posted Jul-05-2005 02:12 PM            

We're looking to take a holiday in San Diego in September, and are hoping to get some info from people who live/visit there.

1. Any "must see" major attractions?
2. Any over-rated attractions to avoid?
3. Any bargain hotels that aren't roach-infested?
4. Any hidden gems worth checking out?
5. Any other helpful tips?

...and, of course, any great places to run?

Your collective help is GREATLY appreciated!

6

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posted Jul-05-2005 07:51 PM               

would you like stay in hotel or vacation condo?
kids? ages?
are you going to have a car?

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posted Jul-05-2005 10:52 PM            

We'll likely be in a hotel (I hear there's an entire street practically devoted to them... Hotel Circle or something?). Nothing fancy, just a place to sleep.

No kids, just the wife and myself. And yes, we plan on renting a vehicle.

We are both major animal lovers, so obviously the zoo and aquarium are on the list. Neither of us want a trip that involves lying on a beach for a week, so anything that keeps us moving is a plus. Sight-seeing is on the list, and La Jolla (sp?) offers kayak tours so we'll likely try that.

...oh, and what wife doesn't enjoy shopping?

Any other specific recommendations? Any parts of town we should specifically avoid?

[This message has been edited by 6string (edited Jul-05-2005).]

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posted Jul-06-2005 11:21 AM               

La Jolla is to the north with lots of shopping…. there’s a shell shop with cave that goes to the rocks below.
Great diving for novice to expert

Animals….

San Diego zoo …. Large zoo that I feel is a little over rated
Wild Animal Park…. Worth the 40 min drive from San Diego
Sea World …. Touristy … but fun place
Scripps Aquarium small aquarium of local sea life
Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach….. 90 min drive from San Diego but the best aquarium I’ve seen…near the Queen Mary which is a great place for a bite to eat with a beautiful of Long Beach

Shopping and eating…..

Seaport Village on San Diego Bay
Old Towne…. Little history, shops and great Mexican food
Del Mar…. good shops
Lots of restaurants along the beaches to the north of San Diego for beautiful views…. expensive dinners but very reasonable lunches … our favorite is The Poseidon in Solano Beach with outside dinning

Other things of interest……

Glider port where you can watch hang gliders going out over the Pacific
Point Loma Cabrillo … great view of the Pacific Ocean on one side and San Diego and bay on the other side with some early California history

Hotels….

I’m not real familiar with good hotels in San Diego….. You might want to look into renting a small condo for a week, our place is in Oceanside (30 min north of San Diego) and I’m aware of a few rentals in the range of $800- $1000/week

Hotel del Coronado pricey hotel but a fun place to go for a few hours… historical hotel with shops and restaurants ……many movies have been filmed there

Running…..

Pacific Coast highway north of San Diego…. Flat and hills
Mission Bay
Here’s a web site for running routes…. http://members.cox.net/sd_run_maps/

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posted Jul-06-2005 04:39 PM               

Just an accommodations tip. If you're willing to stay outside of San Diego a bit you are much more likely to get a better rate on a hotel. Try to get a hotel that offers a continental breakfast buffet which will help save on food. I would try www.hotwire.com to see what sort of rates they offer. Also, www.orbitz.com or www.expedia.com are good travel websites.

One thing I would recommend even if it is touristy is Sea World. It's about $60 to get in, but there are lots of marine life shows, you can pet dolphins, there are rides to go on.

Eating in San Diego is great! Even the little holes in the wall serve great food. Strong emphasis on authentic mexican food. Yum!

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posted Jul-28-2005 06:11 PM            

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