San Diego - info
 

Hi,

I'm supposed to be in SD with my girlfriend mid-Jan for a week. Is that too long? Should we do a day trip to LA/Mexico? Wat would be an good/fun/romantic itinerary?

We're 25 yrs old, so we're pretty much game for anything. Touristy stuff, museums, nature walks, etc.

Also, which is better, the Zoo or the Wild Animal Park? They seem pretty similar.

Thanks for any help you can provide! Happy Holidays!

I lived in SD for 8 years and I live close to it now and visit at least twice a month and have only scratched the surface of what there is to see and do. No, I don't think a week is too long.

The three big attractions most people are aware of are Seaworld, the SD Zoo, and the Wild Animal park. They are all great visits in their own way. To answer your specific question, the zoo and Wild Animal park are similar only in the sense they both house animals. The zoo, the best one I have ever been to, is more the traditional style although there are several very imaginative displays. The WAP has free-roaming animals. Even predators are in very large enclosures so there is the sense they are free roaming even though, for obvious reasons, they are separated from the other animals.

Other areas of interest to tourists, in no particular order are Balboa Park (home of the zoo but also of several superb musuems and well as broad expanses of grass for lazing and picnicking), Coronado Island, Point Loma (great views and the Cabrillo Monument), the harbor front (bay views, boat tours, Coronado ferry, and a couple of maritime museums), the Gas Lamp District (nightlife, dining, and entertainment), and the Bazaar Del Mundo and Old Town SD (Mexican shopping bazaar, great dining, and an historic park).

These cover just a few of the opportunities in the San Diego area. If you do a search on this forum for "San Diego", "La Jolla", and "Coronado" you'll find lots more information.

Have a great trip.

Lucky you!! A week sounds perfect. www.sandiego.com has a wealth of info. I love La Jolla and the Coronado area. We spent our honeymoon in that area. I hope you are able to go visit the Hotel Del Coronado. For a romantic dinner, George's at the Cove comes highly recommended on this and other boards. I hope you have a great time! ***kim***

Driving back to San Diego from LA once, I saw a billboard that read: "A day in San Diego is like a week out of LA."

I am not too crazy about LA. Unless you just have to see Hollywood for the sake of seeing it, skip it.

Since you are over 21 you no longer have a reason to go to Tijuana either.

You can spend a very nice week in San Diego. Among the Wild Animal Parc and the Zoo, I prefer the latter. The Zoo is centrally located, so if after a few hours you decide that you've had enough you can spend the rest of the day in Balboa Park next door. Spend a day or two in La Jolla and Del Mar. Visit the Torrey Pines State Preserve -- it's a small cliff-side park above a beautifull strecth of coast. If you want to do some shopping, there is a pretty good outlet mall in Carlsbad along with an excellent and inexpensive Bellefleur restaurant.

I was in San Diego last February visiting a friend for four days- a week would have been better! Make sure you go to the Hotel del Coronado- we spent a full afternoon there sitting on their gorgeous patio in the sunshine! We took a day trip along the coast to LA. Stop in Manhattan Beach for lunch. It is gorgeous! We did the Wild Animal Park instead of the zoo. It was a fun afternoon-wish we could have been closer to the animals!
take as many day trips as you can to nearby cities. Anything along the coast should not be missed!

Skip Mexico!

Forgot to mention Vegas! If you really want to get out of SD, that would be my recommendation. It's about a 4 hour drive in each direction. If you go for 2 nights, then the traveling time overhead is not bad. We live in San Diego and take at least two such breaks in Las Vegas every year.

just wanted to say thanks for all the help! had a great time in San Diego. =)

Woodz: how about a trip report? Highlights, best restaurants? I'm gathering info for my April trip and love hearing all these reports!