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San DiegoCity by the Bay, City by the SunStory and photos by Naeem Randhawa
The sixth largest city in the United States, with a population of 2.6 million people, San Diego’s winters are relatively warm and sunny—evenings can get cold—and summers are cool with breezes blowing in from the Pacific. The city is a growing tourist destination, offering an activities-packed schedule with city attractions and seaside excursions or a great location to just sip tall cool ones on the beach and contemplate deeper issues, like “How do they make those little umbrellas they put in your drink?” This was the city from where California was first established, the Spanish settled there in the mid- 1700s, preferring the area’s naturally forming enclosures by low-lying peninsulas. During a bay cruise, you may see one or several of the U.S. Navy’s naval vessels; there is an impressively sized naval base and airfield located on the shore. The beach cities of San Diego include Coronado, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach. From Mission Bay’s family fun zone, which is the world’s largest aquatic playground, and Ocean Beach’s hippie crowd to Coronado’s upscale neighborhood, with its boutiques and shops, each beach area offers something unique. Combined, there are miles and miles of beach to enjoy with six designated swimming areas. Coronado, or Coronado Island as the locals refer to it, has a quant and charm that is worth checking out. The area is home to some great Victorian mansions and upscale homes and offers hours of shopping and leisure pleasure in art boutiques, cafes, restaurants, bars, and antique shops. Technically, Coronado is not an island because it is connected to the mainland at its south most tip, but because the locals typically cross over to Coronado from the Coronado Bay Bridge, it has become known by its unofficial name as “the island.” The Coronado Bay Bridge, erected in 1969, is a beautiful picturesque drive, climbing above the water from the mainland to let passing ferries cross under the bridge, offering an unobstructed view of the island as well as downtown San Diego, it is worth taking the video camera out for. The U.S. Navy base is located off the island, and the island is frequented by navy personnel either residing at or visiting the base. The Loews Coronado Bay
Resort is a luxury resort property located on a private 15-acre peninsula,
in Coronado, that lives up to its reputation as a truly unique Dive-In Movies is a planned fun time activity offered on Friday nights, where kids and adults lay on poolside lounge chairs or float on inner tubes to watch a family movie. The resort also plays up to pet owners; pets are welcome and treated as VIPs (very important pets). Fido gets the full treatment, including cookies and gourmet pet food. All 438 rooms are lavishly decorated, with balconies where you can catch some nice cool breezes, while enjoying the view of the bay; all the rooms have a view of the water. The resort also has a marina where you can go cruising, rent Wave Runners, or book a “gondola cruise.” If you want to stay in
San Diego and still have access to the bay as well as the
The San Diego Zoo is world renowned as one of the best. Ideally you’ll want to spend about half a day exploring this 100-acre park. With its more than 4,000 creatures gathered from around the world and nearly 7,000 types of tropical and subtropical plants and flowers, there’s plenty to do for the whole family. The zoo does an extraordinary job of research and awareness for animal breeding and protection of endangered species by sponsoring zoologists and scientists on critical projects around the globe. The zoo has created a
diverse natural setting for animals within their enclosures, so the
animals have a more natural environment. The weather of the area also aids
the flora planted in the zoo to flourish and add to the natural scene.
There are several If you visit San Diego between the months of December through March, catch a three-hour local whale-watching tour with H&M Landing. If you are lucky enough to spot a whale, and chances are you probably will, you will not forget the experience. En route to the watching destinations, enjoy watching the resident marine life, including dolphins, seals, and seabirds, as well as historic landmarks such as the Spanish Lighthouse on Point Loma, and the U.S. Naval fleet. Depending on the time of the year, there are tons of ways to enjoy the waters, H&M Landing arranges trips ranging anywhere from 3-hour local cruises to complete 11-day whale-watching exploration trips off Mexico’s coasts and pristine islands. Captain Ken Baruch and his wife Jayne own and operate the Daiwa Pacific, a fully equipped and well-maintained sport fishing vessel; they provide a naturalist perspective with a keen reputation for “spotting the whales.” They are very helpful with visitors and will advise you on all the prerequisites to whale watching (dress in layers, bring cameras, etc.).
If it’s just the two
of you, or if you can convince the kids to watch a movie at the hotel, the
most romantic way to spend an evening in the city is to take a dinner
cruise with San Diego Harbor Excursion. Call up
SanDiegoBoating.com, and Stacy Moser-Simpson, the charter director can
make all the arrangements for the perfect evening at the bay. As the boat prepares to leave the
dock, you are cordially greeted by a hostess, who passes you a glass of
champagne and The 2½-hour tour through the bay and around Coronado Island offers a view of shimmering lights of the city and skyline with the scent and mist of the sea. Dinner includes salad, an entrée, and a meal prepared in a fine dining ambiance, topped by sinful desert. After a leisurely dinner, guests enjoy the captivating view from the above deck or walk down to the main floor where a DJ spins romantic tunes for couples to dance to and enjoy. Of course, the DJ will take requests, so you can plan and enjoy the perfect moment. When you get back, don’t forget to pick up your picture, a souvenir of a great evening in San Diego.
For more information:
Loews Coronado Bay Resort www.loewshotels.com/hotels/sandiego/default.asp (619) 424-4000
Clarion Hotel Bay View (619) 696-0234
San Diego Zoo
SanDiegoBoating.com (888) 577-BOAT
H&M Landing Whale Watching (619) 222-1144
San Diego Harbor Excursion (800) 442-7847
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JustSayGO Travel Show
If
you are looking for perfect year-round weather, with plenty of bayside
water activities for the whole family or just for the two of you, then
San Diego is worth checking out for your next vacation.
destination. The California-Mediterranean style resort opened in 1991, and
really is a favorite of couples and families alike. Zagat Survey’s rated
as “Best Restaurant” and “America’s Top Restaurants” from Wine Spectator
and a myriad of other awards all favor this resort for the unique features
and programs the resort has initiated. Some of these features include an
impressive herb garden encompassing 3,800 square feet that is used by the
resort’s restaurant, Azzura Point. The restaurant itself offers a nouvelle
cuisine in a fine dining setting, with an intimate ambiance and beautiful
views from the bay-views windows of the beach during the day or night. 
activities
within the city, stay downtown at the Clarion Hotel Bay View. As the name
implies, most rooms have a great view of the bay and the historic Gaslamp
Quarter, an area familiar to tourists for premier shopping, fine dining,
and evening entertainment. The downtown convention center is within
walking distance, and the airport is also easily accessible from the
hotel. The Clarion Hotel Bay View is a full-service, high-rise hotel, with
312 rooms and guest suites and a unique feature: an outdoor deck pool on
the roof that offers a great view of downtown.
different ways to navigate the zoo, the best being to either take the
35-minute Kangaroo Guided Bus Tour, which lets you off and on as you
please, or just grab a map and start walking. You may want to use the
Skyfari at the top of the map back down as a shortcut. Besides the always
impressive animals such as elephants, giraffes, big cats, hippos, and
various other creatures, you may want to plan for some extra time to visit
Hua Mei, the new baby panda, where there is usually a line of anxious
visitors waiting to get in to take a look. Be warned, however, that the
pandas are not very active during the day, so you may not see much
activity, but it’s still worth the wait. It is one of the favorite
exhibits at the zoo.
The massive
gray whales migrate between their summer feeding grounds in the Bering,
Chukchi, and Beaufort seas to their winter breeding grounds off Baja
California, Mexico, passing San Diego on the way. More than 23,000 gray
whales travel 5,000 miles along the West Coast from December through March
each year, making it one of the longest migrations by a mammal. To witness
these beautiful gentle giants up close and in person will thrill anyone
lucky enough to share the experience of watching them dive and break the
surface of the waves alongside the boat.
escorts you to your reserved table. A photographer takes a souvenir
snapshot of you standing behind a lifesaver tube.
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