Page 108 - 2018 Travel Guide to California

SAN DIEGO COUNTY
More than pretty beaches and sunshine
B Y M A R I B E T H M E L L I N
TOP CITIES
San Diego, Coronado, Chula Vista, La Jolla, Del Mar,
Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Oceanside,
Escondido, El Cajon, Julian, Borrego Springs
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
San Diego International Airport (SAN), also known as
Lindbergh Field, is conveniently located on the edge
of downtown
TOURISM WEBSITES
sandiego.org lajollabythesea.com
coronadovisitorcenter.com visitdelmarvillage.com
visitcarlsbad.com visitoceanside.org
visitjulian.com visitescondido.com
borregospringschamber.com sandiegozoo.org
sdzsafaripark.org
POPULATION
3 million
California has no shortage of beach towns, but San Diego is its only
“beach city,” where the state’s second-largest population enjoys 70
miles of scenic coastline and 70-degree temperatures. Outdoor fun and
family-oriented attractions are the main lures, but San Diego takes the “city”
part seriously, too. Artistic and intellectual pursuits enjoy deep support here.
Writers, artists, musicians and scientists find inspiration while surfing at La
Jolla Shores or jogging in Mission Bay Park. The Tony Award-winning Old Globe
and La Jolla Playhouse send plays to Broadway frequently. Scientific landmarks
including the Salk Institute and Scripps Institute of Oceanography are magnets
for some of the world’s brightest minds.
Downtown’s diversions alone could easily fill a week. New, exciting restau-
rants, clubs and shops pop up in trendy neighborhoods, creating a constant
buzz. The Embarcadero tracing San Diego Bay’s edge offers access to the USS
Midway aircraft carrier; the Maritime Museum with its landmark Star of India
and new San Salvador, a replica of Spanish explorers’ ships; the expansive Water-
front Park; and the San Diego Convention Center.
Cruise ships berth at the foot of Broadway and passengers into San Diego
International Airport fly over high-rise towers to land just north of downtown.
Hotels of every description and hip-quotient are scattered throughout the city’s
core, making it a desirable place to stay.
SAN
DIEGO
COUNTY
A Bridge to Coronado
The swooping San Diego-Coronado Bridge connects downtown to Coronado, a
genteel city with an active Navy base and one of the world’s loveliest beaches.
Its “island” actually is a peninsula tethered to the mainland by the Silver Strand,
106 2018 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
BRIAN A. WITKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: CITYPASS