By Robert Vaux
San Diego started life as a Spanish colony, with a natural harbor that made it ideal for shipping and a mild climate conducive to agriculture and fishing. Today it's one of the largest cities in California, with a vibrant business life and tons of interesting things to see and do. If you're visiting San Diego as a tourist or taking a business trip there and want to engage in some fun activities during your down time, there's no shortage of first-rate attractions.
San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo is the city's pride and joy--one of the best of its kind in the world, featuring nearly 4,000 animals from over 800 species. The Wild Animal Park, located just north in Escondido, has a much more expansive habitat, using Southern California's natural landscape to emulate the savannas of Africa. Both locations are open year-round and easy to reach from downtown San Diego.
The San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92112-0551
Telephone: (619) 231-1515
Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92027-7017
Telephone: (760) 747-8702
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a nationally renowned aquarium and water park featuring dolphins, sea lions, exotic fish and killer whales that have become the park's mascots. It opened its doors in 1964, and proved to be such a success that other SeaWorld locations have opened elsewhere in the country. It lies on Mission Bay in San Diego, and fireworks displays take place on spring and summer nights.
SeaWorld San Diego
500 SeaWorld Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
Telephone: (800) 257-4268
Beaches
San Diego is known for its wide, friendly beaches, and the gentle tides of Mission Bay make an ideal spot for swimming and relaxing on the sand. The best-known beach is Mission Beach, featuring a lengthy boardwalk and a number of attractive hotels. Other beaches in the area include Pacific Beach, the La Jolla beaches and a number of beaches connected to suburban communities further north.
Sporting Events
San Diego is home to two professional sports teams: baseball's San Diego Padres and football's San Diego Chargers. Both teams enjoy tremendous loyalty among San Diego residents. The Chargers play at Qualcomm Stadium, a short drive from downtown, while the Padres play in the newly created Petco Park, just south of the Gaslamp Quarter. Both venues host concerts and other events when their respective teams are not in town.
Qualcomm Stadium
9449 Friars Road
San Diego, CA 92108
Telephone: (619) 641-3100
Petco Park
100 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 795-5000
The Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter lies along the shoreline near downtown, flanked by Petco Park and the San Diego Convention Center. Its 16 square blocks hold numerous restaurants, retail boutiques, entertainment centers and art galleries. It makes a great destination before or after a Padres game or during one of the innumerable events at the Convention Center. The San Diego Trolley makes a stop directly at its front gates, so it's not difficult to reach.
Telephone: (619) 233-5227
About the Author:
Robert Vaux has been a professional writer and editor since 1995. He has traveled throughout Europe and North America as well as parts of North Africa. Since 2000 he has been a professional movie critic at Flipside Movie Emporium, the Sci-Fi Movie Page and Mania.com. Vaux has a Master of Arts in English literature from Syracuse University.
