Destination: San Diego
With 70 miles of beautiful coastline, scenic mountain ranges, an idyllic climate and optimistic vibe, San Diego is the go-to city in 2011. San Diego International Airport (SAN) hosts arrivals and departures from sixteen airlines, providing cost and schedule options for your airline travel.
San Diego bills itself as “America’s Finest City”. In May, it might be called America’s Purple City because the jacarandas, sea lavender, ice plant, lily of the Nile, bougainvillea, and pride of Madeira are in full bloom. The Pacific Ocean delights visitors, and historic sites and diverse neighborhoods offer something for everyone.
The San Diego Trolley line offers an enjoyable and cost effective way to navigate from site to site. The Marriott Hotel is at the Rio Vista stop on the green line. Vizit San Diego Tours provides four new sightseeing tours on vintage double decker open air buses. Live narrated tours provide fun facts about the city and amazing views. The buses tour guests to a number of hop-on, hop-off locations and stops, including downtown San Diego, Old Town, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, SeaWorld San Diego, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, and more.
Visit the official San Diego travel resource Visitors for an overview of the city and region. The specialized information below is provided by long-time San Diegans who will be joining us at InvestEd 2011.
Several small shopping centers are close to the Marriott hotel, and the Milano Coffee Company is within walking distance.
San Diego hosts a wide array of dining options. Seafood lovers looking for top notch service, food, and presentation will appreciate Mister A’s in downtown San Diego. Top of the Market is just a short walk from the Broadway trolley stop. Interested in visiting Coronado Island and dining? From the Broadway trolley stop, walk a short distance to the Coronado Island Ferry and cross to the island. Poehe’s fresh seafood and Il Fornaio are two highly-acclaimed restaurants.
Casual diners might enjoy taking the trolley to Old Town where restaurants and attractions abound. Continue the trolley ride to downtown San Diego where you will find Anthony's Fish Grotto on Harbor Drive, a highly rated spot that has been a San Diego fixture for years.
Want to visit Pacific Beach? Our San Diego ambassadors recommend Lotsa Pasta in Pacific Plaza 1 at 1762 Garnet and Cafe Athena in Pacific Plaza 2 at 1846 Garnet. Restaurant Johnny V on Garnet near Cass St. or Emoteca Adriano at 4864 Cass Street also are favorites. At the time of this writing, both Lotsa Pasta and Emoteca Adriano allow you to bring wine and do not charge a corkage fee.
San Diego has a wide choice of art, cultural, and historic museums. Balboa Park houses fifteen museums, including the Museum of Photographic Arts, the Mingei International Museum, the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and the Model Railroad Museum.
Balboa Park, San Diego’s jewel, is 1,200 acres of beauty. The Spanish Revival architecture, extensive landscaping, and the park’s landmark Moreton Bay fig tree delight visitors. An overview of the park’s history is pleasant reading.
The three theatres of the Old Globe complex in Balboa Park are beautiful and nationally acclaimed. Playing in May are August: Osage County in the Old Globe Theatre and Life of Riley in the Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre.
More San Diego Sites
Interested in San Diego north? Ride the Coaster, which travels approximately 40 miles each way several times a day and includes seven stops on the route from the Santa Fe station to Oceanside. Hover your cursor over the Coaster icon on the left side of the screen for additional options. A round-trip pass is $13.00, $6.50 for passengers 60 and over.
Beyond San Diego Sites
Fine Dining Beyond San Diego
A destination of Hollywood’s finest during the 1930’s, The Marine Room is situated on the beach at La Jolla Cove. Surf breaks against the restaurant windows during high tide. If your destination is Del Mar, try Jake's for exquisite on-the-beach dining.