I have never seen San Diego and remained stupefied. Reading different news groups, San Diego was classified either beautiful or boring. Instead I found it a very young city (full of American teens on vacation and a lot of surfers) and not very big to visit with good indications of streets and highways.
The district that fascinated me and calls many tourist is Gas lamp, this way called because of its lamps that work by gas. It is a typical tourist area full of tiny stores and restaurants, after a long trip it is a perfect place to stop and rest during mid evening (because in the USA, except Las Vegas, restaurants close at 22 and the stores even earlier; so if your looking for a vacation that lasts from 10:30 am threw full night you must direct to Spain or Rimini!!). this district is easy to find, because its very close to the sky scraper area of San Diego (even if in brief time it will become a little New York with all the cranes put up), between the Broadway and 5th . Remember to have your parking ticket stamped by a restaurant or store where you shopped, so you don’t have to pay the parking!!!
But the area I appreciated the most is the sea pot area. Full of moles and boats that remind you the mythical Simon & Simon. When I was their 9th and 10th of August I saw arriving the Italian Marine vassal Vespucci. The portal area is a very nice place to visit walking and there are many parking lots. It is also very suggestive to cross the bay on the Coronado Bay Bridge in direction Coronado; there is a small strip of land that faces San Diego from the sea side. A perfect picture to take at San Diego is from the 1st street of Coronado. On this piece of land you find the most important USA military marine base of all California. You will notice a lot of air craft carriers and cruisers (this is where they shot the scene of Top Gun on the ocean).
Always at San Diego you must visit Balboa Park even if it has nothing to do with a park considering its size. Practically it is a center with many museums and a zoo. During my lunch break it helped me relax off of highways and traffic!!! If you have an extra day at San Diego go visit Sea World. I have seen it in Florida and permit me to suggest that everyone should see this unique park; many think it is similar to Disney Park, but it is a living Marin encyclopedia.
I passed a full day at La Jolla, north of Mission Bay. You can call it a small Beverly Hills on the shore, it is really quite. The street that takes you is a sea coast with beautiful wooden cottages and sea reefs. There is an invasion of young people in this area. During the evening from the Luna Park of Mission Bay to La Jolla, is very animated. Attention on the prices of the local, take a stop at Hooters (on the street towards La Jolla) were the food is good the prices are medium and the waitress are practically in topless!!!
The south part of San Diego, Tijuana, I jumped a suggestion that was given me from who went. If you decide to go, take a shuttle from San Diego or leave the car on the borderline cross threw walking and then take a bus.
Where to sleep? San Diego is very expensive and to find a room is not easy. Actually San Diego is a big trade fiery center and it easily happens that it’s impossible to find a room vacant…obviously not going to Hilton & c. I rented a room at Goodnight Inn from Italy, nothing special and not even to clean. But that is the standard I haven’t seen anything better around. A good lodging chain with descent prices is the Hampton Inn, a sub mark of Hilton. But closer you get towards Mexico the quality gets lower and the prices go higher. |
