San Diego is a Pacific Ocean coastal city in Southern California. It's amongst one of the most progressive cities of the nation. The city is renowned for its round the year soothing climate, vast beaches, naturally built deep water harbor and its long standing association with US Navy and Air Force. The estimated population is around 1,338,000, and consumes around 964 square kilometres of land. In 1850 it came under US jurisdiction after the signing of the Peace Treaty at the end of the Mexican-American war.
I have to admit I have a massive soft spot for San Diego. I was actually afforded the opportunity to live and work in San Diego for nearly two years, so to some extent it's like a second home to me. The southern Californian's are on the whole a very carefree, welcoming and friendly bunch of people. I've also been back a couple of times and the place has not changed at all.
The major airport is the San Diego International Airport, which is the United States busiest single runway airport. The backbone of the economy is the multitude of contracts held with the US Military, predominately in the manufacturing of military equipment and defense ancillary supports. International commerce and tourism are also booming industries. The region is a biotechnology hub all due to the Medical Center of the University of California, San Diego or UCSD as it's better known.
The region has one of the best climate zones, and its latitude is almost the same as Brisbane in Australia, just on the other side of the equator, you get the advantage of four complete seasons, and beautiful warm summers. The city is a culturally enriched place, and a lot of this is due to the influence from the Spanish and Mexican's. The San Diego Museum of Art specialises in the collection of the Spanish art. In 1874, The San Diego Natural History Museum was founded, and is committed to the ongoing conservation of natural resources of the region.
The San Diego Museum of Man exhibit various articles of the Mayan civilization. Photography enthusiasts will find The Museum of Photographic Arts or MOPA a trip that is well worth it in every way. Whilst the San Diego Air and Space Museum is the space exploration and aviation museum in San Diego. The Maritime Museum of San Diego chronicles the history of sea vessels of the country.
If you have the time, one of my favourite activities to do is to take in a baseball game, watching the Sand Diego Padres play at PETCO Park. If you truly want to immerse yourself in true Mexican culture, make the trip to Old Town, which is only a few kilometres from the city. It is a completely cordoned off area, where you can stroll the streets, shop for Spanish and Mexican curious, and the food. Well don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.
There are so many other things to see and do in this truly remarkable city. Be sure to take a look at SeaWorld, the Belmont Park amusement park, the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, the Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, the Birch Aquarium, Balboa Park, La Jolla Cove where you can sometimes see sea lions basking in the sun, Mount Soledad, the Seaport Village, the Coronado Bridge, the Old Point Loma Bridge, Embarcadero, the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, the Presidio of San Diego, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, the Mingei International Museum, the Children's Pool Beach, the Sand Diego Art Institute, San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park, the George W Marston House, Heritage Park, the Old Mission Dam and the Journey to Atlantis.
If you're mad for golf, San Diego offers you the chance to play on the World Tour Torrey Pines Golf Course. Be sure to book well in advance, as there can be quite a wait to play a round. Once you’ve finished, one of my top recommendations for some good old school fashioned pizza would be the Pizza Port at Solana Beach, it rocks!
Finally, a bit of trivia for you here, Hotel del Coronado is a beautifully maintained wooden hotel built in 1888. However, it is also the hotel where Jim Morrison from the band, The Doors, spent his last night on this earth. In a very dark and strange way, there is now over a three year wait for fans of the band wishing to spend a night in the exact same room where Morrison died. Not exactly my cup of tea, but whatever floats your boat I guess!