First of all, I would like to say that San Diego is a a beautiful city with many attractions. Whether you would like to see the sunny beaches or visit a zoo, San Diego has it all!
San Diego is the perfect city to live in. It is not as congested as Los Angeles, yet not as expensive as San Francisco. For the most part, the towns are pretty safe to live in and not as gang infested as Los Angeles. Don’t get me wrong, I love L.A., but I’m just comparing the two cities. For the most part, the weather in San Diego is nice and sunny...but sometimes can be unpredictable. This year in 2002, the rain fall average is way below average and has been very hot and dry. But other times, it rains and can be humid.
This city has every type of weather you can think of, except tropical climate I suppose. And yes, we are spoiled. No snow in the winter. Juts nice and warm climate. If you are visiting San Diego here are some places I suggest: San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, downtown, Sea World, La Jolla (a suburb just north of the city), and all the beaches.
San Diego Zoo: Yes, of course you have heard of the world famous zoo. The zoo includes hundreds of species of plants and animals. The most famous exhibit at the zoo would probably be the Pandas from China. You can get really close up and see them eat large sticks of bamboo. Also, if you can’t be at the zoo, you can watch the pandas live on a webcam. The website to see the pandas is https://sandiegozoo.org. Also you can watch the poplar bears swim in icy water in the morning on the website. The zoo is located near downtown (next to Balboa Park), which will be easy for tourists to find.
Wild Animal Park: Here is another zoo located in the north east part of San Diego County (just east of Escondido). The thing I like most about the Wild Animal Park is that you actually get to see the animals in their natural habitat instead of the animals being locked up in a cage.
Downtown: Downtown is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Just like any other big city, San Diego has beggars and slums. But there are some nice places to visit. Seaport Village is a favorite of mine. Located on the water, Seaport Village has nice quaint shops with small cafe’s.
In the Gaslamp Quarter district you can find nice bars and plenty of clubs for nightlife. Located near the Gaslamp Quarter is the Convention Center. The Convention Center is a immense building which holds several events that come to the city. The last even I went to at the convention center was a car show. It was neat because they came out with all these fancy, almost unreal concept cars. A few miles north of downtown is Old Town. Here is a nice few blocks which have the appearance of old Spanish type outer covering. There are several restaurants in the area and small shops.
Sea World: Sea World is a nice place to visit every once in a while. The price to get in is extremely costly. The price for one adult to get in is $42.95. A single child’s price is $32.95. So expect to pay a lot. Here you can see the famous Shamoo presentation and all the other aquatic sea life.
La Jolla: La Jolla is a quaint little town on the ocean located up from downtown a few miles. Here there are plenty of shops for shopping, but I would recommend La Jolla Cove to any of you who like to snorkel. In the cove you can see the bright orange Garabaldi fish and can even feed them if you wish. You can swim to all these neat caves just around the corner if you are brave enough. Sometimes the tide here can be rough and will push you into the rocks, so just be careful and cautious. Walk about a block south and see the Children’s Pool. You are actually not allowed to go on the beach becuase of the seals who take over the beach, but you are allowed to go on the curved seawall and get soaked by the crashing waves.
Beaches: Pretty much all of the beaches in San Diego are pretty nice. Since I live in the northern section of San Diego County, these are the beaches I am most familiar with. Oceanside is a nice beach. Just be careful where you go. A few years ago, a little boy was killed in a public bathroom while his aunt waited outside the restroom. So just be cautious where you go. Carlsbad is a great beach. Tamarack Beach (a section in Carlsbad) is a great beach because the powerplant pumps out excess warm water and makes the sea water nice and warm. So have fun and be safe!
These are some places I would recommend you check out if you are visiting San Diego for a vacation. There is plenty to do, so have fun! Have a great time!