Page 106 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

CARLSBAD FLOWER FIELDS, below;
La Jolla Shores in La Jolla, right; Juan
Rodriguez Cabrillo statue and panoramic
view of San Diego, opposite.
INSIDER’S
»
TIP
Dogs are de rigueur in San
Diego, where owners carry mini-
mutts into stores, and malls and
restaurants supply water bowls
and treats beside their front
doors. Several neighborhoods
and towns, including CHULA
VISTA, ESCONDIDO and
CARLSBAD, have dedicated dog
parks where owners gather to
chat while their pets cavort
happily. OCEAN BEACH and
CORONADO have designated
beaches where dogs can race
around in the sand and sea, and
dogs are allowed on most
beaches after 6 p.m. MISSION
BAY PARK and BALBOA PARK
also have pet areas with plenty
of room for running, sniffing
and general doggie behavior.
Most parks require dogs to be
leashed as they enter and leave,
and insist owners clean up after
their pets. All rules are usually
listed on park signs, and regular
park visitors tend to be vigilant
about protecting their pets’
playgrounds.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park, the city’s cultural heart, covers
1,200 acres on hills and canyons just east
of downtown and is home to the justifiably
renowned San Diego Zoo, more than a
dozen museums and The Old Globe,
winner of multiple Tony awards. Prepara-
tions for the yearlong 2015 celebration of
the park’s centennial are under way.
Gourmet restaurants and gorgeous Victo-
rian mansions line quiet streets in nearby
neighborhoods including Bankers Hill,
Hillcrest and Mission Hills.
Beach Towns, Golf & a Safari Park
Beach towns line the coastline from the
border with Mexico (18 miles south of
downtown) to Oceanside. Each town has its
unique character, from Ocean Beach’s
hippie holdover vibe to classy La Jolla’s
Mediterranean village sensibility. Beloved
by surfers and escapists (who can afford
104 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
staggering housing prices), a series of small
communities line the coast north of La
Jolla’s Torrey Pines State Park.
Dozens of cities and communities dot
the canyons and mesas between the coast
and a series of mountain ridges to the east.
Amid the residential neighborhoods,
including some of the nation’s wealthiest
enclaves, are championship golf courses,
polo fields, wineries, breweries, casinos
and the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. The
Laguna and Cuyamaca mountains and
Cleveland National Forest rise above these
inland attractions, and beyond the peaks,
highways descend to the Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park, still within San Diego
County’s boundaries.
Beyond all its outdoor attractions, San
Diego also has a rich cultural and intellec-
tual soul. Writers, artists, musicians and
scientists conjure ideas while surfing the
La Jolla Shores or jogging in Mission Bay
PETER KUNASZ/SHUTTERSTOCK. TOP: DANCESTROKES/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: NATALIA BRATSLAVSKY/SHUTTERSTOCK