Page 70 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

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), formerly known as Lindbergh Field, is conveniently located on the edge of downtown
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Beautiful beaches, sunshine and more
BY MARIBETH MELLIN
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 an average annual high temperature of 70-degrees. 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 land- marks including the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Scripps Institution 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 newer San Salvador, a replica of Spanish explorers’ ships; the expansive Waterfront 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 northwest of down- town. Hotels of every description and hip-quotient are scattered throughout the city’s core, making it a desirable place to stay.
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,
TOURISM WEBSITES
sandiego.org coronadovisitorcenter.com visitcarlsbad.com visitjulian.com borregospringschamber.com
POPULATION
3,300,000
lajollabythesea.com visitdelmarvillage.com visitoceanside.org visitescondido.com sandiegowildlifealliance.org
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
68 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA