What to do in San Diego ?

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samb

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Combining a vacation with my wife's attendance at a nursing conference. Flyin' in on Sunday May 17 and leaving on the 24th (Sunday before Memorial Day). What will I do while I'm there (other than party with the nurses) :confused: I did look at the DART and Tripoli San Deigo websites and didn't see anything scheduled during my stay.
 
You can have lunch at The Fish Market and then wonder across the street and tour the USS Midway Museum.
 
You can have lunch at The Fish Market and then wonder across the street and tour the USS Midway Museum.

The Midway is a great place to go. And just up the street is the Maritime Museum. The whole harbor area is nice. You can get some great views of the city and harbor from the Cabrillo Monument.

San Diego has some world-class tourist attractions, including a great Zoo.

There are some great Mexican restaurants.

You can party with the nurses in the gas lamp district --- lots of great restaurants and bars. Good place for a pub crawl type evening.

The beaches are really fantastic too --- one of the things I miss most about San Diego.
 
San Diego as a really nice, "small" city...with the Navy, the Zoo, the Harbor, and the Gaslamp quarter, there is a lot of nice touristy stuff (my favorite are the Indian restaurants!).

It has a great trolley and bus system, so you don't have to worry about driving/parking or getting around.

Here is a web link for a Gaslamp merchants association. There should also be links for other areas. I spent a whole day at the Zoo, could have easily spent another...
 
The Zoo is one of the best in the world, and you can't miss the Safari Park. USS Midway, Glider Park (fly hang gliders over a nude beach), Balboa Park (includes Science Center, Train Museum, Toy Museum, etc.). Sea World.
 

OH YEAH ! :drool:

You can have lunch at The Fish Market and then wonder across the street and tour the USS Midway Museum.

I had the USS Midway on my radar, I'll look for the Fish Market. Do they toss the flounder there or is that just Seattle ?

...
You can party with the nurses in the gas lamp district --- lots of great restaurants and bars. Good place for a pub crawl type evening.

The beaches are really fantastic too --- one of the things I miss most about San Diego.

Based on many years of associating with health care professionals outside of their normal work environment, I guarantee pub crawling will occur.

...

Here is a web link for a Gaslamp merchants association. There should also be links for other areas. I spent a whole day at the Zoo, could have easily spent another...

Thanks for the link, I expect we'll spend some time there.
The Zoo is one of the best in the world, and you can't miss the Safari Park. USS Midway, Glider Park (fly hang gliders over a nude beach), Balboa Park (includes Science Center, Train Museum, Toy Museum, etc.). Sea World.

The group (AACN- American Association of Critical Care Nurses - has a Wednesday afternoon date at the Zoo so we'll be part of that junket.
 
If you like baseball, go catch a Padres game at Petco Park, one of the nicest ballparks anywhere (if they're at home that week). Also don't forget the SD Zoo Safari Park out by Escondido...IMO even more impressive than the Balboa Park main zoo. For lunch go get one of the massive fresh-caught fish sandwiches at Point Loma Seafood.
 
If you like baseball, go catch a Padres game at Petco Park, one of the nicest ballparks anywhere (if they're at home that week). Also don't forget the SD Zoo Safari Park out by Escondido...IMO even more impressive than the Balboa Park main zoo. For lunch go get one of the massive fresh-caught fish sandwiches at Point Loma Seafood.

Point Loma Seefood is really good. And that puts you very close to the Cabrillo monument near the end of Pt Loma. Over near the Midway, we used to like Anthony's Seafood for a sit down dinner right on the water.

My family used to go to the Safari Park back when it was called the Wild Animal Park, and it was great. I haven't been back since it changed the name. I understand it has also changed in other ways too. It sounds like that still a pretty good attraction.
 
If you like baseball, go catch a Padres game at Petco Park, one of the nicest ballparks anywhere (if they're at home that week). Also don't forget the SD Zoo Safari Park out by Escondido...IMO even more impressive than the Balboa Park main zoo. For lunch go get one of the massive fresh-caught fish sandwiches at Point Loma Seafood.

Thanks, looking forward to lots of fresh fish and baseball is my favorite of all the professional sports to actually buy a ticket and watch from the cheap seats. Looks like the Cubbies are in town then... Hmmm, Taco Tuesday :)
 
Thanks, looking forward to lots of fresh fish and baseball is my favorite of all the professional sports to actually buy a ticket and watch from the cheap seats. Looks like the Cubbies are in town then... Hmmm, Taco Tuesday :)

If your wife's conference is at the convention center, then I think you will be right near the ballpark.
 
If your wife's conference is at the convention center, then I think you will be right near the ballpark.

It is. Love downtown ballparks. I'll be sure to cruise by there even if we don't take in a game. When the conference ends on Thursday we're moving up to Pacific Beach for the weekend.
 
Balboa Park could take a few days to explore.
Multiple museums, one of the nation’s top zoos, arboretums and gardens devoted to all sorts of neat things.
I personally enjoyed the Model RR Museum and Train Layout.

Or you could take the Red Car trolley down to TJ.

Now if you had enough time I highly recommend spending a day touring the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, you will not be disappointed. The visitor’s center is very informative.
 
If you like baseball, go catch a Padres game at Petco Park, one of the nicest ballparks anywhere (if they're at home that week). Also don't forget the SD Zoo Safari Park out by Escondido...IMO even more impressive than the Balboa Park main zoo. For lunch go get one of the massive fresh-caught fish sandwiches at Point Loma Seafood.

I was coming back to mention that ^ -- you can check the Padre's schedule online, and see if they are playing at Petco field during your time there.
 
Seaport Village is a nice way to spend a few hours. The Point Loma lighthouse is also worth checking out.

You can ride the small rollercoaster in Mission Beach or walk the sidewalk along the beach and feel like you're in a Pepsi commercial.

Little Italy is a great place for Italian restaurants.
 
The best thing I ever did when I lived in San Diego besides file divorce papers was spending time in Anza Borrego. I loved that place.
 
Gettin' closer !

"...I know a pretty little place in southern california down San Diego way
There's a little cafe where they play guitars all night and day
You can hear them in the back room strummin'..."
 
Great dinner at Top of the Market last night. Sunset over Point Loma and the bay and the USS Midway right next door !
 
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Well Sam, I hope the weather is nice where you are. You haven't missed anything in Texas except another couple inches of rain, a few tornadoes and a Biker rumble down in Waco. Have a grand time and a safe trip home!

Ted
 
The zoo is amazing. Pick up tacos and a California burrito from any corner taqueria, it does not matter which because they are all outstanding. Phils BBQ a little outside of town is a tourist trap but also delicious and well worth a go.

I like to bounce between bars in both North Park and South Park.
 
Heading back to waterlogged DFW this morning. Spent the last couple of days on the beach at La Jolla, California Dreamin, seals and hummingbirds in the morning. Saw some sleeping pandas and a day old giraffe. Balboa Park and the Air and Space Museum were amazing. Favorite exhibit was the cases of vintage model airplanes, engines, and rc gear right at the entrance !
 
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in old town SD there is a great Mexican resturant

Took a nice hike up Presidio hill one morning but no Mexican this trip. Pacific yellowtail, swordfish, tiger shimp. Yum ! Saw a great bar band last night; guitar player had a double-necked Gibson and he knew how to play it.
 
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Alot of bag people ! Mission Beach is just like the Jersey Shore.

LOL, I haven't heard that comparison before! I guess Mission Beach has gotten classier, eh?

Sounds like you had fun, I was curious about how the trip turned out.
 
LOL, I haven't heard that comparison before! I guess Mission Beach has gotten classier, eh?

Sounds like you had fun, I was curious about how the trip turned out.

Haha, that's what I was thinking.

We had a great time. When I saw the rollercoaster at Mission Beach the first thing I thought of was Wildwood NJ. We only walked a few blocks one afternoon so I can't say the comparison holds up but saw lots of bars and tattooed 20 (30?, 40?) somethings. :). We saved our beach time for La Jolla, which was great; the sun came out every afternoon after the "marine layer" burned off but the temps never got higher than 70.

La Jolla Shores.jpg

One of the hotel clerks explained the large number of homeless this way:

- great weather (understandable, as good a place as any to be roofless)
- good scrounging at the many Navy and Marine installation dumpsters
- soft touch tourists are a good source of pocket change

Almost forgot about my afternoon at Point Loma while my wife was stuck in the convention center. 360 degrees of breathtaking beauty.

Looking east from Point Loma: North Island NAS and Coronado Beach, San Diego and the Laguna Mts. beyond
North Island NAS.jpg

Looking south towards Tijuana
Point Loma towards Tijuana.jpg

Western view: tidal pools and the blue Pacific
Point Loma west.jpg


Didn't get a good picture north; the orderly rows of white crosses at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. LEST WE FORGET!
 
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