Hey all, I ended up bidding on ebay tickets and it seems I'm going to San Diego. I know I have to go to one of their hotels, which will be top dollar, and I'm not sure which one yet, so can anyone help me with a few questions. My husband and I will be going so
When is the best month to go, due to health reasons, I like it around 70-85max? We're not big beach people, but wouldn't mind laying around for a day. If they do give me options of staying at certain hotels, what area should I try to stay in? And, is it best to rent a car while we are there. We will be there about 8 days and half of them would be traveling to see sites, while the other half will be (hopefully being lazy like shopping and checking out the scene. No heavy night life. Any help you can give me would be great, Thanks a million, Roni

Congratulations! I've lived in So. Cal. all my life, the last 17 years in San Diego. San Diego is huge (sixth largest in the US - so rent a car) Here's my advice: the charming up-scale seaside town of La Jolla is a vacation destination for many, yet it is pricey. Del Mar's good too, but expensive and farther north from many of the tourist/scenic spots. Both have great places to eat and shopping. Stay away from the Mission Valley area (misleading because it has lots of hotels - for the business traveler). It's close to all freeways, but there is nothing to do there(two terrific malls, but that is it). Downtown, also known as the "Gaslamp" is great to visit; it's popular for it's nightlife (throngs of people walk the restaurant row on weekend evenings.) High crime, though, and LOTS of homeless people unless you're staying right on the water (Marriott or Hyatt - multimillion dollar yachts are docked out front). Pacific Beach/Mission Beach is more affordable than both downtown or La Jolla, and has the benefit of being 10 minutes from La Jolla. Pacific/Mission Beach is mostly populated by college students and boasts the highest number of tatoo parlors and dive bars (hmm...) I'd stay in Pacific or Mission Beach (there are a couple of hotels that do isolate their guests , then drive to your more scenic/tourist spots (such as Old Town, the Gaslamp, Seaport Village, La Jolla, Del Mar, Sea World, the SD Zoo). As for the weather, even on our hottest days, it rarely gets above 85. Our year 'round temperature is typically around 70. It can be chillier on the coast due to fog, but that's about it. Enjoy your stay!

I also live in San Diego. I agree with some of what Jenny has said but disagree with others. Differences of opinion are important.

First, downtown San Diego is also an excellent area to stay and would be one of my first choices. It is NOT a high crime area unless you wander out into the fringes. The crime rate in Pacific Beach/Mission Beach area is considerably higher than downtown San Diego. Just stay within 5th and the waterfront. Downtown San Diego has improved drastically over the last few years. My wife and I play tourist quite often and stay downtown.

What I like about staying downtown is it is a great area for walking. The San Diego waterfront is a great place to walk around. Several miles of walking areas along the water. Gaslamp area, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, etc. There are several choices of boat tours. I strongly recommed taking the Coronado ferry from the Broadway pier to Coronado. I would recommend the Embassy Suites downtown. There are also several other very nice hotels in the downtown area.

Another area that is really neat is Coronado. I recommend the Hotel Del Coronado if your pocket book can afford it.

I agree wtih Jenny about Mission Valley ( Hotel Circle ). It is mainly for business travelers.

I definitely do NOT recommend Pacific Beach or Mission Beach. It is mainly for the younger set ( teenagers and early twenties ) and is a fairly high crime area.

La Jolla is very nice but make sure that you stay in La Jolla. Actually there is no city of La Jolla. It is just an area of San Diego. To most San Diegans, La Jolla is located between I-5 and the ocean. Downtown La Jolla is right by the ocean. There is an area that some folks call La Jolla that really is not. It is located east of I-5 and is quite a distance from the ocean. The reason I mention this is that there are many upscale hotels in that area such as Embassy Suites, Mariott, Hyatt, etc. They list themselves as being La Jolla but they aren not. There is nothing wrong with the area except it is has nothing of interest for a tourist. It again is for the business traveler.

Last, but not least, the best month to go. I believe that October is the best month of the year for Southern California. The days are still warm and there is much less fog. It will not be as crowded then as the summer.

Thank you so much for the info. These messagea boards are great. Between what you and Jenny told me, it's really make my choice so much easier. My husband I and love to walk when we are traveling, and it seems like Downtown San Diego has a little more to offer for walkers. At this stagae of the game, I don't know what hotel I'll be staying in. (that's how this ebay thing works, all I know is its deluxe accomodations, so I'm sure we'll be paying up the nose) Hopefully I'll get a couple of choices, and if you don't mind, maybe I can email you when I find out and you can help me with the choice. Thanks again both of you for taking the time to write such detailed areas. If ever going to New York, which is where I live, feel free to email me and hopefully I can return the favor. Roni

If you can stay on Coronado Island I would highly recommend it. The Hotel Del Coronado is amazing. You are right on the beach, you can walk into town, you can get a hop-on, hop-off bus a few blocks away and can go anywhere in San Diego (The Zoo, Old Town, Horton Plaza, etc.) Have fun!