Top 10 San Diego

130 Pages·2017·25.62 MB·English

by  DK Travel

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
TOP
SAN DIEGO
PAMELA BARRUS
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Top 10 San Diego The Top 10 of
Highlights Everything
Welcome to San Diego...................5 Moments in History .....................42
Exploring San Diego ......................6 Historic Sites ................................44
San Diego Highlights ...................10 Museums and Art Galleries ........46
Gaslamp Quarter .........................12 Architectural Highlights ..............48
Embarcadero ................................14 Gardens and
Balboa Park ..................................18 Nature Reserves ......................50
Old Town State Beaches ........................................52
Historic Park .............................26 Outdoor Activities .........................54
Coronado ......................................28 Offbeat San Diego ........................56
Point Loma ...................................30 Children’s Attractions ..................58
Mission Basilica Performing Arts Venues ..............60
San Diego de Alcalá .................32 Nightlife ........................................62
Mission Bay Park .........................34 Restaurants ..................................64
La Jolla .........................................36 Cafés and Bars .............................66
East County ..................................38 Stores and Shopping
Centers .....................................68
San Diego for Free .......................70
Festivals ........................................72
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CONTENTS
San Diego Streetsmart
Area by Area
Downtown San Diego ..................76 Getting To and Around
Old Town, Uptown, San Diego ................................108
and Mission Valley ....................84 Practical Information .................110
Ocean Beach, Coronado, Places to Stay .............................116
and the South ...........................92
Northern San Diego .....................98 General Index .............................122
Acknowledgments .....................126
The information in this DK Eyewitness
Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly.
Every effort has been made to ensure that
this book is as up-to-date as possible at
the time of going to press. Some details,
however, such as telephone numbers,
opening hours, prices, gallery hanging
arrangements and travel information, are
liable to change. The publishers cannot
Within each Top 10 list in this book, no hierarchy accept responsibility for any consequences
of quality or popularity is implied. All 10 are, in arising from the use of this book, nor for any
the editor’s opinion, of roughly equal merit. material on third party websites, and cannot
Throughout this book, floors are referred to in guarantee that any website address in this
accordance with American usage; i.e., the “first book will be a suitable source of travel
floor” is at ground level. information. We value the views and
suggestions of our readers very highly.
Front cover and spine New Point Loma Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness
Lighthouse, Point Loma Peninsula Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand,
Back cover Balboa Park, San Diego London WC2R 0RL, Great Britain, or email
Title page The atmospheric Prado Restaurant [email protected]
in Balboa Park
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Top 10 San Diego ❮❮ 5
Welcome to
San Diego
San Diego is the riviera of North America, pure and
simple, with long stretches of spectacular sandy beaches.
The birthplace of the state of California is also historic,
hip, active, and friendly, bestowing a warm welcome upon
visitors of all ages and every persuasion. With Eyewitness
Top 10 San Diego, it’s yours to explore.
San Diego boasts ritzy villages, retro surf towns, and movie-star good
looks, with a cornucopia of gasp-worthy views, from the colorful
flotilla of San Diego Bay, to the lush city of La Jolla to the north, and
even parts of Mexico to the south. It is also one of the few places on
earth where you can flit from ocean to mountains to desert and
back to the city in the span of an afternoon. It is easy to see why San
Diegans are proud of Balboa Park, with its showcase gardens,
museums, and the famed San Diego Zoo. This is where locals keep
fit, laze, dream, and play. And they do love to play, enjoying Comic-
Con International, as well as festivals and outdoor concerts.
The city has all the advantages of a big city, minus the bustle, and a
mild climate year-round. A stroll along the Embarcadero takes you
from the historic Star of India tall ship, past the modern cruise
terminal, all the way to the formidable USS Midway aircraft carrier.
The historic Gaslamp Quarter, once home to bawdy houses, dance
halls, and gambling saloons, is now full of popular shops, bars, and
nightclubs. A number of original buildings have become superstar
hotels and restaurants.
Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide
outlines the best of everything San Diego offers. There are tips
throughout, from seeking out what’s free to avoiding the crowds,
plus six easy-to-follow itineraries designed to tie together a clutch
of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and
easy-to-use maps, and you’ve got the essential pocket-sized travel
companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy San Diego.
Clockwise from top: Spanish Village Art Center, Balboa Park; Scripps Pier, La Jolla; La Jolla
Cove; exterior of the Mormon Temple; giant panda at the San Diego Zoo; marina with
a view of downtown San Diego; the Prado at Balboa Park
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6 ❯❯ Top 10 San Diego
Exploring San Diego
San Diego
A San Diego visit can hop from historic sights Botanical Zoo
Building
to sunny beaches to snowcapped mountains
to exotic desert – and then back downtown The Old Globe
in time for dinner. There is a wealth of
The Prado
things to see and do, and the city Reuben H.
Fleet Science
caters to every appetite and Balboa Center
ability. These two- Old Town (2 miles) Park
and four-day East County
itineraries will San Diego Zoo
Embarcadero County Center, Eddie V's Safari Park
help you plan Little Italy Station
ymoaukre t itmhee and MMaursiteiumme TROLLEY La Jolla SBaant Ptlaeqfiueladl JuliaAnnza-Borrego
Desert
most of your
visit to the city. FERRY USS Area of 0 km 30
Midway Gaslamp map below 0 miles 30
Quarter
Key Mission Basilica
Coronado (1 mile)
Two-day itinerary 0 meters 1000
Four-day itinerary Gaslamp Quarter Station 0 yards 1000 Belmont MBaisys Pioanrk TROLLEY SaMSntia sDtsiiiooenngo
Park
(see p46–7); many of them have Presidio Park
Two Days in San Diego cafés for lunch. Rest your feet at the Old Town State Historic Park
Whaley House Museum
Botanical Building (see p18) and lily
Day 1 pond, where buskers perform Old Town
Station
MORNING nearby. Make advance reservations
Awaken to a view of the bay and for dinner at The Prado at Balboa
then take a morning stroll along the Park (see pp64–5), and catch a show See map left
Embarcadero (see pp14–15). Check at The Old Globe (see p60). Coronado FERRY
out the vessels at the Maritime Hotel del
Museum (see p47), and board the Coronado
behemoth USS Midway (see pp16–17). Four Days in San Diego
AFTERNOON Cabrillo National 0 kilometers 5
Wander the historic Gaslamp Quarter Day 1 Monument 0 miles 5
(see pp12–13) on a self-guided or MORNING
organized tour, then trolley to the Old Begin your day at Old Town State
Town State Historic Park (see pp26– Historic Park (see pp26–7), venturing
7) and immerse yourself in early out of the park to Whaley House
Californian life. Cap off the day at the Museum and Presidio Park (see
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá pp86–7). Shop for trinkets at Bazaar
(see pp32–3), before heading back del Mundo (see p88), then lunch at
to the coast to watch the sun set. Old Town Mexican Café & Cantina
(see p89).
Day 2 AFTERNOON
MORNING Trolley to the Mission Basilica San
Start off at the San Diego Zoo (see Diego de Alcalá (see pp32–3), then
pp20–21), touring by foot or tram, head to the Embarcadero (see
then explore the rest of Balboa pp14–15). Soak up the city’s nautical
Park (see pp18–19). Browse Spanish heritage at the Maritime Museum
Village artisan shops along the way. (see p47) or USS Midway (see pp16–
AFTERNOON 17). Catch the ferry to Coronado (see
Visit one or more of San Diego’s pp28–9) for sunset cocktails at the
renowned museums and galleries Hotel del Coronado (see p48).

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Exploring San Diego ❮❮ 7
Embarcadero, the
waterfront area, has been
San Diego the heart of San Diego
Botanical Zoo since the mid-1500s.
Building
The Old Globe Day 3
The Prado MORNING
Reuben H. Head northeast to San
Fleet Science
Balboa Center Diego Zoo Safari Park
Old Town (2 miles) Park (see p59). Continue past
San Pasqual Battlefield
East County up the mountain to
San Diego Zoo
Embarcadero County Center, Eddie V's Safari Park Julian (see pp44–5).
MMaursiteiumme TROLLEYLittle Italy Station La Jolla SBaant Ptlaeqfiueladl JuliaAnnza-Borrego HMAFaaTvinEe RSluNtnrOecOehNt ,o pna Jnu floiarn ’s
Desert gold at Eagle Mine, and
FERRY MiUdSwSay Gaslamp Amraepa boeflow 00 kmmiles 30 30 sDhroopp fdoorw lonc ianlt oc rtahfets .
Quarter Anza-Borrego Desert
Mission Basilica State Park (see p39) at
Coronado (1 mile)
0 meters 1000 twilight. Indian casinos
Gaslamp Quarter Station 0 yards 1000 Belmont MBaisys Pioanrk TROLLEY SaMSntia sDtsiiiooenngo (ysoeue opn5 6th) em waya yte bmacpkt to
Park
Presidio Park downtown San Diego.
Old Town State Historic Park
Whaley House Museum Day 4
Old Town MORNING
Station
Tram through the San
Diego Zoo and head for the
See map left sights of Balboa Park (see
Coronado FERRY pp18–19). Enjoy a picnic lunch
Hotel del by the fountain outside Reuben H.
Coronado Fleet Science Center (see p59).
AFTERNOON
Cabrillo National 0 kilometers 5 After the park, enjoy dinner and
Monument 0 miles 5 a music club in the historic
Gaslamp Quarter (see pp12–13),
Day 2 ending the day in the lively bars.
MORNING
Lazy beaches and lots of water- and
land-based sports await visitors at
Mission Bay Park (see pp34–5). Take
a spin on the 1925 Giant Dipper roller
coaster at Belmont Park (see p35).
AFTERNOON
Journey to the Cabrillo National
Monument (see p82). Explore tide
pools and the lighthouse, and gaze
over the busy bay from the visitor
center. Continue up the coast to
La Jolla (see pp36–7) to enjoy its
chic shops, classy restaurants, and
illustrious beaches. See the sun set The Gaslamp Quarter is the most
over La Jolla Cove from Eddie V’s vibrant of San Diego’s neighbor hoods,
upstairs patio, with live jazz (see p65). with a great deal to see and do.
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Top 10 San Diego
Highlights
The idyllic beach at the waterfront
area of Embarcadero
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