What to do in San Diego?
 

Visiting San Diego over Labor Day weekend in September...Looking for interesting events or sites for adults aged 30-40. Only site I'm familiar with is the zoo HELP!

Try to visit Borrego Springs which is not that far away. <BR> <BR>www.borregosprings.org (but be warned that the pictures on the website are not high-quality. It was the pictures and descriptions in the brochures I got which caused me to yearn to see Borrego Springs myself, something which I stll have not done)

Greetings - <BR> <BR>I live in So. Ca. and don't get down to San Diego really often but have a favorite place of mine I'd like to suggest. <BR> <BR>Just a few miles up the coast from San Diego is La Jolla. I don't go down there much so I don't exactly how far (and I don't have a map handy) but, I would guess somewhere between 15-30 minutes. <BR> <BR>This little town is very "postcard" worthy and the reason to visit (my reason), is the area near the cliffs and the really nice, expensive homes. It's kind of like a "main street." I don't know the name of it but I'm sure it's well written about in guidebooks. You can watch the ocean and the small beach from the cliffs and walk down to the water if you want. The main street is lined with various restaurants, shops, and boutiques. It makes for a lovely stroll if you want to do a little shopping, people-watching, and have a nice lunch. <BR> <BR>:-)

Borrego Springs is ok but it is in the desert and not representative of San Diego. Labor Day weekend will be crowded anywhere you go here are some ideas: Sea World, Wild Animal Park (great alternative to the Zoo), any beach, Hotel Del Coronado, Gas Lamp District in downtown, Seaport Village, Legoland if you have kids, mission bay park, Mexico, ride the trolley, Horton Plaza Mall, La Jolla, Old Town..........

Forget Borrego Springs. We drove out there in late March and it was very, very hot then. It is indeed in the desert. Also, because of the lack of precipitation, the foliage wasn't that great. Definitely NOT worth the drive. <BR>The previous poster gave you a good rundown. I would add the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. If you like the ocean, it's a beautiful site for just sitting, watching and contemplating!

From 4th Generation Ca Native: <BR>Like America's Cup Racing? There's (I think "Stars & Stripes"? ) exhibited permantely at the harbor by the Marriott Hotel & Towers. Like Jewelry? Head to La Jolla for jewelry craftsmen and galleries galore. Nice restaurants, too. Like Greek food? theres a nice restaurant by Horton Plaza (and Horton Plaza is a good place to roam). Coronado Island is a nice afternoon stroll; Mission Bay is a good place to shop for swinsuits and has several nice restaurants with views. Like to jog? Many jog along the harbor by Seaport Village and the Marriott area. The Gaslamp District is lively at night and has good restaurants. San Diego has a university area and theatre, too.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I think I'll pass on the Borrego Springs - it may be beautiful, but I can't take the heat... Are there any special events scheduled that weekend? Also, is it difficult parking in the Gas Lamp district and is it safe for a woman alone?

Parking is plentiful at the gas lamp district if you are willing to pay. You may want to consider parking at Horton Plaza (next to gas lamp district) where you get 3 hours of free parking if you buy something in the mall and get validated. Pan handlers are the only problem I am aware of in the gas lamp district so a women alone should be safe unless you are there very late at night. Otherwise, it is a crowded place. By the way, if you like italian food, there will be too many choices in this area. My favorite is Panevino.

I second Panevino...we were there in March. The Gaslamp District looked safe from this woman's perspective, but stay on well-populated streets and go directly to hotel....just a few blocks away there were vagrants. Parking is easiest at the hotel....Another good restaurant is Athens Market near Horton Plaza....terrific Greek food there.

I have lived in San Diego for many years. The Gaslamp area is a great area. In fact we own a timshare at the Gaslamp Plaza Suites. I wouldn't be worried too much about safety issues. Just follow normal precautions as you would in any large city. San Diego has the lowest crime rate of the 10 largest cities in the US. <BR> <BR>The Gaslamp area is well patrolled by police officers on bicycles etc. Generally speaking, The area from 6th to the water front is very safe. Above 6th is not particularly dangerous but it is a little seedy. <BR> <BR>There are 80+ restaurants in the Gaslamp area. I strongly recommend The Dakota Grill for great California cuisine. It is on the corner of 5th and E. <BR> <BR>There are tons of things to do and see. It all depends what your preferences are. There are various web sites that will give you all of the information that you would ever want. Just do a search for San Diego. <BR> <BR>There is one thing that I will recommend that will not appear in the normal tourist information. Take the Coronado ferry from the foot of Broadway ( right next to the pier ) to Coronado Island. You can walk from the landing on Coronado to the Hotel Del Coronado which is well worth visiting. It is an international landmark. It is about a mile walk down Orange Ave from the ferry to the Hotel Del. You can take a bus or taxi if you are not up for the walk. It is a very pleasant walk. There is an excellent Mexican restaurant 'Miguel's Cocina' which is about a block from the Hotel Del Coronado. It is across the street from it. Great food, ambience and reasonably priced. You will be able to take some fantastic pictures of the San Diego harbor and skyline from the ferry. Make sure that you take the official ferry that I mentioned. There are ofhter boats that also travel to Coronado but they are not as good and are more expensive.

It is me again. I forgot to mention something. Do NOT waste your time visiting Borrego Springs. The only time to visit there is to see the Spring desert flowers. Otherwise there is nothing worthwhile to see. It can be very hot in September and it is quite a long drive. Skip Borrego Springs and visit other more wothwhile areas.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions! Especially the ferry to Coranado Island and the reassurances of the Gas Lamp District's safety. Also, I'm making a list of the restaurants mentioned as I hadn't even started thinking about food....

And don't miss the chocolate covered strawberries at the Hotel Del! As for restaurants, there are other postings recently about them.