San Diego

San Diego is a vacationer's paradise, complete with idyllic year-round temperatures and 70 mi of pristine coastline. Recognized as one of the nation's leading family destinations, with SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, and the Zoo, San Diego is equally attractive to those in search of art, culture, world-class shopping, and culinary exploration. San Diego's many neighborhoods offer diverse adventures: from the tony boutiques in La Jolla to the culinary delights in the northern suburb of Del Mar; from the authentic European charm of Little Italy to the nouveau-chic of the downtown Gaslamp Quarter, each community adds flavor and flair to San Diego's personality.

Approximately two and a half hours south of Los Angeles, San Diego County is nestled between Mexico to the south, wine country to the north, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. One of the city's many highlights is the 1,200-acre Balboa Park, the country's largest urban cultural park, home to 15 museums, the Globe Theater, and the San Diego Zoo. Nature abounds throughout the city: Bougainvilleas cover hillsides in La Jolla, spreading magenta blankets over whitewashed adobe walls. Downtown is a vision in purple when the jacaranda trees that line the streets bloom in spring, spreading vivid, shady canopies.

While public transportation is available, most tourists prefer to use private or rental cars to traverse the excellent freeway system that crisscrosses the county. Interstate 5 runs a direct north-south route through the coastal communities from Orange County in the north to the Mexican border. If you have time, the parallel Pacific Coast Highway offers a more leisurely route along San Diego's breathtaking coastline. Interstates 805 and 15 are the main inland arteries. Interstate 8 is the main east-west route. Routes 163, 52, and 94 serve as connectors.

A 59-mi scenic drive over much of central San Diego begins at the foot of Broadway. Signs with a white seagull on a yellow-and-blue background direct the way through the Embarcadero to Harbor and Shelter Islands, Point Loma, Cabrillo Monument, Mission Bay, Old Town, Balboa Park, Mount Soledad, and La Jolla.

Public transportation has improved a great deal in the past decade: the San Diego Trolley, which runs as far south as San Ysidro, has expanded in the north from Old Town to beyond Mission San Diego and San Diego State University. Commuter Coaster trains run frequently between downtown San Diego and Oceanside, with convenient stops in Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and other charming coastal towns. In 2008 the Sprinter commuter train began operating the East-West route between Escondido and Oceanside along Highway 78. The bus system covers almost all of the county, with Fashion Valley shopping center, Old Town, and downtown as the three major bus transfer points. Old Town Trolley Tours has a hop-on, hop-off route of popular spots around the city, taking two and a half hours if you ride continuously and five hours if you plan to explore.

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