through the entrance gate in the summer months. MORE DETAILS
Carlsbad State Beach provides a wide sandy beach. The higher bluff areas offer great camping by the sea with stairs that lead to the beach below. MORE DETAILS
Leucadia State Beach features a series of hard-to-find beaches along Neptune Avenue. Because these beaches are not visible from the main highway, they are usually less crowded than other nearby beaches. These beaches have some of San Diego County's best surf breaks. MORE DETAILS
Cardiff State Beach is known for its gentle sloping sand that makes it safer than other beaches for swimming. MORE DETAILS
Torrey Pines offers a wide sandy beach backed by tall bluffs. Atop the bluffs is Torrey Pines State Park which offers short, manageable hikes through rain weathered bluffs and the rare Torrey Pine trees. MORE DETAILS
Old Town is located near downtown San Diego and offers a glimpse into San Diego living from 1821 to 1872. Some original structures remain including adobe structures and many of San Diego's best Mexican restaurants are within the park. MORE DETAILS
Silver Strand State Beach is a long, wide beach on the outer edge of the San Diego harbor. This is really two beaches in one with a Pacific side and a harbor side. Many activities are offered at this beach including water skiing, volleyball, sailing and bonfires. MORE DETAILS
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Legoland is a theme park for the younger ones with rides like Fairy Tale Brook and Coast Cruise. MORE DETAILS
Belmont Park is a classic boardwalk amusement park located right on the beach. You can't miss the hugh pink, wooden roller coaster. MORE DETAILS
The Wave is owned and operated by the city of Vista and features water rides like Rip Tide Slide, Tubulation and a competition sized pool. MORE DETAILS
Soak City features a San Diego surf theme with water rides like Coronado Express, La Jolla Falls and Imperial Run. MORE DETAILS
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San Diego Zoo is a large city zoo with nearly 1000 animals on display. The Zoo is situated in Balboa Park, where you'll find many of San Diego's largest museums. MORE DETAILS
San Diego Wild Animal Park is the most awesome zoo we've ever encountered. This park features over 1800 acres of wild animals roaming free in their natural habitat. Safari caravans through the park and sleepovers are available with advance reservation. MORE DETAILS
Sea World is a very large sea park with aquariums, shows, exhibits and thrill rides. This is home to Shamu, the killer whale and many other marine mammal species. MORE DETAILS
Birch Aquarium at Scripps is a moderate-sized aquarium managed by the University of California, San Diego. Birch features a large kelp forest aquarium, a petting pool, a nearby pier, nearby tidepool exploration and grunion viewing when in season. MORE DETAILS
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Gaslamp Quarter is a historic portion of San Diego covering more than a dozen square blocks near the San Diego harbor and is full of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops. MORE DETAILS
House of Blues is a restaurant, bar and concert venue featuring top blues and rock musicians from around the country. Special events include a 'Blues and Barbeque' and 'Gospel Sundays'. MORE DETAILS
Del Mar Race Track is a great place to watch horse races whether you're a gambler or not. "Where the turf meets the surf!", you'll be basking in ocean breezes and California sun at California's most beautiful race track. MORE DETAILS
Indian Casinos are located throughout the inland regions of San Diego. These hotel casinos offer all of the gaming, glitz and entertainment you would expect to find in Las Vegas. Some feature championship boxing events that are televised on HBO & Fox Sports channels while others feature world class golfing. Transportation to wine tasting and other San Diego attractions are offered from the casino hotels. MORE DETAILS
Mission Bay is a large aquatic park that offers opportunities for picnicking, jet skiing, sailing, swimming and more. Rentals are available throughout the park. MORE DETAILS
Harbor Cruises including brunch, dinner, whale watching and more are available from San Diego Harbor Excursion. Ferries also run to Coronado Island and back. Cruise the harbor in style aboard luxurious yachts. MORE DETAILS
Dinner Cruises aboard a luxury or historic yacht with Hornblower Cruises. Cruise in style while sipping champaigne, dining on sumptuous fare and dancing to hit songs. Cruises depart from two locations in San Diego Harbor. MORE DETAILS
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San Onofre is mainly a surfers beach with breaks like Old Man's, Churches and Trestles. The southern portion features high bluffs with RV and tent camping and dirt trails that lead down to large sandy beaches. MORE DETAILS
Carlsbad offers sandy beaches (most with bluffs), several estuaries, sand dunes and a state beach. The most popular beach area is at the end of Tamarack Avnenue. MORE DETAILS
Encinitas has several small beaches backed by high bluffs including Beacon's (Leucadia), Swami's and Moonlight. Because these beaches are not visible from the main highway, they are usually less crowded than other nearby beaches. Many of Encinitas' beaches are accessible from Neptune Avenue, which parallels the ocean. MORE DETAILS
Solana offers narrow sand beaches backed by bluffs filled with homes. Fletcher Cove Beach Park ('Pillbox' to the locals) is the most popular beach in Solana. MORE DETAILS
Del Mar offers many miles of wide sandy beach. Steep cliffs rise on the southern end where the beach is accessed by narrow and steep trails. MORE DETAILS
Torrey Pines offers a large sand beach for swimming and surfing and public restrooms. The bluffs above are a reserve offering short hiking trails and a bike trial overlooking the ocean. MORE DETAILS
La Jolla offers wide sandy beaches and a pier to the north and a protected cove that is popular with divers, snorkelers and kayakers to the south. Sea caves can be explored by kayak from La Jolla Cove. MORE DETAILS
Pacific Beach offers a long stretch of wide sandy beach that blends with Mission Beach to the south. Crowded beach neighborhoods creep right up to the beach. MORE DETAILS
Mission Beach blends with Pacific Beach to the north and continues with the dense urban dwellings creeping up to the beach. It is basically a large sandbar that separates the Pacific Ocean from Mission Bay. Many stores, eateries and accommodations can be found throughout the region as well as many surf shops that rent equipment. MORE DETAILS
Ocean Beach features a large sandy beach, a VERY long pier and a dog beach at the northern end along the jetty. The pier offers opportunities for fishing and surfing. A coffee shop and bait shop reside at the halfway point. Ocean Beach has all the amenities including public restrooms, showers, a nearby skate park, lifeguards and plenty of shops and eateries. MORE DETAILS
Silver Strand is basically a long sandbar that separates San Diego Harbor from the Pacific Ocean. This is a long, wide beach with volleyball nets, fire rings, camp spots, public restrooms and showers. MORE DETAILS
Imperial Beach features a large sandy beach with less amenities than other San Diego beaches. The Imperial Beach Pier offers fishing and surfing opportunities and a bait & tackle shop is at the end of the pier. MORE DETAILS
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Carlsbad Premium Outlets is a collection of over 100 outlets for stores like Guess, Kenneth Cole, Dooney & Bourke, Skechers and more. Located north of San Diego in Carlsbad. MORE DETAILS
Fashion Valley Mall has over 200 stores, restaurants and movie theatre in an outdoor mall setting. Stores include Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and more. MORE DETAILS
Viejas Outlet Center is a collection of over 50 outlets for stores like Bass, Fossil, Levi's, Tommy Hilfger and more. The outlet is part of the Viejas Indian Casino. MORE DETAILS
Horton Plaza is located next to the Gaslamp Quarter and features nearly 200 stores include Bebe, Macy's, Nordstrom, Louie Vuitton, Formaggio and more. MORE DETAILS
Gaslamp Quarter is very popular for shopping, restaurants and entertainment. Gaslamp is located in downtown San Diego in a historic portion of town and spans several city blocks. Shops are situated in old historic buildings and include the Far East Trading Company, Lucky Brand Jeans, San Diego Store, The Wine Bank and more. MORE DETAILS
Seaport Village is a touristy marina attraction with unique shops, restaurants and entertainment. It is situated between many popular attractions that are all accessible along the Marina Walk. MORE DETAILS
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Miscellaneous Recommendations
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Padres Baseball at Petco Park. MORE DETAILS
Chargers Football at Qualcomm Stadium. MORE DETAILS
La Jolla is an upscale artist community nestled comfortably into the hillside overlooking small cliffs to the ocean. Ask any San Diegan where the best place in San Diego is and they'll say, "La Jolla". Pronounced 'La Hoya'. La Jolla offers many activities and luxury amenities. MORE DETAILS
La Jolla Caves are sea caves only accessible by kayak and best at low tide, but one is accessible from inside the La Jolla Cave Store. MORE DETAILS
Spanish Missions were built by the Spanish all along the California coast between 1769 and 1823. Their purpose was to convert the indigenous peoples to Christianity and as strongholds for their newly claimed territories. Three of these missions can be found in the San Diego region. MORE DETAILS
Palomar Observatory offers free self-guided tours of a massive, operational telescope that peers deep into the universe. Guided tours through the dome are also available for a small fee. MORE DETAILS
Julian is well known for its homemade apple pies. Julian is a trip back in time with horse-drawn carriages carrying visitors around town, vintage bed & breakfast inns and Small town hospitality. MORE DETAILS
Julian Mines are historic gold mines offering tours, sluece panning and many pastime activities that are fun and educational for the kids. MORE DETAILS
Hotel del Coronado is situated at water's edge on the Pacific side of Coronado Island. Built in 1887, The Del remains a grand example of Victorian architecture and continues to reward guests with luxury accommodations, dining and entertainment. MORE DETAILS
Llama Trek through the historic regions of Julian. Visit a winery, gold mine, apple orchards and other scenic locations of the region. MORE DETAILS
Balboa Park is a huge cultural & activity center with 13 museums, a city zoo, theatres, golf course, restaurants, botanical gardens and much more. MORE DETAILS
Quail Botanical Gardens are located on top of a hill overlooking the ocean and Encinitas. Trails wind through several acres of gardens with species from around the world. A large waterfall cascades into pools through the tropical rain forest. A three story lookout offers expansive views of the region and Pacific Ocean. The gazebo in the lawn garden is often used for weddings. Snack bar, restrooms, gift shop and nursery are onsite. MORE DETAILS
Wineries can be found throughout San Diego County from Carlsbad to Agua Dulce, to Julian and San Marcos. Premium whites and reds continue to increase in quality and popularity. Wine tasting rooms are available in the touristy downtown shops of Julian and Ramona. MORE DETAILS
Little Italy is a small, upscale section of downtown San Diego that features Italian restaurants, art galleries, hotels and boutiques. MORE DETAILS
Whaley House is considered to be the most haunted house in the United States. Situated in Old Town San Diego, tours are given daily both day and night. MORE DETAILS
Maritime Museum features several tallships, a historic paddle boat and a cold-war era, soviet submarine. The H.M.S. Surprise was the tallship used to film the movie 'Master and Commander' starring Russell Crow. Reservations can be made in advance to sail the harbor on some of the tallships. MORE DETAILS
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum is a retired naval aircraft carrier turned museum. The U.S.S. Midway served in combat from WWII to Desert Storm. Not only is this a full tour of a hugh naval vessel but multiple fighter aircraft are part of the exhibit as well. MORE DETAILS
Horseback Riding is available through multiple stables and ranches in the San Diego region. Traverse through the historic regions of Julian or along the sands of the Pacific Ocean. MORE DETAILS
Tours are offered by a variety of different companies. Choose to tour by trolley, double-decker bus, amphibious vehicle, ship or on foot. Destinations include Gaslamp Quarter, Old Town, San Diego Harbor, Little Italy and even a ghost hunting tour in Old Town. MORE DETAILS
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San Diego International airport offers convenient access to all of San Diego County and Imperial Valley regions. MORE DETAILS
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Traffic & Transportation
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Interstate 5 spans from the Canada to the Mexican border. Rush hour traffic is present traveling toward downtown in the mornings and away from downtown in the evenings. On the weekends, heavier traffic is possible heading south on Saturday morning and north on Sunday evening with visitors to Mexico.
Interstate 805 parallels to the east of Interstate 5. The same description applies to either freeway. Traffic can develop due to events at Qualcomm Stadium.
Interstate 15 runs north and south from San Diego to Las Vegas, Nevada and beyond. Traffic can develop during rush hour mostly heading southbound in the mornings and northbound in the evenings.
Highways 76 & 78 are smaller two-lane highways (at times) that run east and west. Rush hour traffic is applicable since these road serve some of the most disirable regions to live in San Diego. Traffic can be heavier on weekends with visitors traveling to many of the San Diego attractions that are present along these highways. If heading east on 78, be prepared for the freeway to end in Escondido where you will then make a right on Broadway, left on Washington and a right on Ash to continue on. Another right will be necessary in Ramona. This is avocado country with a multitude of fruit stands offering avocados at unbelievably low prices.
Interstate 8 runs east and west from San Diego to Arizona. This is California's southernmost freeway and it parallels the Mexican border. Rush hour traffic is present traveling toward downtown in the mornings and away from downtown in the evenings.
Public transportation is excellent in San Diego County.
MTS (Metropolitan Transit Systems) utilizes a combination of train, light rail, bus and trolley systems to link the entire region.
The Trolley System links downtown San Diego attractions like Gaslamp Quarter and the Maritime Museum with Old Town, Fashion Valley Mall, Qualcomm Stadium and much more. Taxis and bicycle taxis are readily available throughout downtown.
See our Resources page for rental car links. Amtrak has several stopping points throughout San Diego. More remote destinations may require a Greyhound bus transfer.
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Winter brings average lows in the 50's and highs in the upper 60's. Mostly rain and rare hail storms occur.
Spring brings average lows in the 60's and highs in the mid-70's. Rain showers can occur through May.
Summer brings average lows in the 70's and highs in the mid to upper 80's. Humidity can make those temperatures seem higher. Rarely, the temperature will climb into the 90's and summer brush fires become a regular occurance. Marine layer is a common occurrence and blankets the region with clouds, but often burns off by midday.
Fall brings average lows in the low 60's and highs in the 70's. Mostly rain and rare hail storms occur.
Ocean water temperature ranges from the 50's in winter to the upper 60's in summer.
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Dec-Apr 2010-11 - Whale Watching Expeditions from San Diego Harbor are hosted by the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. See California Grey Whales, sea lions, schools of dolphins sometimes numbering in the hundreds, and whatever else happens along while you're out. The whales are migrating from the Bering Sea to Baja California for their winter breeding. Two 3.5-hour trips daily aboard large chartered yachts that have restrooms, a galley and plenty of room. WEBSITE
Apr-May 2010 - Grunion Runs are hosted by the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. Grunion are small sardine-like fish that choose every year in April and May to spawn along our shores. They can only be seen at night during New and Full Moons. This unusual event requires warm clothes, a lot of patience and a flashlight. Timing is everything because the grunion will not beach themselves if they spot a light on or hear a noise before the run begins. Special rules and licenses are required to catch grunion so most just view the event. WEBSITE
Apr 17-18, 2010 - Vista Civil War Reenactment takes place at the Antique Gas & Steam Museum in Vista. Visitors can expect to see live cannon fire, period costumes, battles and more during the two-day festival. You may even run into Abe Lincoln. WEBSITE
Apr 24-25, May 1-2, 2010 - Renaissance Faire and Shakespeare by the Lake is taking place at Felicita County Park in Escondido. Visitors are invited to dress in medieval period clothing and join in celebrating 16th century life. Several stages will offer entertainment including Shakespeare, street performers, magic shows and more. There will be more than just cake to eat at this event. WEBSITE
Apr 18, 2010 - Fallbrook Avocado Festival takes place in the beautiful town of Fallbrook along Main and Alvarado Streets. Booths line the streets offering avocado souvenirs and food items. You thought guacamole was it? Well there's much more. Festivities include live music and beer garden. WEBSITE
Aug 6-8, 2010 - U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition is hosted by Imperial Beach and is the largest sandcastle building competition in the United States. Teams of contestants compete for thousands of dollars in price money. Entertainment includes a parade and live music. WEBSITE
Sep 24-25, 2010 - Poway Rodeo features rodeo events, live music, a rodeo dance, great food and more. WEBSITE
Sep 25-26, 2010 - Viking Festival features live music, ethnic foods and many Viking activities including sword demonstrations, Viking log toss, axe throwing competition, battle cry competition, artisan demonstrations and much more. WEBSITE
Sep 17-Oct 3, 2010 - Fleet Week honors America's service men and women fighting for our freedom. Festivities include an entire week of military air and sea shows, tallship parades, live music and much more. WEBSITE
Oct 10, 2010 - Little Italy Festa is a celebration Italian-style with wine, food, art and festivities. Stickball and sidwalk chalk art are just a sample of Italian festivies taking place. Little Italy is located within moderate walking distance of the Gaslamp Quarter, convention center and San Diego Harbor. WEBSITE
Oct 1-3, 2010 - Miramar Air Show features three days of military air power in action. Show finales include the Blue Angels, U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. Remember the movie 'Top Gun'? This is the air station where Top Gun trains, of which the movie was based. Come here to see the best of the best in action. WEBSITE
Oct 30-31, Nov 6-7, 2010 - Renaissance Faire and Shakespeare by the Lake is taking place at Felicita County Park in Escondido. Visitors are invited to dress in medieval period clothing and join in celebrating 16th century life. Several stages will offer entertainment including Shakespeare, street performers, magic shows and more. There will be more than just cake to eat at this event. WEBSITE
Nov 17-21, 2010 - San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is taking place at Seaport Village. Festival includes wine tasting, cooking classes, tasting classes, live entertainment, hornblower cruises of the bay and more.. WEBSITE
Nov 21, 2010 - Mother Goose Parade is a popular San Diego event and one of the biggest parades of its kind in the United States. It attracts hundreds of thousands to the streets of El Cajon. Well over 200 parade entries from all the surrounding cities join in the festivies. Exhibits include floats, equestrian displays, marching bands and more. WEBSITE
Dec 30, 2010 - Holiday Bowl is hosted by Pacific Life. Pre-game Festivities include the Big Bay Balloon Parade that marches down Harbor Drive in Downtown San Diego and more. WEBSITE
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