SAN DIEGO TRAVEL GUIDE - LOCAL TIPS TRICKS AND SECRETS - COMIC-CON
I was born, raised and have spent the majority of my life in San Diego. I've decided to share some places and activities us locals enjoy and that you should experience when you come to San Diego. Of course I'm only one person and we all have various interests but some things about our city are universal. I'm not in the hospitality business so all this information is non bias, I don't get any part of any money you spend at these places.
Travelers Guide to understanding the geography of San Diego
Southern California is made up of many small cities that run into each other. We really don't think of places as "towns" except some of the out lying very small communities. So San Diego has "areas", not necessary official "cities". For instance "Hillcrest" (our gay friendly part of town) is a neighborhood with in San Diego City. While Del Mar (famous for the Del Mar horse race track and where we hold our county fair) is an actual city of it's own. Within San Diego City you'll find lots of neighborhoods or areas. Us locals abbreviate some of the beach areas, as: PB - Pacific Beach, OB - Ocean Beach, IB - Imperial Beach. For some reason nobody ever abbreviated Mission Beach, home of "Belmont Park" where you'll find the Giant Dipper one of the older roller coasters on the west coast. By the way Belmont Park is pay per ride so you can visit it for free.
Travelers Guide to San Diego Brief History
San Diego really grew up during World War II as a military installation. Much of the industry from that point up until the early 90's centered around military project development. That makes since as San Diego is home to the West coast navel fleet. You should definitely take time to go on the U.S.S Midway aircraft carrier tour while you're here. You should also visit the Reuben H. Fleet Science center, a tribute to the pioneer of San Diego aviation history and the home of the very first OMNIMAX dome theater which is located in Balboa Park, named after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. It will give you an eye into the military significance in San Diego. Other than military we have a large bio-medical development industry here and of course hospitality.
Accommodations; Picking a hotel to stay at in San Diego California.
Where's the best place to stay in San Diego?
There are lots of places to stay but as a tourist I would want to be one of three locations, either "Mission Valley" area where a large group of motels and hotels are known as "Hotel Circle" or in an area known as "The Gaslamp" in the downtown metro area or if beach activity will be a big part of your stay, one of the beach hotels (Bahia or Catamaran as you don't need a car if you stay at the beach) or rent a home on the beach.
Hotel Circle - is very centrally located, if you have a rental car this is a good home base it's 10 minutes to anyplace practically. There is also lite rail which we call the "Trolley" that can get you downtown from this area but it's a good 20 minute walk to that station located at "Fashion Valley Mall". Fashion Valley mall is by far the best and newest mall in San Diego. It's our high end mall with the more expensive stores. For bargain shopping on clothes go to any one of many "Ross" locations.
The Gaslamp - This is San Diego's largest shopping and entertainment district. In the 1980's it was full of homeless people, drunk sailors and porn shops. Today it's a model revitalization district to the rest of the county. We have a baseball stadium where you can see The Padres play during baseball season, several theaters to see a show, a comedy club, a sing along piano bar, a huge shopping center named after Alonzo Horton who by forced moved the city center to it's current location from "Old Town" where the Whaley family had established a the first city center. There are more restaurants than you can eat at during your trip here. Everything is a bit more pricey in the Gaslamp but us locals do go their all the time so by no means is it a tourist trap. It's quality. I highly suggest you dig deep into the reviews on Yelp for anyplace you plan to eat because not all are great, some do try and take advantage of tourists.
Beach Areas - We have lots of beaches, the two most famous are La Jolla mentioned in the beach boys song "Surfin USA" and Coronado, location of the famous Hotel Del Coronado. If you choose to stay at either location you will be isolated without transportation. If you're idea of a vacation is planting at a hotel pool then these are very nice places to do that and it won't matter much.
Travelers Guide to San Diego Places of interest
Julian - Is an old mining town located in the local San Diego mountains. It's a locals favorite for their famous Apple pies. In early Oct. they do an Apple festival worth checking out. Us locals aren't used to snow and so Julian gets snow in the winter and we like to come up for the "winter small town experience."
Borrego Dessert - One of the things about San Diego that not a lot of other places offer is Beach, Mountains and Desert all within a hours drive. Borrego State Park is a desert perserve. If you like looking at desert and wildlife then there's plenty of it to see here. A day trip would consist of driving up to Julian via the route through the city of Poway, then taking banner grade down into the desert, taking S2 south through Borrego, then taking I-8 freeway back into San Diego, stopping at Veijas Indian Casino for lunch or dinner. Camping in the desert does offer spectacular night views of the sky as well and there are lots of sanctioned camp grounds to enjoy! Bring plenty of water in the summer when its hot.
Old Town - Old Town San Diego is the birthplace of San Diego. It's a fun place to visit, little bit touristy. A lot of the official Old Town restaurants are run by an East Coast Operator so the food isn't really too authentic by locals standards. Some of the others really skimp on food quality since most locals don't eat their and prices are higher. See Mexican Food below. The one restaurant that I like the most and is independent of the "old town" operator is called La Pinata on the edge of old town. That's the spot I'd take you too for the Old Town food Experience. While in Old town you should tour the Whaley House as it's history is fascinating. This part of town is accessible via the Trolley so if you're staying downtown you can hop on the Trolley and be there in 15 minutes.
Balboa Park / San Diego Zoo - Balboa Park is the Jewel of our city and a must see to any visitor. To learn more about the parks history click here. Also the San Diego Historical Society Museum is located in Balboa park and has many interesting photos of San Diego over the years. There are lots of great spots to picnic and relax on large grass fields. A great place to get a sandwich is on the west side of the park near 6th avenue. "The Market Place Deli" is very close to the west side of the park (walking distance to the grass) and the yelp ratings speak for themselves.
Mission Bay / SeaWorld - In the late 1950's the city of San Diego started a project to dredge out swampy marshlands and create a recreational water ways surrounded by parks. One of the flagship parts of the project was to have a marine life park. In 1964, the very first (of at one time four, now three) SeaWorld Marine life park opened. SeaWorld has grown up a lot recently after going through several ownership changes during the recession. It now features a magnetic launch roller coaster and classic rides such as Shipwreck rapids water rafting ride, Sky buckets, the huge Blue Sky tower ride (visible from all of Mission bay, pacific beach, old town , Wild Arctic simulator ride, Journey to Atlantis Boat/Coaster ride a 4D theater and tons of animal exhibits and shows. In summer months they put on a fireworks show every night and it's easy to find many spots outside of the park to watch, Fiesta Island being one of the best. A side from Sea World, Mission Bay is a great place for picnic's and BBQs in the summer. You can rent wave runners, kayaks, go scuba diving, sail boats, paddle boats, bicycles and more. There are many many parks with playgrounds for little kids featuring picnic tables, BBQs, grass and shade structures. If you like to camp there is a campground right on the bay that can be a great family destination called Campland on the Bay.
Beaches - Our beach areas are diverse and each is different in many ways. Here's a list of each.
Torrey Pines State Beach - A very small beach famous for trails, the Torrey pine tree and tide pools.
Blacks Beach - Is San Diego's only clothing optional beach. It's not officially a nude beach and can be a busy place in the summer. Parents should be ready to explain if the take their family for a walk south of Torrey pines beach or North of La Jolla Shores.
La Jolla - Upscale area, affluent residents, mostly high end shopping but limited, home to some local favorite fine dining such as George's at the cove. Worth a day visit.
Pacific Beach - College aged mecca, lots of bars for younger adults, tons of younger people make this place home. This is the place a younger group of guys would go to meet girls. Most people who socialize in this area are 21 to 25, older than that and people tend to party in the gaslamp. Pacific beach is ideal for playing on the beach. This type of fun streaches all the way south to Mission Beach area. Garnet Avenue is a two mile long stretch of shopping, bars and nightclubs and the center of nightlife in Pacific Beach.
Mission Beach - Little bit dirtier than Pacific beach, less shopping, no nightclubs and a few bars. Most of the nightlife in this area centers around house parties and a few bars for younger adults. One stand out for those looking to party is The Wave House at Belmont Park which books DJs and offers a party atmosphere. However it's more of a daytime event.
Ocean Beach - Very locals area, strong liberal community spirit reminiscent of the 60's hippie movement, Ocean Beach has a small strip of shops, most famous is the head shop "The Black". This area reminds me of the vibe you get at Haight & Ashbury St. in San Francisco but with beach bums thrown in! The OB hostel is a popular spot for younger travelers during the summer.
Coronado - Upscale shopping, affluent area, home of Hotel Del, very isolated from everything else as it's on a peninsula connected by a bridge to the city. Locals refer to it as Coronado Island even though it's not an island.
Imperial Beach - Not thought of as a tourist area at all, it's mostly a more economic option for beach living, it's an older community and with a distance far from the city center and close to the international border it's not a place most go unless you live near there. One attraction Imperial Beach has that might be fun, especially for international travelers is one of the last standing "Drive In" theaters in San Diego. Yes, you park your car and watch a movie outside.. It's a fun thing for families or those who want some privacy at the movies.
North of San Diego are:
Del Mar - Horse track
Leucadia
Encinitas
La Costa - La Costa Resort and Spa
Carlsbad
Oceanside - Military town home to Camp Pendleton Marine Base
TIP: If you lose any jewelry (wedding rings) at the beach or bay San Diego Metal Detectors 619-438-0806 offers daily rentals or lost item location services.
Travelers Guide to finding Great Food in San Diego
We have every ethnicity of food represented in San Diego. We have several celebrity chefs with restaurants here too. For a great treat check out Sprinkles cupcake shop owned by Candance Nelson from the TV show Cupcake Wars on the Food Network.
If you're in Gaslamp and want a relatively economic sit down meal try The Spaghetti Factory. The food is not gourmet but it's not bad either. On the opposite end of price scale are major Steak houses from Donovan's to Mortons. For the best crab cakes The Oceanaire Room is a local Seafood favorite in the Gaslamp.
Mexican food is a staple meal for most San Diegan's so it would be a shame if you didn't eat at a good taco shop while you're here, especially if you're a brit. Roberto's is a San Diego born taco shop chain that exploded and now stretches all the way to Las Vegas. Mexican food is great in San Diego but not in the gaslamp, places such as "Funky Garcia's" serve very bad Mexican food and charge too much for a margarita. Find one of these "Robertos, Alberto's, Cotija's, Los Primos or Vaharta's Express on Genesse Ave. taco shop and order "Carne Asada" Burrito or "Carne Asada" Fries (Carne Asada is marinaded steak if you prefer chicken order Polo Asada). Another favorite are the beef "Rolled Tacos" calling them that is a San Diego thing as other places would call them Tequitoes. These taco shops are usually open 24 hours and it's the traditional food us locals use to soak up alcohol. Don't worry if you don't like hot spicy food because most taco shop's food is not spicy until you pick your hot sauce and pour it on yourself.
TJ - Tijuana, Baja Mexico - If you want to see Mexico be warned that visiting TJ or Tijuana can be a risky proposition. Use google translate to Read the news from Tijuana before you cross the border. You'll need a passport to get back as well. A lot of San Diegan's don't go there anymore because of safety concerns. If you go, you'll standout as one of only a few tourists. Don't get me wrong, if you're up for adventure and are street smart then it might be fun. If you're a touristy looking family you could be a target for robbery, kidnapping or police harassment. You have good odds that nothing bad will happen if you choose to visit but you need to be aware that you should be aware of your surroundings and the risk. TJ does not represent all of Mexico and the country has much to offer the tourist further down Baja and central mainland.
Safety in San Diego, California - San Diego is a relatively safe city. As with any major city crime happens but in general tourists are not targeted for pick pocketing or scams like in other parts of the world. We don't have high murder rates like Detroit or anything like that. Two area's closest to tourist areas that you really have no reason to go to are "Barrio Logan" which is the area just south of downtown/ gaslamp at the base of the Coronado bridge on the 5 freeway or just east of downtown on the far side of the 5 freeway.
This page will be updated with more info as I have time to post but this should give you plenty to do.
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