Archive for March, 2010

20 Free Things to Do in San Diego

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

San Diego is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. The miles of beautiful beaches and good surf, along with its virtually perfect year-round weather make it easy to see why. There are a lot of other great attractions to enjoy, as well, and many of them don’t require you to spend a dime. Here are just 20 free things to do when you find yourself vacationing in sunny San Diego.

1. Enjoy the Surf!

The single and most obvious free activity you can enjoy in San Diego is the surf. Whether you’re an experienced or novice surfer, San Diego has plenty to offer. You can also just swim the waves or a enjoy a few games of beach volleyball with friends, or work on your tan.

2. Walk Through the Historic Gaslamp Quarter

The Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego is one of the most quaint and colorful parts of the city. You can enjoy the art galleries, the Victorian architecture and the many great photo-ops you’ll find as you stroll through the streets of the Gaslamp.

3. Play in the Cove

The La Jolla Cove is one of the most spectacular and beautiful natural landmarks in San Diego, or anywhere in the country, for that matter. You can spend hours catching hermit crabs in the tide pools and watch the seal cubs playing in the sand in the section of the Cove designated as Seal Beach.

4. Visit Old Town

If you want to see some of San Diego’s living history, visit Old Town. You can wander through many of Old Town’s historic buildings, including the Stewart House, Estudillo House, the blacksmith shop, Seely Stables and the oldest schoolhouse in the City.

5. Take a Walk Through Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a huge and gorgeous cultural center and park. It has 15 world renowned museums, several of which have free admission one Tuesday out of each month. You can also enjoy just walking through the main promenade, enjoying the colonial architecture and public sculptures, as well as several beautiful gardens that are free to the public.

6. Fly a Kite at Tecolote Shores of Mission Bay Park

If you enjoy kite flying, head over to Tecolote Shores, a 4,600 acre aquatic park where families gather often to enjoy the bay’s breeze and set their kites sailing.

7. Enjoy the Spreckles Organ Pavillion Concerts

The Spreckles Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park contains one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs, whose largest pipe reaches up to 32 feet. There are free  concerts at the pavilion every month.

8. Bike on Mission Bay Park

Mission Bay Park is a great place for cyclists, as it has more than 20 miles worth of scenic biking and jogging trails to enjoy.

9. Visit the Olympic Training Center

You can get a free tour of San Diego’s Olympic training center in Chula Vista. The facilities include training tracks and a field for various sport disciplines.

10. Stargaze at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, near Balboa Park, is one of the best places to learn about astronomy. On the first Wednesday of each month, the public can go there and use the giant telescopes set up by the San Diego Astronomy Association, for free.

11. Visit Seaport Village

Seaport Village is a quaint shopping center in the San Diego Bay. You can stroll through the open air shopping center, window shop and look at the art galleries, or you can sit down with a picnic basket in one of the grassy areas near the water and watch the boats coming in and out of the bay.

12. Visit Julian

If you take an hour drive into Northeast San Diego county, you’ll find the small gold-mining town of Julian. It’s a great place to visit to get a taste of California’s past and also sample some of Julian’s famous pies.

13. Hike in the Torrey Pines State Park

If you’re a hiker, or nature trail lover, a visit to the Torrey Pines State Park is a must on your next San Diego vacation. The hiking trail is not too difficult, and is best intermediate hikers and beginners. When you get to the top of the trail, you’ll be rewarded with some awe-inspiring views of the San Diego coastline as seen from the top of the Torrey Pines sea cliffs.

14. Go Bird Watching

Another thing you can do for free at the Torrey Pines Reserve is go bird watching. The State Park is a protected habitat for towhees, thrashers, scrub jays, wrentits and bushtits.

15. Drive to Mt. Laguna

It takes about an hour to drive to Mt. Laguna, but it’s a beautiful scenic drive, and once you’re there you can enjoy a picnic and the fresh mountain air.

16. Sunset at Mt. Soledad

Mt. Soledad, located in La Jolla, is a short uphill drive through one of La Jolla’s neighborhoods. Once at the top, you can sit at the steps of the Veteran’s memorial and enjoy one of the best sunset viewing spots in San Diego. In winter, you can often see the fog layer rolling over La Jolla around dusk.

17. Visit the Point Loma Tide Pools

The Point Loma tide pools let you get close and interact with some colorful sea creatures, including anemones, shore crabs and various kinds of octopi.

18. Walk Along the Big Bay

With 27 miles of waterfront to walk along, the Big Bay is literally San Diego’s largest attraction. You can stroll along and enjoy the scenic view of the boats, public artworks, and the various shops and restaurants.

19. Self Realization Fellowship Gardens

The Hermitage and Meditation Gardens at the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas are opened and free to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. These are truly beautiful and relaxing gardens that will have you feeling much better by the time you walk out.

20. Bike or Skate Along the Mission Bay Boardwalk
This three mile, picturesque boardwalk spans both Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, and it is a favorite of bikers, joggers, and skaters.

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5 Great Things to See in Downtown San Diego

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

San Diego County is huge. It is almost as big as the state of Connecticut, and reaches out from the East long before you can feel the cool ocean breeze it is known for, spanning 65 miles from North to South and 86 miles from East to West. The city, on the other hand, is a quaint, charming place with an upbeat character and lively locals. Whether you live in the vicinity, or your visiting for the first, second, or fiftieth time, be sure to check out some of the following attractions for a well-rounded Downtown San Diego experience.

Harbor Cruise

Downtown San Diego extends out to the San Diego Bay and Harbor, which means not only are there great seafood restaurants in the area, but also a mini cruise! The Harbor Cruise ship runs every hour on the hour and takes you over to Ferry Landing Marketplace on Coronado Island. The cruise does not take long at all, so it is considered a bit of a touristy trip, but it is always nice to shake things up a bit in your own town.

Padres Game

The San Diego Padres are not known for their World Series performances—primarily because they rarely show up in the Series. The Padres have won the National League title twice, in 1984 and 1998, but they lost the World Series both times.

With the new stadium, they have garnered much more attention from Southern Californians, and the games are always a great time. If you are not staying in the downtown area, do not worry; there are special event trolleys and coasters that run specifically for the increased traffic to the stadium. Additionally, if you want to avoid the high price of beer you normally find at baseball games, you are allowed to drink on the train ride there and back.

Nightclubs

For locals, heading out downtown usually means a night of clubbing. There are quite a few popular spots to hit if you have the wallet for it. Stingaree is one of the most popular spots downtown, and has events with local celebrities such as the Chargers player Shawne Merriman and reality show star Mike “The Situation.”

The Ivy Hotel’s rooftop is another popular place to spend some hard earned cash. Dancers put on a little entertainment sporadically, and there is plenty of room for large groups. With a pool surrounded by space heaters, and plenty of lounge chairs and couches, you are sure to enjoy yourself, and the rooftop view. Some other popular nightspots include SideBar, Thin, and Café Sevilla.

Broadway San Diego

Like any reputable city, San Diego has a lot of great theater opportunities. With two theater venues, The Civic Theater and Balboa Theater, as well as some big time shows, the city becomes a small version of New York’s real deal. Last season included Tony winners Wicked and The Lion King, while this year’s season has an impressive lineup, as well. The 2010-2011 season includes popular shows such as The Color Purple, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, Stomp, and Mama Mia. Whether you are Downtown for a family trip or a girls night out, be sure to check out a riveting show at one of these great historic theaters.

Holiday Special Events

Since the downtown area of San Diego is laid out as a grid, it makes for great outdoor events. This approximately six-by-ten block area regularly hosts restaurant tastings, as well as some of the most exciting special events in the county.

The San Diego Mardi Gras party may not rival New Orleans, but it is certainly full of excitement. With plenty of participating restaurants and bars, and generally favorable weather, the party is a success each year.

ShamROCK is the St. Paddy’s Day celebration that begins at 4pm and extends until midnight this year. They have three different bands playing, including an Irish folk band and a No Doubt cover band called No Duh. The twenty-dollar cover fee awards you a wristband that keeps you fed all night, and includes a designated driver program that will shuttle you to any home in San Diego County from 9pm-1am.

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5 Great Museums to Visit in San Diego, CA

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

From old bones to new paintings, San Diego’s got a variety of museums to rival any metropolitan area in the country. With dozens of museums in such a small area, it is difficult to pick the bests, but here are five favorites that locals and tourists should take the time to visit.

1) U.S.S. Midway Museum

The U.S.S. Midway was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and was the first ship to be commissioned after World War II. This powerful carrier was also active in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. In 2004, it was donated to San Diego and converted to a historical monument and museum. It sits in the water just off the coast, and invited criticism during the beginning stages due to a variety of concerns. Visit the U.S.S. Midway Museum website at http://www.midway.org/.

Initially many worried that the museum would not attract enough visitors to the area, and might steal the current visitors from other businesses. They also felt it would block the scenery of the bay, and cause harm to the aquatic wildlife in the area. Fortunately, the creators have taken huge steps to be a large part of the community, and to create a protected wildlife habitat. In terms of scenery, the deck is free to everyone, without museum admission, and the incredible popularity of the museum has assuaged all other concerns.

2) San Diego Museum of Man

This fascinating museum of Anthropology collects evidence of the growth of humans both in physical ways and in artistic expression. The preservation of artifacts and the communication of discoveries are essential to the education and development of anthropological research.

The combination of Anthropology, pre-Columbian history of the western Americas, Native American cultures, and Mesoamerican civilizations is not only educational, but also mesmerizing. This museum contains priceless and irreplaceable artifacts from all over the globe. Check out the Musem of Man’s site at http://www.museumofman.org/index.html.

3) Birch Aquarium at Scripps

This aquatic museum got its beginnings in 1903 when a Coronado boathouse was converted into a place for marine biologists to conduct research in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.  Through various name-alterations, building updates, and location changes, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, as we know it, opened in 1992.

This small aquarium museum is located in beautiful La Jolla, overlooking Scripps Beach. It boasts quite a few different exhibits such as the sixty tanks of fish and invertebrates in the Hall of Fishes, a 13,000 gallon tank of tropical reef sharks called the Shark Reef and Tide Pool Plaza, which has small pools where visitors can learn about and touch starfish, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, and more. While the aquarium is rather small, they have quite a wide variety of educational and entertaining exhibits including There’s Something About Seahorses, Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge, and the Wonder of Water. View the Birch Aquarium’s website at http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/.

4) Oceanside Museum of Art

Located in downtown Oceanside, with a great view of the Oceanside Pier, this art museum showcases provocative and contemporary exhibitions with worldwide, as well as regional, influences. The museum is located in two buildings that are also works of art. They were designed by two extremely talented local architects to contrast each other perfectly. One is in a typically classical style, while the other combines a variety of contemporary influences.

The OMA offers art instruction at their School of Art, as well as exhibits across the board. Architectural glass, studio furniture, neon sculpture, and art quilts are currently on display. Each gallery is redesigned for new exhibits so visitors are greeted with a fresh change of scenery each time. Concerts, films and lectures can also be found throughout the year, adding to the cultural growth of the community. Visit the OMA website at http://www.oma-online.org/home.html.

5) San Diego Air and Space Museum

This exciting museum showcases the history of air travel, the advancements of space travel during the space race, as well as where we stand with all of this technology today. Located in the old historic Ford Building in Balboa Park, this museum is open to all ages and has exhibits ranging from aircraft shown on the big screen to ground school for aspiring pilots.

The Lockheed Vega 5B from the movie Amelia is currently located in the SDASM; it was donated by the production company as a prop aircraft. Amelia Earhart was known to fly the Vega 5B during her lifetime, and the replica is very educational, as well as fascinating. There are also two different flight simulator rides. One is a training flight simulator that shows the intricacies of flying an airplane, while the other is a full-on, two-seater, full-motion, multi-role aircraft simulation ride. The trip around the circular museum is one of the most interesting trips you can possibly take in such a small area. Be sure to take the kids to this one! Check out the SDASM museum’s website at http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/.

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