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    Tourist Attractions in San Diego

    The most interesting tourist attractions places in San Diego. Photos and a brief description.

    San Diego
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    About San Diego

    San Diego is located near the Mexican border, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The city has a unique Spanish-American flavor, which attracts a considerable number of tourists here. It has a fairly mild climate, excellent beaches and an incredible number of natural attractions. What are the Balboa Park with its magnificent gardens and museums or the picturesque bay of La Jolla worth!

    A traveler arriving in San Diego has the opportunity to see how one of the most prosperous cities in the United States lives. Cruise liners constantly approach the berths of the bay, snow-white yachts stand in orderly rows in the local marina, people walk slowly along the city alleys planted with palm trees. San Diego is a haven of well-being and prosperity, where people know how to enjoy life.

    Top Tourist Attractions in San Diego

    Aircraft carrier USS Midway

    The very first US aircraft carrier. He took part in the Vietnam War and in Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. For 47 years, he was in the U.S. Navy. In 1992, the aircraft carrier was decommissioned and turned into a museum. Tours for visitors are conducted by volunteers from among the veterans of the fleet. They tell fascinating stories about the design itself and answer questions.

    Aircraft carrier USS Midway
    Point Loma

    Point Loma

    The Spanish navigator H. R. Cabrillo landed on the Point Loma Peninsula back in 1542. In honor of him, a monument was built on the southern cape in 1939, from the observation deck of which a panoramic view of the San Diego Bay and the city opens. Another interesting historical building is the lighthouse of the middle of the XIX century. Today there is a museum inside it. A walking trail has been laid especially for tourists on the peninsula.

    Balboa Park

    San Diego City Park exceeds the size of Central Park in New York. On its territory there are 15 museums and exhibitions, 4 theaters, several themed gardens and a zoo. Many buildings were built in the early XX century in the Spanish colonial style. There are also small international cottages where visitors can get acquainted with the culture and traditions of 30 countries.

    Balboa Park
    San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    San Diego Zoo

    The San Diego Menagerie is considered one of the most progressive in the world. Its territory is home to 650 species of animals (more than 3700 individuals). The history of the zoo began after the exhibition of exotic animals in 1915. Many owners simply abandoned their pets after the end of the event. To save the animals, the city administration allocated a plot of land in Balboa Park.

    Botanical Garden in Balboa Park

    The Botanical Garden unites several territories within its borders: the Japanese garden, the Alcazar garden, the children's ethnobotanical garden, the old cactus garden, the friendship garden and many others. The local variety of plants will amaze even connoisseurs of flora: species were collected not only throughout North America, but also imported from other regions of the world. There are greenhouses, artificial ponds and picturesque alleys.

    Botanical Garden in Balboa Park
    Old Town San Diego

    Old Town San Diego

    San Diego State Historical Park and Presidio Park are located on the territory of the Old Town. Here you can see what the first settlements of the colonists looked like, have lunch in one of the many restaurants of Mexican cuisine and watch folklore performances. Sightseeing buses with guides in historical costumes regularly run through the Old Town.

    San Diego Air & Space Museum

    The exposition is located on the territory of Balboa Park. The museum has several thematic sections dedicated to the aircraft of the First and Second World Wars, the "golden age of aviation", modern space technologies, as well as other achievements in the field of aviation. The museum has restoration workshops and a library with technical literature. Many exhibits are original, others are copies of aircraft.

    San Diego Air & Space Museum
    Maritime Museum of San Diego

    Maritime Museum of San Diego

    The museum opened in 1948. Its exposition consists of rare ships, each of which has its own unique history. Among the valuable copies of the collection there are "Star of India", "Medea", "Berkeley", "Californian". In addition to ships, there is a variety of marine equipment. The main goal of the museum team is to preserve the maritime heritage of the United States in general and the city of San Diego in particular.

    Cabrillo National Monument

    The monument is located on the Point Loma Peninsula. It represents the figure of the Spanish mariner H. R. Cabrillo, who arrived on the shores of Colorado in 1542 and founded the first settlement here. The monument was created in 1939 by the Portuguese sculptor Alvaro de Bray. There is a convenient observation deck near the statue, from which you can admire panoramic views of the city and the bay.

    Cabrillo National Monument
    Sculpture

    Sculpture "Unconditional surrender"

    The styrofoam and aluminum sculpture depicts a sailor and a nurse kissing. The original sculpture was created by American artist S. Johnson based on the photograph of A. Eisenstadt, taken in New York on the day of the surrender of Japan. For many Americans, this famous photo has become a symbol of the end of World War II. Johnson's sculpture is very popular with tourists.

    Theme Park "Sea World"

    The park is dedicated to the inhabitants of the world ocean. Its history began in 1964 with the opening of a restaurant of the corresponding theme. The management then decided to create an entertainment zone for its customers and purchased marine animals. Literally in the first year of the park's existence, several hundred thousand visitors visited it. A large number of entertainment shows are held here, in which dolphins, seals and whales are involved.

    Theme Park

    Amusement park "Belmont"

    An amusement park in the beach area, created in 1925 by magnate D. Spreckels. There are still old carousels from the beginning of the century, such as roller coasters and the "giant bucket", but the most interesting for visitors are the new attractions. Belmont also has a swimming pool where swimming competitions are regularly held, a grill bar with a concert venue and a sports club.

    Amusement park
    Petko Park

    Petko Park

    A baseball arena that is home to the San Diego Padres. The stadium was built in 2004 to replace the old Qualcomm-stadium. If a tourist manages to get to the game, he will be able to fully enjoy baseball, as well as the atmosphere that reigns here during the competition. Most of the spectators don't even look at what is happening on the field. They are passionate about communicating with each other and eating burgers.

    Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala

    The church was founded in 1769 by a monk from Spain, Junipero Serra. By 1862, it was already in ruins. The sluggish restoration of the temple continued until the 1930s. In 1941, San Diego de Alcala became a parish church. It still exists in this status. In 1976, the church was visited by Pope Paul VI. The mission is listed as a national historical monument of the USA.

    Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala
    Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

    Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

    A military cemetery where American soldiers have been buried since the XVIII century. The green lawns of the necropolis are strewn with even rows of modest graves with identical white tombstones. The place evokes philosophical thoughts. Here you can wander in silence and think about the eternal under the measured hum of ocean waves. An active base of the American army is located next to the cemetery.

    La Jolla Shores Park

    The bay is located in the northwestern part of the city. Translated from Spanish, its name means "jewel". The bay consists of sandy beaches, caves and rocks. In one part of the coast, seals arrange a rookery, which attracts a large number of visitors here. In the bay there is a residential area of the same name, which is considered one of the most prestigious in San Diego.

    La Jolla Shores Park
    Torrey Pines State Reserve

    Torrey Pines State Reserve

    A picturesque area covered with rocky plateaus, a favorite place for migrating sea birds. There are also coyotes, skunks, foxes and raccoons. Sometimes from the shore you can see huge whales frolicking in the ocean waters. The coastal area of the reserve was chosen by local nudists. Torrey Pines has bike trails and hiking trails for tourists.

    Old Point Loma Lighthouse

    The lighthouse stands on the peninsula of the same name. It was built in the middle of the XIX century, but due to its not very good location, it was closed by the end of the century (constant fog obscured the light coming from the lighthouse and ships could not see it). Today, a museum exposition is located on the territory of the building, where you can see the original furnishings, as well as historical maps and documents.

    Old Point Loma Lighthouse
    Coronado Bridge

    Coronado Bridge

    The bridge over San Diego Bay is not only a recognizable symbol of the city, but also an important transport artery. It was built in 1969. Its construction cost almost $ 50 million. The length of the structure is about 3.5 km, it stands on 27 concrete pillars. Some of them reach a height of 60 meters. Due to the impressive size of the structure, large vessels can easily sail under the bridge.

    San Diego Beaches

    San Diego is often called the city of beaches and parks, as its territory stretches along the coastline for many miles. In total there are more than 30 beaches suitable for swimming. The most popular and visited are Pacifi Beach, Ocean Beach, Coronado, Torrey Pines and La Jolla. The ocean warms up to a comfortable temperature by mid-May and begins to cool down by the end of August.

    Public Instagram Photos from San Diego

    Did you know there’s a “hidden swing” in La Jolla that gives you a breathtaking view of the pacific ocean from up above 🌊

    After doing a lot of online research and through word of mouth, I’ve learned that sometimes the swing is up, sometimes it’s down, there may be as many as 3 swings in La Jolla & not all the locals have even heard of it 😄

    I’ve seen a lot of Insta-famous swings on IG over the years (Bali, Sri Lanka, etc) and now I can finally say I’ve been to one in San Diego

    ps: the flowers were already on the handles when we got here but I think they are perfect for spring 🌺

    I’m working on a San Diego travel guide and will include the exact steps on how to find the hidden swing!

    📍 La Jolla, California
    📸 kelseyjomcintosh
    💛 romper is shopreddress
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    My San Diego Weekend Travel Guide is live 📝 if you missed it last week I shared a link to my latest blog post which has everything you need to stay busy during a weekend in San Diego

    I shared my favorite neighborhoods, spots to dine at, ocean views & adorable little stores to shop at like Native Poppy shown here 💐

    I saw this spot on Instagram when planning my trip. Yes, the outside is picture worthy but the inside is even better. You can build your own flower bouquet which then became my photo prop for the rest of the weekend

    📍 Native Poppy in San Diego, California
    📸 tripod
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    [ad] We have a balcony at our home in Los Angeles. It’s been my refuge during the pandemic and all this time at home. But eventually, in order to get back to work and make a living, I’ll have to trade my balcony for balconies in other places and beds that aren’t mine and places where I can’t control all the variables all the time. Some days I think I am ready for that and other days I honestly don’t know. So when sonderstays asked if I would check out one of their locations in San Diego to report on all of their enhanced safety + cleaning procedures, I said yes. Everyone will handle this time differently and I am absolutely more cautious than most. But at some point, I knew I would need to actually travel… before I knew if I was ready to travel again or not. Sonder made me feel comfortable with their cleanliness, the contact-free checkin, their app and the space itself. This is me actually relaxing with my morning coffee on the apartment’s balcony before checking out what local businesses I could support during my stay. I’m sharing more details in my Stories along with a link to their micro site going into detail about all Sonder is doing to keep travelers safe.
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    How are you feeling about traveling again?
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    #travelwell #sonderstays
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    Waking up early for sunrise isn’t so bad when you have the pool to yourself 💦 or when your internal clock is still 2 hours ahead - love when time zone changes work in your favor!

    But seriously how dreamy is this pool on the 4th floor of grandhyattsandiego? There was a calmness in the air each morning which made coming out here for sunrise so peaceful before I started my day ☀️

    Travel Tip: Manchester Grand Hyatt is located downtown right along the San Diego bay. It’s only a few blocks away from the Gaslamp Quarter too! If your planning a trip to San Diego soon, book your stay at Grand Hyatt San Diego by clicking the link in my bio.

    📍 Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego (PR stay)
    📸 my tripod
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