San Diego Tourism: A Southern Oasis

If you've ever wondered what happens to a desert when it hugs the southern California coastline, visit San Diego. The combination has produced an oasis filled with tropical foliage, a mild climate and breathtaking sunsets. It's no surprise that residents and tourists alike enjoy many activities throughout the year. With places like the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park, Sea World, great shopping, restaurants, and beaches, the city is alive with energy.

Balboa Park is home to many of the city's museums including the Natural History Museum, the Aerospace Museum, the Automobile Museum, the Museum of Man and the Museum of Art. Balboa Park is also home to the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center, a great place for adults and children alike to discover science through hands-on exhibits. The center also offers IMAX films and laser shows.

 

Take the day to stroll through the park, its botanical gardens and the Spanish Village Art Center, where artisans create and sell their art. If your timing is right, you can enjoy a free outdoor pipe organ concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Sunday visitors can enjoy the International Houses, an area of the park that celebrates food, art, and culture from around the world.

The San Diego Zoo is a must see for visitors to San Diego. Located within Balboa Park just minutes from San Diego's skyline, the San Diego Zoo is home to over four thousand animals, including some of the rarest in captivity. Be sure to see the giant pandas, hippos and polar bears. Walk-through aviaries, tropical landscaping and extraordinary habitats make the San Diego Zoo a day for the entire family to remember.

 

Once you've seen everything at the zoo, take a thirty-minute drive northeast to Escondido. There, you'll find the San Diego Wild Animal Park featuring animals roaming in herds without traditional enclosures that promote the conservation of animals.

The central location of the San Diego Zoo makes it easy to enjoy other areas of San Diego. A trip through India Street places you in the middle of San Diego's Little Italy, home to many Italians and some of the best Italian restaurants in California. From there, it's an easy drop into downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter.

The Gaslamp Quarter, once a disreputable part of San Diego's waterfront, portrays some of the great energy of San Diego. Shops, pubs, and art galleries occupy the renovated Victorian commercial buildings of the late 1800s. Over ninety restaurants offer international cuisines, enough choices for any palate. For great entertainment, check out Croce's, a restaurant and bar opened in 1985 by Jim Croce's widow, Ingrid.

 

Close by you'll find Petco Park, the new San Diego Padres stadium. Just north of the stadium and convention center is the San Diego Harbor where ships offer harbor cruises throughout the day. While there, stroll along the boardwalks and shop at the specialty stores at Seaport Village. A short walk will take you to the World War II memorial and the resting spot for the U.S.S. Midway. Depending on the time of year, you may see San Diego's tuna fishermen bringing in their catch or folding their nets.

Visitors to San Diego shouldn't miss beautiful Mission Bay. A bold decision to dredge Mission Bay and create an aquatic park resulted in one of the most beautiful recreation areas in California. Hotels that dot Mission Bay offer bayside bungalows, boat rentals and other activities to their patrons. Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, a marine research facility and viewing aquarium for visitors, is also located at Mission Bay.

North from Mission Bay and the San Diego Zoo is Old Town San Diego. The first settlers to San Diego established Old Town San Diego. Visitors are welcome to wander through Old Town or take part in one of the walking tours to see the original buildings erected in the mid to late eighteen hundreds. Next to Old Town San Diego is Bazaar del Mundo. Experience the Mexican culture with specialty shops and excellent Mexican restaurants at this lively marketplace.