Ideas while working near San Diego?

[Carsomyr]

I'm going to be near San Diego for three weeks soon (lannding lunchtime 14/07, leaving again night 04/08) for work.

Seeing as its about 24 hours of almost constant flying just to get there I'd really like to see/do as much as possible while I've got the chance to be there.

Looking for ideas on what to do in/near San Diego at night and over weekends. Suggestions both from local people or anyone whos visited there would be awesome

[Raincloak]

You should send Steve Kamb an email. He used to live in SD, I believe. A lot of what you do will depend on whether you have a car. I spent a year there, so here is what I have:

The San Diego zoo is world famous, for good reason. I'd say don't miss it, but since you are from South Africa maybe you have already seen many of their animals Still, it's worth the expense. If you plan to see the Chinese pandas, go early in the morning and head straight for the panda exhibit first, because there WILL be a long queue. Pop a couple extra dollars for the skycar ride (it's fun!) and get a nice view of the park from the air.

Balboa Park (which the zoo borders) also is lovely. It'll be full of artists, street performers, and tourists on weekends, or probably all the time in the summer, and has several other museums and points of interest, including a large art museum, a nice little botanical house, a lovely Japanese garden, an aircraft museum, and a small science museum. I recommend the art museum and the Japanese garden. All charge for admission, but the park itself is free (though you'll have to pay for parking, there is usually plenty of it at multiple lots, or you can take the bus). Bring some cash for snacks from hot dog stands, etc.

Skip Seaworld unless you're really itching for a day at an amusement park. It's just Disneyland with marine life.

Pacific Beach is the surfer district. It's got a lot of cute little shops and bicycles to rent, etc. They've got miles of beach, which will be crowded, but it's not bad if you want to try surfing. There are other parks and beaches further from downtown, but you didn't say whether you could drive so I don't know whether to tell you about them.

There's a bunch of military stuff to see since SD has a huge Navy base, but I don't know how much of it is open for tourists. I think they've got a submarine you can visit. There's also an old-fashioned sailing ship in the harbor. (I have a relative who works in the government and he's shown us aircraft carriers etc., but not sure how much of that is public.)

Do not try to visit Mexico. The towns near the border, such as Tijuana, are not nice.

The Gaslamp district is touristy but fun to walk around in (nice photo ops if you like steampunk or historical architecture). It's very lively at night. Hard Rock Cafe, lots of bars and things, ranging from trendy to hole-in-the-wall. Be sure to stop in the Chuck Jones art gallery; much nerd amusement to be had there, including (if memory serves) a life-size bronze Yoda statue. (The gallery is kind of snobby, so just treat it like a museum: don't touch anything or take pictures.) You could also buy a ticket to a Padres baseball game; the stadium is right down the block from there.

There are some really great hiking trails in San Diego County, but to get to them, you'd need to drive. I don't know whether you have a car, so I won't list trails...

[Carsomyr]

You should send Steve Kamb an email. He used to live in SD, I believe. A lot of what you do will depend on whether you have a car. I spent a year there, so here is what I have:

I think your right, will shoot him a mail this week some time

The San Diego zoo is world famous, for good reason. I'd say don't miss it, but since you are from South Africa maybe you have already seen many of their animals Still, it's worth the expense. If you plan to see the Chinese pandas, go early in the morning and head straight for the panda exhibit first, because there WILL be a long queue. Pop a couple extra dollars for the skycar ride (it's fun!) and get a nice view of the park from the air.

Balboa Park (which the zoo borders) also is lovely. It'll be full of artists, street performers, and tourists on weekends, or probably all the time in the summer, and has several other museums and points of interest, including a large art museum, a nice little botanical house, a lovely Japanese garden, an aircraft museum, and a small science museum. I recommend the art museum and the Japanese garden. All charge for admission, but the park itself is free (though you'll have to pay for parking, there is usually plenty of it at multiple lots, or you can take the bus). Bring some cash for snacks from hot dog stands, etc.

Skip Seaworld unless you're really itching for a day at an amusement park. It's just Disneyland with marine life.

Those definetily sound like something to go see, although it sounds like I'll be skipping Sea World, really don't care much for amusements parks.

Pacific Beach is the surfer district. It's got a lot of cute little shops and bicycles to rent, etc. They've got miles of beach, which will be crowded, but it's not bad if you want to try surfing. There are other parks and beaches further from downtown, but you didn't say whether you could drive so I don't know whether to tell you about them.

There's a bunch of military stuff to see since SD has a huge Navy base, but I don't know how much of it is open for tourists. I think they've got a submarine you can visit. There's also an old-fashioned sailing ship in the harbor. (I have a relative who works in the government and he's shown us aircraft carriers etc., but not sure how much of that is public.)

I'll actually check exactly where I'm going to be, from what I understand its closer to the edge rather than downtown. No idea if I'd even be able to try and balance on a surfboard, but might just try it

Do not try to visit Mexico. The towns near the border, such as Tijuana, are not nice.

Do not try to visit Mexico is the one piece of advice that absolutely everyone seems to give, so I'll definitely steer clear.

The Gaslamp district is touristy but fun to walk around in (nice photo ops if you like steampunk or historical architecture). It's very lively at night. Hard Rock Cafe, lots of bars and things, ranging from trendy to hole-in-the-wall. Be sure to stop in the Chuck Jones art gallery; much nerd amusement to be had there, including (if memory serves) a life-size bronze Yoda statue. (The gallery is kind of snobby, so just treat it like a museum: don't touch anything or take pictures.) You could also buy a ticket to a Padres baseball game; the stadium is right down the block from there.

Must see the Yoda statue! Archetecture also sounds interesting so I'll probably try and go there at least once

There are some really great hiking trails in San Diego County, but to get to them, you'd need to drive. I don't know whether you have a car, so I won't list trails...

I will have a car while I'm there, as well as my hiking boots and possibly my pack if I can manage to fit everything in it for the plane trip, so a list of trails would be greatly appreciated.

At the rate this is going I think I may need to start talking to my boss about the idea of me putting in a weeks leave at the end so I can stay longer on my own cost to get a chance to go everywhere

[Raincloak]

oh, by the way ... looks like you'll be landing the weekend of Comic-Con! Nerdgasms galore. If you have any energy after your long flight, be sure to take a walk around the Convention Center and Gaslamp area that weekend. You'll see hordes of geeks in t-shirts or costumes wandering around, with badges around their necks, and some people may be giving away swag. Bring a smartphone or a camera and snap a few photos. A lot of the bars will be having nerd-friendly events; they'll be handing out flyers and putting up signs. On either side of the convention center are a couple of big hotels, which may feature things like outdoor movies and room parties. You might be able to talk your way into some of these, if you feel like it.

You will not be able to get into the convention itself, because tickets sell out months in advance, but I've been to it and I can tell you what it's like: really heavily commercialized. San Diego is just a couple hours away from Hollywood and Los Angeles, and the con feels like one huge marketplace. It's a bit overwhelming. So don't worry about missing that, just stay outside and enjoy the street life.