Making a business trip there in late December, with my girlfriend and my 13-y.o. daughter along, with plenty of free time. We staying at a hotel on the bay, and we plan to spend at least a day at the famous Zoo, but I’m wondering if anyone more experienced with SD than us novice easterners can tell us some must-do or must-see SD things.
One broad example: since we’re coming from NYC and Schenectady, we’re thinking “MMmmm, San Diego, swimming in December” but I’ve heard we’re being unrealistic and it’s just wishful thinking to pack a single bathing suit.
My girlfriend wants to rent a car. I’d rather hoof it or cab it, but we have no idea what kind of town it is. (If you were staying in Manhattan, for example, I would strongly advise against renting a car, but in LA I’d advise otherwise.) Can we get around okay on cabs and foot?
San Diego is sprawling, not as big as LA, but it does have alot of Land Mass. The San Diego Zoo and for that matter Sea World is a long way from the city of San Diego. There are alot of places to go, and renting a car, would be easier for you to get around, instead of hoofing it or going by cab.
Although San Diego is warm, it is not swim in the ocean warm, it’s short sleeve shirt warm in the daytime, but you’ll want to bring a leather jacket or a warm jacket for the nighttime.
Go to Seaport Village, and if you like Seafood, there is a resturant called Anthony’s Fish Grotto - really good, and also the Spaghetti Factory. You may want to see if the hotel room you get can have a kitchen, for some of your meals, to save money.
You should be able to go to Borders, or a big Book retailer and get a map, and Places of Interest of San Diego, or get ahold of the Tourism Office of San Diego to get more info.
It’s been awhile since I lived in San Diego, while in the Navy, but that’s what I remember.
Umm, the Zoo and Sea World are within San Diego City. You may have been thinking of the Zoo’s sister operation, the Wild Animal Park, which is north of San Diego, near Escondido.
I’ll try to post more later, when I have more time to type a longer reply towards the OP.
From what you write, your hotel is probably very close to San Diego’s downtown. Walking to and around downtown shouldn’t be a problem.
For vehicular transportation, my first reaction would be to say rent a car, but I must admit I’m not familiar with the rates local cabs charge, so really can’t comment on whether renting a car or using cabs would make more sense.
About weather: When we get rain, it’s mostly during winter. I haven’t looked at long range forecasts, but it wouldn’t hurt to pack light rain gear, just in case. Daylight temperatures during December, when not cloudly or rainy, do get warm, but early mornings can be cool (like it is as I type this).
Right next door to the zoo is Balboa Park, a great place to wander around, chok full of museums and fun stuff.
The beaches are great, but the water tends to me much colder than the Atlantic at the same latitude. You won’t want to swim.
Everyone will tell you to go to La Jolla and the Gaslamp Quarter. These are nice, but both tend to be on the expensive and touristy side (except La Jolla’s beaches, nice for a stroll or seal-watching). A day trip to Tijuana is surprisingly easy. Just take the trolley to the border and walk across, downtown is almost right against the border.
Lots of other things… the Mission (from Spanish colonial days), Old Town (the same, but with more shopping & good food), Legoland (north of town; I’ve never been).
I definitely think renting a car would make your life MUCH easier.
You’d probably be able to get cheap cab fare to Sea World from where you’re probably staying, but if you wanted to go out and see a lot of sights, more than likely you’re going to be going many miles in many different directions.
There’s a reason that we all have cars here. And there’s a reason that we never walk anywhere.
Get a car. Life in SD without one is a pain. Believe me, I grew up there.
The zoo is NOT outside of town, it is in Balboa Park, which you are well advised to take your time to explore. Family friendly and inexpensive as far as tourist attractions in San Diego go. The Wild Animal Park is also well worth seeing, but it is a bit of a drive (Escondido). I’d say take a day and go up to the mountains and enjoy the countryside but I’m told by my parents it’s all pretty trashed by the fires. There’s an aquarium in La Jolla that’s pretty good for kids too.
Swimming in December is a no. The water is very cold. We really mean it. What most people won’t warn you about is the sudden drop in air temperature at night. Bring jackets, though by East Coast standards it won’t be too bad.
Try out a few of the indian casinos. The big ones have outlet malls attatched that are quite nice and have outdoor shows that kids seem to enjoy in the evening.
Of course, your kid will insist that if you really love her, you’ll take her to Disneyland.
Actually, the mass transit system in San Diego is very good. My family was there for a week and we got along fine without a car. As long as your hotel is near a transit stop, you’re in the clear.
Actually, my kid hates (I mean HATES) all things Disney. I tested this out several yers ago, when I insisted we go see THE LION KING. Before the animals had finished their first stampede, we’d finished ours. I was out on the sidewalk, and out 7 bucks a head, with her explaining to me, “See, Dad? I told you I wouldn’t like it.”
That aside, she’s a great child, but if she sees Disneyland, it’s gonna be with someone other than me.
I’ll check out the earlier thread about SD. Thanks.
Take the Trolley tour bus. The bus is silly (orange and green), and the pre-recorded bits are annoying, but you will learn a bit about the area. I think it departs from Seaport Village.
The Zoo was great. You’ll need a lot of time.
What’s that outdoor mall? The name escapes me, but down near the Gaslamp District is a mall with no roof… It’s a normal mall, but the common walkways are out in the open air. Kinda neat…good shops too.
We mostly enjoyed the weather. The wife was stuck at a convention, but I got a good chance to walk the area and just people-watch. The convention centre alone is somethign to look at!
Coronado Island was a bit of an overrated experience, esp. since it was winter. There were military aircraft doing exercise what seemed to be 100 feet off the ground which scared the hell out of me. This big-ass plane appeared to stall in mid air before getting going again…I guess it was a drill of some sort, but I really thought the thing was coming down.
Several officers of the San Diego Police Department are quite understanding and openminded and are willing to work with you if need be. Don’t ask me how I know about this.
The outdoor mall you’re probably thinking of is Horton Plaza. The one with the wild decorating scheme, right? I haven’t been in ages but I hear the shops have shifted to high end boutiques, though I may have been misinformed. For mall shopping I like Fashion Valley and University Towncenter ain’t bad.
I agree that Balboa park is the bee’s knees, along with the zoo and Sea World. Check out the missions and the Hotel Del Coronado is a super nice place to eat or just wander around the grounds looking at Christmas decorations.
Definitely Balboa Park & the Zoo. La Jolla for the seals is nice. You are correct, it is the Horton Plaza and the shops were not really high-end, just your typical mall fair - Limited, Express, Banana Republic, etc. Gaslamp District is great for lunch/dinner locations and boutique shopping.
I also enjoyed Ocean Beach for it’s eclectic, pseudo-hippy stylings, people, and shops.
Architecture. I don’t know if the city is known for this, but there are so many beautiful, modern buildings down near the “Gaslamp District” or whatever they call it. I’m not architecturally literate, so this might sound stupid, but it looked they had a theme going that was a cross between Art Deco and Arts & Crafts. And these were just condos and apartment buildings.
About the weather, is it usually so cold there? I’ve been there twice, once in March and once in November, and both times I had to wear a coat. It was very un-California-y. I thought the weather was supposed to stay nice all year long in Southern California!
The weather on the coast this time of year will be 40s-50s at night and 60s-70s during the day. Most days will be sunny at least part of the time–I remember hearing somewhere that we get 300+ sunny days a year. Occasionally we will get Santa Ana weather for a few days, which is windy and unusually warm.
If you go even a little bit inland, it can be 10-20 degrees warmer during the day.
I’ve been going once or twice a year since '97 or so and I stay in Point Loma.
The Trolley Tour goes from the State Historic Park and many other places as well. It’s a good deal, gets you to a lot of cool places and they tell you things about the city to keep you interested along the way.
Balboa Park has the largest concentration of activities that I can think of, offhand.
And I never miss the aforementioned SHP, Old Town and Bazaar Del Mundo.
About architecture - The area had a noted and influential architect in the early 20th century. His name was Irving Gill. Many of his buildings he designed for San Diego clients still stand, though I’m not certain if any of them are in the Gaslamp.