Most Recommended Day Tripping and 7-day tours in San Diego, California

Balboa Park

On the northeastern edge of downtown San Diego is the jem of the city. Many of the park's buildings sport a Spanish Colonial theme. San Diego Museum of Art, which houses a modest collection of European paintings, American landscapes and Asian artifacts. Timkin Museum of Art has a collection of famous European art work. The Centro Cultural de la Raza exhibits Mexican and Native American art. The Casa be Balboa houses four museums, San Diego's History Museum, Model Railroad Museum and Photographic arts. One of the park's best places is the Rueben H Fleet Space Theater & Science Center, a hands-on science museum, and houses the large format Omnimax theater. The Museum of Man currently has a new permanent exhibition on human evolution to the west coast. and also specializes in Indian artifacts from the American Southwest from the San Diego area. San Diego's Automotive Museum has an excellent collection of antique cars and Motorcycles, and a couple of beautiful Harleys. The Aerospace Museum has a very large collection of Airplaines from the WWI and WWII era and a very good collection from the NASA space program. The San Diego Natural History Museum is dedicated to interpreting the natural world through research, education, and exhibits of the evolution and diversity of Southern California and the peninsula of Baja California.

Old Town This area was the site of the first civilian Spanish settlement in California,
known as the Pueblo de San Diego.Old Town is 2.5 miles (4km) northwest of downtown.
It remained the center of San Diego until 1872, when the city's focus moved to the current downtown area. In 1968, Old Town became a State Historic Park, and a few surviving original buildings were restored. Visit the 1820s Casa de Carrillo, the oldest house in
San Diego. **Best of all it is free! ( also on recomemded point of interest list )

Coronado Beach

Next to the Coronado Hotel is one of the most spectacular beaches in San Diego, this beach actually has flecks of gold in the sand. It can become hard to find parking some days during the summer months, but is well worth it once you are on the sand. This beachis known for limited surf and is mainly a hot spot for see very rich and well to do.

Gaslamp Quarter

is the place you defenently want to visit. Not only known for its night life this downtown neiborhood holds a variaity of shopping and dining to satisfiy your needs.

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo has a worldwide reputation. It hosts more than 3000 animals in beautifully landscaped grounds in the northern part of Balboa Park. Evening hours allow visitors a glimpse into the nocturnal world of wildlife. After-dark viewing opportunities are ideal for animals such as bats and wombats whose nocturnal lifestyle has them wide awake once the sun sets.

Wild Animal Park

This park is a 1800 acre Wild Animal Park, 32 miles/50km north of the city in Escondido. The zoo and associated park breed endangered species in captivity for re-introduction into their natural habitats. Kids can touch small animals at the children's zoo. a zoo unlike traditional zoos -- in which animals roam in entire herds and flocks, in enclosures measured in acres rather than feet. It is a facility designed first for the animals, and second for the people who come to observe them. Nearing the end of its third decade of study and preservation, it remains, as dubbed at its birth, "the zoo of the future."

SeaWorld

Undoubtedly one of San Diego's best known and most popular attractions, SeaWorld is 5 miles (8km) northwest of downtown. Come face-to-face with sharks of all shapes and sizes at the Shark Encounter. This 280,000-gallon attraction features a 57-foot, walk-through acrylic tube running the length of the sharks' habitat. Let the kids climb aboard the "Wahoo Two," a ready-to-explore fun ship for pretend pirates docked right in the center of Shamu's Happy Harbor. Don't forget the best attraction, The Shamu Adventure, which features the world-famous killer whale, Shamu, performing along with Baby Shamu and Namu, in a seven-million-gallon stadium.

La Jolla

This status-conscious seaside suburb, 12 miles (20km) northwest of downtown San Diego, is known for its beautiful beaches and wave crashing cliffs and sunsets settings, and let not forget its' posch livestyles. La Jolla has many esquite shops and reMuseum of Contemporary Art, Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum and the nearby Torrey Pines State Reserve, home to the last mainland stands of the Torrey pine and some superb viewpoints out over the ocean.

Horton Plaza

New and interesting things around every corner .....and there are many corners to go around! With 7 levels twisted through 6 1/2 city blocks, you just have to ask your way around when you get there. Tour 140 shops, restaurants, boutiques and bistros or shop on-line.

Flamed, Chopped, and Channeled custom cars from the nifty '50s are showcased during the San Diego Stadium Auto Swap at Qualcomm Stadium. There will be hot rods and custom cars. View vehicles on display and for sale. Acres of parts and accessories.Admission is $5 general, kids under 13 free. 858-484-9342. sandiegoautoswap.com