San
Diego is the second largest metropolitan area in California.
Ideally situated on the sun-soaked southwest Californian coastline and
20 minutes from the city of Tijuana, San Diego boasts plenty of internationally
famous attractions
and historical
sites and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the
southern United States.
San Diego is home to vast beaches,
the San
Diego Zoo, Sea
World, Balboa
Park and plenty of museums,
parks
and a bumping nightlife.
Scuba
diving, whale-watching,
surfing,
and hang-gliding
are just a few of the many things to do during a stay in the San Diego
region.
The city was established
in 1769 by the first Spanish religious mission to California and was incorporated
as a city in 1850. During World War II, the city saw massive expansion
as the military industrial complex started to set up shop. Currently,
this cultural hub and mecca of commerce has a population of 1.2 million
people.
USEFUL ACCOMMODATION
LINKS
- San
Diego Accommodations Guide – This provides links to the accommodation
guide for San Diego. It is categorized into hotels and motels, bed and
breakfasts, hostels, extended stay suites, conference centers and more.
- Map
of San Diego – This is an interactive map of San Diego and the
surrounding area.
- Book
Accommodations Online – This allows users to securely find and
book accommodations online.
ORIENTATION AND
CLIMATE
The urban center itself
has deep canyons running through it, scattering the area's mesas amidst
low-lying parkland. The historical Gaslamp
District is located in downtown San Diego. Balboa Park is situated
just to the north. The Mission,
Ocean
and Pacific
beaches lay on the west shoreline and reach farther up the coast into
the mainland. The upscale community of La
Jolla is located just north of Pacific Beach, and Mount Soledad,
a large hill in La Jolla, overlooks downtown San Diego and the Mexican
flatlands beyond the boarder.
The region receives
warm, mild weather all year round and little precipitation. The median
monthly temperature ranges from 57ºF (14ºC) in January to 72ºF (22°C)
in July during the summer months. San Diego's cerulean skies rarely experience
cloudiness, apart from the heavy fog the city experiences occasionally
during May and June. Snow and ice are extremely rare in San Diego and
excellent road conditions prevail throughout the year.
ACCESS AND TRANSPORTATION
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San Diego's
Downtown Trolley2
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San Diego is a major
port city and is easily accessible from anywhere in the world. The San
Diego International Airport is located only ten minutes away from
the downtown core. The city is also serviced by the Amtrak
Railway connected to Los
Angeles and San
Luis Obispo. A limited three-line trolley also services the city
and spans downtown San Diego south toward the border. By car, the city
and surrounding area is accessible by taking Interstate Highways 5, 8
and 15. However, traffic is usually backed up during daylight hours and
parking in the beach communities can be quite sparse. Rental
cars are available in droves. The city is also serviced by Greyhound
who have a depot downtown. Multiple cruises also depart from the city's
ports.
CITY DISTRICTS
AND ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Airport Area/Old
Town/Hotel Circle
Directly north of the San Diego International Airport and across Interstate
5 is Old
Town, the birthplace and most historical portion of the city.
Attractions in the area are mostly of historical significance. The Sheriff's
Museum, the Whaley
House and an old-time
schoolhouse are just some of the sights in the area drawing visitors
into this district.
Old Town also contains
a theater,
which throws nightly dramatic stage performances and productions. The
whole area is only 10 minutes from airport by car and provides a central
launching point for visitors to the city. Fine dining
and exquisite shopping
can also be found in the general vicinity.
Old Town has been
a major accommodation center for San Diego since the city's inception
over 100 years ago. It offers plenty of chain and independent accommodations
ranging from top-of-the-line to more affordable budget facilities. Best
Western, Comfort
Inn and Holiday
Inn are just some of the many hotel chains that provide beds in
the area. Budget stays are also available here at the Old
Town Plaza Hotel.
The north of Old Town
is the densely populated Hotel Circle area and the Riverwalk
Golf Course. Scores of accommodations line this strip and provide
visitors with countless options as to where they should stay. Again, many
of the large chains have hotels along this strip. Some of the best options
include the Travelodge
Mission Valley with its close proximity to Presidio Park, the
Extended
Stay America for those looking for more than mere temporary lodgings,
the luxurious Residence
Inn by Mariott and more. The Ramada
Plaza Hotel provides additional upscale accommodations in Hotel
Circle.
Downtown
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Downtown
San Diego on a Bright Day4
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The downtown core
is the epicenter of the city. Art
galleries, museums,
parks,
shops,
restaurants and accommodations can all be found downtown among the bustle
of the city's busy inner core. Downtown contains the historical and ever
popular Gaslamp District. A majority of the city's nightlife happens here
in the dozens of bass-blasting nightclubs
and in the area's many traditional public
houses and bars. Some of the city's most popular restaurants
are in this area as well.
Due to its historic
nature, the Gaslamp District also boasts multiple museums that display
the region's rich cultural past. Some of these include the William
Heath Davis House Museum, the Children's
Museum, the Museum
of Contemporary Art and an aircraft
carrier museum. The Spreckels
Theatre and the San
Diego Civic Theatre provide nightly performance entertainment.
Parking during the weekend can be difficult to find, so many people opt
to take public transportation if they plan on visiting the Gaslamp quarter.
Downtown is where
a majority of San Diego's hotels
and inns
are located. Here everything from first-class to budget accommodations
are available. Horton Plaza and the surrounding boulevards are home to
numerous luxury hotels such as the historic US
Grant Hotel, which was built in 1910. South of Horton Plaza on
Island Avenue, one will find the decadent Horton
Grand Hotel with antiques and fireplaces in the guest rooms. Along
F Street, is the Ivy
Hotel with its jumping nightclub and fine restaurant.
Balboa Park
Just north of the Gaslamp Quarter is the enormous 1,200 acre (486 ha)
cultural nexus known as Balboa
Park. Unlike most parks, which mainly consist of large tracts
of open land, Balboa Park and the surrounding area offer a complex arrangement
of museums, shops, places to check out the local arts scene, restaurants
and the gigantic San
Diego Zoo, located on the northernmost portion of the park. It
is also where the Old
Globe Theatre, a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, is situated.
Immense gardens and the Balboa
Park Golf Course can also be found within its boundaries.
Plenty of accommodations
can be found near the park and the San Diego Zoo. For those seeking luxury,
the Sheraton
Suites San Diego at Symphony Hall provides quick access to the
Gaslamp district, downtown and Balboa Park. The Park
Manor is situated just south of the park and offers beautiful
antique furnishings in each room. Of course, being so close to downtown,
dozens of the accommodations there also provide instant access to the
park area.
Coronado, Mission
Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach
Coronado,
a peninsula situated south of Ocean Beach, is an upscale community with
a small population. It offers a wide range of activities and amenities
and is still relatively close to San Diego's inland attractions. The neighborhood
is also home to two golf
courses and the famous Hotel
del Coronado, a five-star luxury Victorian hotel built in 1888.
It is the largest beach resort on the Pacific coast and has played host
to numerous United States presidents. Folks not looking for something
as lush as a five-star hotel, but who still want to stay on Coronado can
check into the Coronado
Island Mariott Resort or one of the other more contemporary lodgings
on the peninsula.
Driving north along
the coast will bring visitors to Ocean Beach, Mission Beach and then Pacific
Beach respectively. This entire area is a favorite among tourists who
flock to the oceanfront to lounge in the many restaurants, surf or swim
in the brine or just truly experience the west coast in all its sun-drenched
glory.
Ocean
Beach doesn't have as many accommodation options as Mission and
Pacific beaches, but it does offer some good surf and the Ocean
Beach Hotel with its deluxe rooms and Mediterranean-style courtyard.
The attractive feature of this hotel is its close proximity to the beach.
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Mission
Beach and the Swell6
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As Mission
Beach is completely surrounded by water, it is popular among tourists
and, as such, the area boasts plenty of hotels and rental
properties. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west and Mission Bay's
calmer waters sit on the east side of this narrow strip of land. Sea
World, one of the city's largest attractions, is located on the
southeast side of the bay. For beachfront luxury stays, many visitors
opt for Bahia
Resort Hotel, that offers full-service accommodations, an on-site
restaurant and even rental
cottages for those not looking to stay in a suite or studio. The
Hyatt
Regency San Diego Islandia offers spectacular views of the water
and provides contemporary accommodations with a Pacific flare. All accommodations
in Mission Beach provide near instant access to the Pacific Ocean and
Sea World. The downtown core also is only a few moments away by car.
Pacific
Beach is one of the most popular destinations in the city because
of its sandy shores and good surf. Accordingly, it isn't difficult to
find accommodations here. The Best
Western Blue Sea Lodge offers affordable stays in contemporary
quarters and stunning views of the frothy Pacific. The Catamaran
Resort Hotel provides comfortable luxury accommodations and easy
access to the area's fine dining, bars, cafés,
shops and more.
La Jolla
Just north of Pacific Beach is the sunny seaside resort community of La
Jolla. The area offers a mix of upscale restaurants, shops, beaches
and specialty attractions. Mount Soledad is located within its boundaries,
offering majestic views of the San Diego Valley below. La Jolla is also
home to the Birch
Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the University
of California San Diego and the Museum
of Contemporary Art.
There are multiple
options for those looking to stay in this affluent portion of the greater
San Diego metropolis. Multiple chain accommodations offer a wide range
of budget to deluxe luxury stays either directly on the beach or not far
from it. The Holiday
Inn, the Sheraton
and the Hyatt
Regency represent only a handful of the dozens of hotels and motels
in the area. Bed and breakfasts are difficult, however, to find in La
Jolla.
BED AND BREAKFASTS
AND ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATIONS
San Diego is peppered
with many alternative accommodation options. For those looking to experience
a more homey stay in the city, one of the local bed
and breakfasts can provide lodgings in a private residence. Rental
properties, cabins
and chalets also abound along the water's edge, especially in
Mission Beach and the Mission Bay area. Campgrounds
and RV
parks can also be found throughout the city and most provide all
the necessary hook-ups.
For travelers looking
to save some money during their trip to San Diego, any one of the area's
hostels
can provide dorm-style accommodations and modest private rooms at a fraction
of the rate hotels and inns are asking. Furthermore, they provide a venue
for travelers to rub shoulders with folks from all over the world. Hostelling
International San Diego, the Banana
Bungalow Hostel and a few other organizations maintain youth hostels
in the city. Many backpackers and travelers flock to the Hostelling
International facility located right in the heart of the Gaslamp
or the USA
Hostels facility just down the road.
PHOTO COURTESY
- Ted "Rufus" Ross; c/o Wikipedia Commons; San Diego's
Night Sky; San Diego, CA, USA.
- c/o Wikipedia Commons; San Diego's Trolley System; San Diego, CA,
USA.
- Glen Larson;
c/o Wikipedia Commons; A Monument in Old Town; San Diego, CA, USA.
- Ted "Rufus"
Ross; San Diego's Night Sky; San Diego, CA, USA.
- c/o Wikipedia
Commons; San Diego Bay Reflects the Night; San Diego, CA, USA.
- Mission Beach;
San Diego, CA, USA.
