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| Balboa Park |
| Alcazar Garden - The beautiful lush garden surrounds the
Alcazar Castle in Seville. The tiles fountains and the ever-changing
horticultural exhibits is what makes this garden such a peaceful experience.
The Alcazar Garden is located off of El Prado next to the Mingei International
Museum. Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| Mingei International Museum- Exhibits from around the globe
are offered at the museum. All ages will enjoy the colorful and historic
pieces like toys, pottery, tiles, costumes and many other interesting
things from Japan to Germany to England. Located at 1439 El Prado
(619)239-0003 Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| Museum of Photographic Arts- Photographers from around the
world are represented in the museum. You will see photos from photographers
such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams and Imogen Cunningham to
name a few. Located at Casa de Balboa, 1649 El Prado (619)239-5262
Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| Museum of San Diego History- The Museum is run by the San
Diego Historical Society and is located in the Casa de Balboa. Their
research library is located in the basement of the building and they
organize shows on the first floor. Most of the exhibits are of local
urban history after California became part of the United States in
1850. Located at 1649 El Prado (619)232-6203 Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum - The museum celebrates
local athletes, heroes of the past. On exhibit are collections of
memorabilia, uniforms, paintings, photographs and even video displays.
Located at Casa de Balboa, 1649 El Prado (619)234-2544 Balboa Park,
San Diego |
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| San Diego Museum of Art- Custom design a tour of San Diego's
most comprehensive art gallery with the IMAGE (Interactive Multimedia
Art Gallery Explorer), a system that allows people to locate the highlights
of the museum's collections on a computer screen and create a custom
tour. The museum is mostly know for its Renaissance paintings and
Spanish Boroque, but also displays Southeast Asian Art, Indian Miniatures
and contemporary California paintings. Located at Casa de Balboa,
1450 El Prado (619)232-7931 Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| San Diego Museum of Man- This highly popular museum sets
its main focus on Southwestern, Mexican and South American cultures.
See exhibits and demonstrations, also a new add on is the Children's
Discovery Center which makes the museum interesting for the whole
family. Located at California Building, 1350 El Prado (619)239-2001
Balboa Park, San Diego |
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| San Diego Zoo- By far the most popular attraction in San
Diego next to "Sea World" and well know all over the world.
The zoo is about 100 acres and holds nearly 4,000 and 800 diverse
species. See animal demonstrations and shows all day long. This is
a must see when your in San Diego. $21 per person: Located at 2920
Zoo Dr. (619)234-3153 Balboa Park, San Diego |
| Coronado |
| Ferry Landing Marketplace- This is the location where the
ferries disembark. Many of the buildings resemble the gingerbread
domes of the Hotel Coronado. Browse a collection of shops before you
set sail to your next destination. Located at 1201 1st St. at B Ave.
(619)435-8895 Coronado, San Diego |
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| Hotel del Coronado- Many do not know this, but the Hotel
del Coronado was the first electrically lighted hotel in the world
and Thomas Edison himself threw the switch. The hotel was built in
1888 and is now a National Historic Site. To this day still has the
same ambiance as it did back then. The Del as natives call it, defines
glamour and is rich with history. Red carpets, a central courtyard
and gazebo, oak pillars and a Grand Ballroom that overlooks the ocean.
The Hotel del Coronado, it is certainly worth a tour through history.
Located at 1500 Orange Ave. (619)435-6611 Coronado, San Diego |
| Downtown San Diego |
| Gaslamp Quarter- The Gaslamp Quarter, a national historic
district, is the social hub of downtown. Its 16ý blocks are crowded
with more than 60 restaurants - many of them choice - between Fourth,
Fifth and Sixth avenues from Broadway to Harbor Drive. |
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| Maritime Museum- The museum houses three restored ships that
visitors can tour. The 1898 ferryboat located at the foot of Ash Street
is the main headquarters. There is also a small 1904 Scottish steam
yacht which may be toured, but does not offer any displays. The Star
of India, a windjammer built in 1863 is probably the most popular
of the three. The ship has travel around the world 21 times, was used
to shuttle immigrants from England to New Zealand and was also used
in the Alaskan Salmon trade. This museum is another must see for the
whole family, especially children. Located at 1306 N. Harbor Dr. (619)234-9153
Downtown, San Diego |
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| U.S. Grant Hotel- If historic hotels interest you, then you've
got to visit this place. One of the more elegant of the downtown hotels.
Built in 1910 and still running strong today with marble lobby floors,
gleaming chandeliers, white gloved doormen and 5 star service. Many
Presidents have stayed at the U.S. Grand Hotel making it a very popular
place to stay the night. Located at 326 Broadway-Downtown, San Diego |
| Escondido |
| San Diego Wild Animal Park- Tired of gawking at lazy hippos
in an ordinary zoo? Then unleash the adventurer within at San Diego's
Wild Animal Park. Explore this dramatic 1,800-acre animal and plant
preserve, carved out of the hills and canyons in the beautiful San
Pasqual Valley on the outskirts of Escondido. |
| Harbor Island |
| Harbor Island- In 1961 1.5 miles of sand and mud dredged
from San Diego Bay created a peninsula which is now called Harbor
Island. Today Hotels and Restaurants line the inner shores of Harbor
island. |
| La Jolla |
| La Jolla Cove- The Cove is La Jolla's true treasure. This
beach has been a bathing area for more than 100 years, since the days
when a swimsuit was more suit than swim. |
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| Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego- First off, the setting
of the museum is gorgeous. From the top of the grand stairway, you
can look out to a beautiful garden that contains 100 year old
California plant specimens, and beyond the garden you can see the
Pacific Ocean. Anyway, most of the artwork at the museum celebrates
the work of California artists, but you can also see pieces from many
other artists of the past half century. Many important pieces were
also done by San Diego and Tijuana artists. Located at 700 Prospect
St. (619) 454-3541 La Jolla, San Diego |
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| Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum- You never knew there was so
much to discover about the ocean, especially the ocean right outside
your front door. But the Scripps Aquarium does a magnificent job of
giving you not only something to look at, but things to learn about. |
| Mission Bay |
| Mission Bay Park- Mission Bay Park is the focal point for
sports and recreation in San Diego. It's 27 miles of beaches, public
boat launches, picnic areas, campgrounds, playgrounds and coves provide
an arena for the sporting lifestyle. |
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| Sea World - Over 100 acres houses one of the world's largest
marine-life amusement parks. Sea World is definitely San Diego's most
popular attraction. See show after show after show and still want
to see more. Sea World is home to the very popular Shamu show with
giant killer whales, also see shows with dolphins, sea lions, water
ski stunts and much more. Check out the Mission: Bermuda Triangle
show which replicates the thrills of a submersible dive to the ocean
floor. $30.95 per person: Located at 1720 South Shores Rd. (619)226-3815
Mission Bay, San Diego |
| Old Town |
| Old Town San Diego State Historic Park- Six square blocks
in the heart of San Diego's Old Town houses many historic buildings
from the 1800's. You can pick up a tour map that give the details
and locations of the buildings, at the Robinson-Rose House which is
the office of the Historic Park. Located at 4002 Wallace St. (619)220-5422
Old Town, San Diego |
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| Thomas Whaley Museum- The museum belonged to a New York entrepreneur
that came to California in the 1800's. He wanted to give his wife
the comforts of home, so he built the first two story brick building
in Southern California. Later in the 1870's the house was used as
the county court house and now in the present it is the Thomas Whaley
Museum. The museum contains furnishings such as a piano from singer
Jenny Lind, a sofa from Andrew Jackson's White House and historical
artifacts like one of six life masks of Abraham Lincoln, plus much
more. Located at 2482 San Diego Ave. (619)298-2482 Old Town, San Diego |
| Presidio Park |
| Presidio Park- Presidio Park is a secluded and uncrowded
escape. Even if you choose to ignore its historic aspects, the park
is a great site for a group get-together, a blanket for two or a solitary
refuge. |
| Seaport Village |
| Seaport Village- This is no place for a local during the
turista-crunch (summers and weekends are the worst), but don't write
off this place. Arrive early for a pastry and tea at the Village Cafe
and breakfast in inexpensive, uncrowded comfort. |
| Sunset Cliffs |
| Sunset Cliffs- The 60 ft high cliffs are located on the western
side of Point Loma just south of Ocean Beach. The cliffs are a perfect
spot to watch the San Diego sunset over the ocean. You can descend
down a staircase at a point on the cliffs and watch the tidal pools
along the shore. |
| Torrey Pines |
| Torrey Pines State Reserve- The rare and beautiful Torrey
pines atop the coastal bluffs south of Del Mar are as much a symbol
of the Golden State as are the famed Monterey cypress trees native
to central California's coast. |