Page 72 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

HEAD OF THE SERPENT, one of artist Ricardo Breceda’s 130-plus metal sculptures in Borrego Springs, above; La Jolla Shores is a popular place for beach activities of all kinds, including launching kayaks and canoes, right; Lily Pond in Balboa Park, opposite top; Point Loma Light- house in Cabrillo National Park, opposite below.
INSIDER’S TIP San Diego is exceptionally pet
friendly, even at the beach. Though dogs are banned from most public beaches, they can race from sand to sea at a few specific spots. Some say the section of the public beach beside the MISSION BAY JETTY in Ocean Beach was San Diego’s original dog playground, and it’s still one of the most popular in the county. Nearby FIESTA ISLAND is beloved by dogs and their human companions for its great expanse of sand edging Mission Bay. You can count on finding lots of large, active canines here. The north end of CORONADO’S BEACH has signs showing the designated off-leash area. DEL MAR’S CITY BEACH, near the Del Mar Race Track, is open to canines from Labor Day until mid-June.
Tony Awards. Its most famous tenant, the San Diego Zoo, recently opened the Wildlife Explorers Basecamp with four unique habi- tats: Rainforest, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows and Desert Dunes—featuring the wildlife that live in these areas.
Beach Towns
The coast between the Mexican border (18 miles south of downtown) and Oceanside is lined with beach towns. Each has a unique character, from Ocean Beach’s hippie vibe to classy La Jolla’s Mediterranean ambience. Beloved by surfers and escapists with suffi- cient wherewithal, a series of small communities line the coast north of La Jolla’s Torrey Pines State Reserve.
City & Town
San Diego’s cosmopolitan downtown encompasses several hip neighborhoods. The historic Gaslamp Quarter’s picturesque streets are packed with classy restaurants and clubs in restored 19th-century Victor- ian, Baroque and Frontier buildings. Petco Park, downtown’s baseball stadium, anchors the East Village filled with condo complexes, cafés and the stunning Central Library. Little Italy managed to hold on to some venerable pizza parlors, bakeries and bars while evolving from a simple Italian community into an urban enclave with
modernist condo complexes, trendy shops and gourmet restaurants helmed by top chefs. As the hub of San Diego’s sophisti- cated nightlife scene, the entire downtown now pulses with energy day and night.
The urban core continues uptown through Bankers Hill and Hillcrest, the lively heart of the LGBTQ+ community. Over the past decade, the former Naval Training Center, now called Liberty Station, has evolved into a mini-town with stores, offices, galleries, schools and the Liberty Public Market occupying the base’s Spanish Colonial-style former commissary building. Abundant open space makes Liberty Station the perfect spot for art shows, family gatherings and special events.
The Great Outdoors
Surfers, swimmers, boaters and anglers all play in and on the Pacific Ocean, from Im- perial Beach near the Mexican border north to Oceanside and the Marine base at Camp Pendleton. Snorkeling is especially good at La Jolla Cove, while surfers prefer Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and dozens of small patches of sand with gnarly waves just offshore.
East and north of the city center, the landscape gives way to rolling foothills and canyons. Lakes and reservoirs offer fresh- water fishing and tranquility. The vast Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, home of
70 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
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