You’ll want to see Old Town, the Del Mar Racetrack established by Bing Crosby and Pat O’Brien , Lego

I've been putting off writing this story for some time — too many things to tell you about and too little space. Yes, San Diego has a brilliant blue ocean and blue cloudless skies most of the time, mild temperatures year-round, a strong Spanish/Mexican heritage that permeates most of the architecture and culture, a huge U.S. Navy presence, amazing beaches and golf courses, a wealth of public and private universities, and a zoo. But you knew all this already, didn't you?
Did you know that the Daily Beast voted it ninth on its list of America's drunkest cities? Did you know that the San Diego International Airport is so close to the seaport/downtown area that you feel compelled lodging accommodations grand canyon to duck your head when Boeing 707s are landing? Did you know that the freeway system has been known to short-circuit GPS systems, turning unflappable direction-giving voices lodging accommodations grand canyon into shrieking lunatics?
If you have limited time, the first place to experience (and it's quite an experience) is Balboa Park , the city's crown jewel of 1,200 acres of gardens, 15 museums, lodging accommodations grand canyon concerts, classes, dining and shopping. Many of the beautiful Spanish-Renaissance buildings lodging accommodations grand canyon were constructed for the 1915 Exposition.
Not to be missed are the Museum of Art , the Museum of Man , the San Diego Symphony , the Tony Award -winning Old Globe Theatre , the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater , the Botanical Building lodging accommodations grand canyon , the Japanese Friendship Garden , Spreckels lodging accommodations grand canyon Organ Pavilion and the San Diego Zoo .
You'll want to see Old Town, the Del Mar Racetrack established by Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien , Legoland lodging accommodations grand canyon , one-of-a-kind SeaWorld , Belmont Amusement Park , Torrey Pines for hiking and golf, Safari Park , USS Midway , Seaport Village , Gaslamp Quarter , the cruise lodging accommodations grand canyon ship terminal, etc., etc. I'm telling you, this is one vast playground.
One does need to sleep and eat. I would sleep in the calmest, most luxurious spots in San Diego, all of which I found to be outside the city proper. The Grand Del Mar was awarded the Best Luxury lodging accommodations grand canyon Hotel in the USA by TripAdvisor for 2012. Combining the old world charm of a Mediterranean estate with the modern luxury of an elegant home, you can't beat this. Its Addison lodging accommodations grand canyon restaurant received Southern California's only five-star and five-diamond ratings.
Rancho Valencia Resort Spa , another old world beauty, has been even further beautified to reopen to loyal returning guests. In tony La Jolla resides the iconic La Valencia . Since 1926, its hand-painted murals and exquisite Spanish lodging accommodations grand canyon mosaics have made "The Pink Lady and the Pacific" a favorite. Step inside the Whaling Bar Grill and you're sure to make a few friends while enjoying delicious steak and fish offerings.
Marvelous restaurant choices are all over the place. Be adventurous, especially lodging accommodations grand canyon along the streets of Old Town and Gaslamp Quarter. Some of the hottest restaurants are in the Del Mar suburb, north of the city: Market Restaurant for a lively bar scene and sushi; Burlap , an "Asian-Cowboy" spot; Flavor , for spectacular ocean views and the feeling of being on a Hollywood set; Café Coyote in Old Town for great Mexican; and, just for fun, PubCakes , for cupcakes made with beer.
You can hop on the Old Town Trolley for a really convenient way to see many of the attractions, but you'll miss too much if you don't have a car. Suggested supplies to get you from one amazing place to another while you're in Freeway Hell: a full tank of gas, a reliable GPS, a stoic navigator, a backseat DVD system for the kiddies, Zen patience and a litany of four-letter lodging accommodations grand canyon words if the Zen patience implodes.
— Judy Crowell is a Noozhawk contributing writer, author, freelance travel writer and part-time Santa Barbara resident. She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . The opinions expressed are her own.
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