World Country Guide

San Diego County

At the southern extreme of southern California is San Diego County, home to 2.8 million people. Its beautiful beaches stretch for 113km (70 miles) along the coast. The city of San Diego boasts 10,878 sq km (4200 sq miles) of country, which encompasses the metropolitan sophistication of the city itself, the caves of La Jolla, the flowers and wineries of North County, the mountain peaks of East County, the Mexican flavours of South Bay and the Golden Triangle, noted for its upmarket shopping and dining. Other temptations include the dazzling array of restaurants in Coronado, the sense of heritage and history exemplified by the Mission Valley, the vast aquatic playground of Mission Bay Park and the duty-free border zone of Tijuana, Mexico.
America’s sixth-largest city is where California’s history began. The local climate approaches perfection, but there is more to the city than sun and sand. It is a place of character, rich in art and culture. Central San Diego is a vibrant collection of neighbourhoods, restaurants, shops and attractions stretching from the Bay to the Uptown district, including the residential areas of Hillcrest and Golden Hill. The original centre of commerce here was Old Town (the birthplace of California), but by the turn of the century, New Town, founded by the New Englander, Alonzo Horton, had taken its place. The Gaslamp Quarter is the city’s historic district, a 16-block area of shops, galleries, coffee houses, theatre spaces and dozens of restaurants. The Japanese Friendship Garden offers a pleasant refuge. It can be explored by horse-drawn carriage, a Ford Model T or on foot with an audio walking tour from the Gaslamp Quarter Foundation.
The San Diego Maritime Museum, anchored along Harbour Drive, is a good place to begin an exploration of the waterfront. Here, visitors can look at the Star of India (a century-old windjammer), the steam ferry Berkeley, and the luxury yacht Medea. The cruise ship terminal is a popular waterfront destination and excursion boats leaving from Pier B can take visitors on a tour of the bay.
The city’s maritime past is further commemorated in Seaport Village, a 14-acre waterfront shopping and dining complex, which puts the visitor in mind of the days when cargo ships would embark on the perilous journey from New England, rounding Cape Horn before reaching California. The village has 57 shops and galleries, four award-winning restaurants and 13 sidewalk eateries, as well as hosting frequent music events.
Balboa Park is another reminder of the founders’ civic vision. It covers 1200 acres and contains some fantastic architecture, including 14 museums, art galleries, the Reuben H Fleet Space Theater and Science Center, the Simon Edison Center for the Performing Arts, the San Diego Junior Theater, Starlight Bowl, sports facilities and the California Tower with its working 100-bell carillon. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion features concerts on Sunday afternoons (and Monday evenings in summer). The Park also houses the world-famous San Diego Zoo, which houses 800 different species. The entire zoo is designed as a 100-acre tropical garden which can be visited on foot or on a guided bus tour. Other attractions in Balboa Park include the Botanical Building, the Park Carousel, the Miniature Railroad, the Spanish Village Art Center and the WorldBeat Cultural Center.
The new Miramar Speed Circuit offers indoor high-speed go-kart racing for speed freaks.
This quaint village is set on a peninsula, connected to the mainland on the south by way of a narrow sandbar known as the Silver Strand. The fascinating Hotel del Coronado, known as ‘The Del’, boasts turrets, tall cupolas and hand-carved wooden pillars. The central area features dozens of boutiques, shops and restaurants and a large central park with a bandstand where concerts are performed each Sunday throughout the summer. Silver Strand State Beach is particularly popular with families and offers camping and RV (Recreational Vehicle) facilities. This place offers a great variety of fine restaurants and seafood is a celebrated attraction.
From here, the onlooker is afforded a magnificent panoramic view of San Diego Bay, Shelter Island, Harbour Island, Coronado, the Embarcadero and central San Diego from the Cabrillo National Monument. It is also a great place to watch the annual migration of California grey whales. More than 15,000 make the journey from Alaska to Baja each year.
If San Diego is the birthplace of California, then the Mission Basilica San Diego De Alcala is the birthplace of San Diego. It was founded in December 1769 by Father Junipero Serra and the Mission, the Presidio and the town that sprung up at the foot of it were the first outposts of the Spanish government in Alta California. Today, Mission Valley has major shopping centres, restaurants and sporting facilities. A very popular attraction is the Old Town, which served as the heart of San Diego until the 1800s. Many original 19th-century structures in the Old Town State Historic Park have been reconstructed or restored and reflect and illustrate the changes since Serra’s day. Heritage Park is a haven for the restoration and preservation of Victorian dwellings and serves as a transition area between the Mexican and early-American preserve.
This is the largest facility of its kind in the world – a monument to the outdoor lifestyle. Swimming, power-boating, fishing and sailing all occupy separate areas. At Sea World, orca whales, sea lions, otters and dolphins are featured; the new R.L Stine’s Haunted Lighthouse attraction is a 4-D adventure adapted from an old fisherman’s tale. Belmont Park offers two vintage landmarks: The Plunge, the largest indoor swimming pool in Southern California and the Giant Dipper rollercoaster, which boasts 792m (2600ft) of stomach-churning track.
The Escondido area is home to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as a number of wineries offering tours and wine tasting. The gentle climate has earned the coastal areas of Encinitas and Leucadia the distinction of ‘Poinsetta Capital of the World’. In Encinitas are the Quail Botanical Gardens, containing one of the world’s most diverse and important plant collections. The seaside village of Carlsbad offers beaches, resorts, fine dining and sporting facilities. In the springtime, the surrounding hills are covered in a lush carpet of ranunculus and other multi-coloured flowers. Legoland California, an amusement park based on the world-famous plastic bricks, celebrated its fifth birthday in 2004 with five new attractions, including additions to Miniland (featuring replicas of famous sights and real-life city scenes), a new rollercoaster, a ‘block of fame’ celebrity attraction, an archaeology attraction and an interactive racing ride.
Further up the coast, Oceanside features one of the longest municipal wooden piers on the West Coast. Oceanside is also the site of the Mission San Luis Rey, the largest of California’s 21 missions. Nearby is the Mount Palomar Observatory, which houses the 200-inch Hale Telescope, one of the country’s largest.
This area encompasses National City, an important commercial area, Chula Vista, San Ysidro and Imperial Beach. In addition to its marinas, parks and restaurants, Chula Vista is home to the Arco Olympic Training Center and the Nature Interpretative Center at the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few remaining Pacific salt marsh habitats.
San Diego is about two-and-a-half hours from central Los Angeles via Interstate 5. Interstate 8 serves drivers from Yuma, Arizona and destinations further eastward. San Diego International Airport (SAN) (website: www.san.org) is currently served by over 20 airlines, including AeroMexico, Alaska Airlines, America West, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Amtrak provides a train service to and from Los Angeles. Greyhound provides bus services.
San Diego Transit Corporation operates an integrated system of buses, which serve the metro area. The San Diego Trolley provides services in the city centre and out as far as the Mexican border, as well as to East County.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in San Diego County in 2005:
Jan 1-Mar 15 Whalefest. Mar 5 Ocean Beach Kite Festival. Mar 10-21 San Diego Latino Film Festival. Apr 2-3 San Diego Classic Crew (rowing competitions). Apr 19-May 3 San Diego International Film Festival, Price Center Theatre. Apr 30-May 1 Fiesta Cinco De Mayo, Old Town State Park. May 7 12th Annual Imperial Beach Chili And Jazz Festival. May 28-29 KIFM Jazz Festival, Gaslamp Quarter. Jun 10-Jul 4 San Diego County Fair, Del Mar. Jun 11-12 19th La Jolla Festival of the Arts and Food Fair. Jul 15-17 US Open Sandcastle Competition, Imperial Beach Pier. Sep 9-11 Traditional Gathering and 16th Annual Pow Wow. Sep 10-11 Annual California Indian Days Celebration. Oct Oktoberfest in La Mesa, La Mesa Boulevard. Oct 26-Nov 2 Dia de Los Muertos. Nov 23-27 San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival. Nov 24-Jan 4 2006 Holiday of Lights at Del Mar. Dec 1-31 San Diego Holiday Jazz & Blues Festival.
The mild climate makes the county an ideal and perennial destination. The average daytime temperature is 21C (70F) and winter temperatures seldom fall below 4C (40F). Humidity is generally low.