The 59 Mile Scenic Drive in San Diego, California

If you have friends or family in from out of town or just want to re-explore the City of San Diego, then this article is for you. Take San Diego's fifty-nine scenic drive which will take you through the city's most outstanding attractions. This drive takes about three hours barring any stops or side trips and is marked every quarter mile with markers that are blue and yellow with a white seagull to let you know that you are still on the right track. You can find detailed driving directions at San Diego's website at www.sandiego.org/article_set/Visitors/11/338. Here are the highlights of this three hour tour:

1. Embarcadero. This is where the drive starts at the foot of Broadway and Harbor Drive. This leg of the tour will take you past the cruise ship terminal where there is always at least on ship in port; past the Maritime Museum where one can see the ships of the past include the world famous Star of India.

2. Harbor Island. This leg will take you past the San Diego International Airport, Lindbergh Field (named after the aviator who began his famous flight in San Diego) as well as giving you excellent views of San Diego Bay, Point Loma and the Downtown Skyline.

3. Spanish Landing and Shelter Island. Home of San Diego's sport fishing fleet as well as restaurants and little marinas. It is also home to the "Yokohama Friendship Bell" from San Diego's sister city, Yokohama, Japan.

4. Point Loma. A solemn part of the tour, but important nonetheless. This leg of the drive takes you through Fort Rosecrans Cemetery which is dedicated to those who serve and left in the line of duty.

5. Cabrillo National Monument. This is the most southwestern point of the continental United States. From here you can see gray whales migrating to Mexico during the winter months and enjoy a full wide view of the harbor as well as the skyline. You can also visit the tide pools (the rock formations alone are worth the trip) and talk a walking tour of the site including the oldest lighthouse on the California coast.

6. Ocean Beach. Home to the Ocean Beach Municipal Fishing Pier where you can fish, do some bird watching and watch the surfers that dot the shoreline. It is also a popular spot for shopping and antiquing.

7. Mission Bay Aquatic Park. 4,600 acre playground with over twenty miles of beaches. From Crown Point you can watch wind surfers and catamarans zip across the water or just enjoy a stroll along the pathway that surrounds the bay.

8. Soledad Mountain. This monument is located is one of La Jolla's exclusive neighborhoods. From the top of the mountain you can see San Diego for miles in any direction on a clear day.

9. UCSD Campus. The campus is known for its architecture, Nobel Prize winning faculty members as well as it art installations.

10. Birch Aquarium at Scripps and the Salk Institute. Home to San Diego's largest aquarium and marine biology study, it is well worth taking a trip here alone. Following the aquarium, the Salk Institute is named after the man, Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. Just beyond the Salk Institute there is the Torrey Pines Glider Port where one can see hang gliders soaring among the cliffs.

11. La Jolla Cove Park and La Jolla Cave. The cove is a favorite spot for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking as well as watching the sun set. Further up the park is the children's swimming pool where harbor seals come to rest. There are also elegant shops for those who wish to explore the shopping district.

12. La Jolla Residential Area. Here you can see beautiful homes as well as the coastline that is just one the other side of the road.

13. Pacific Beach. This is a popular place to get your tan on (sunbathing) and surfing. It is also a great spot to just people watch.

14. Mission Beach. Home of the only wooden roller coaster in San Diego. This highly populated area is popular for surfing, sunbathing or people watching. You can also grab lunch from one of the many small unique restaurants along the boardwalk.

15. Sports Arena. Home to the "IPayOne Center" where concerts and other events take place. It is also home to San Diego's largest open air market - Kobey's Swap Meet which is held in the parking lot Thursday through Sunday every week.

16. Old TownState Historic Park. This free park represents San Diego's heritage from 1821 to 1872. You can also visit Heritage Park Row which showcases a number of Victorian homes.

17. Junipero Serra Museum. This museum displays the architecture of colonial San Diego as well as a number of artifacts and photographs from San Diego's early days. It also gives a stunning view of the bay.

18. Hillcrest. One of San Diego's first suburbs. This location also attracts a large LGBT crowd and others for its large selection of clothing shops, boutiques and art galleries as well as quirky places to set and have a bite to eat.

19. Balboa Park. One of the largest urban cultural parks in North America. Its architecture is Spanish Colonial Revival which was construction for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and used as the California-Pacific International Exposition in 1935. This park sits on over 1,400 acres and is home to over 14 museums, gardens and the Old Globe Theater.

20. San Diego Zoological Garden. Home to the world famous San Diego Zoo which occupies 100 acres of Balboa Park and is home to over 4,000 animals and 800 exotic species including Giant Pandas from China.

21. Museums, Organ Pavilion and Houses of Pacific Relations. Such museums as the National History Museum and the Museum of Man make their home here as well as the world's largest outdoor pipe organ. There is a small cluster of cottages that represent different regions of the world.

22. Financial District. Tall skyscrapers surround you as you head through this leg of the journey, heading west towards the waterfront and the end of the journey.

23. Seaport Village. A charming shopping area set on the waterfront with many unusual shops and places to eat. Further along the north you will see stationed along the Navy Pier, the USS Midway which is a ship museum that pays tribute to those in the armed forces both past and present.

24. Convention Center and Embarcadero Marina Park. Here you can see the Convention Center as well as Petco Park which is home to the San Diego Padres baseball team. You can also get an excellent view of the Coronado Bridge that connects the city of Coronado with Downtown San Diego.

25. Gaslamp Quarter District. The entertainment district of San Diego with over a hundred restaurants and clubs as well as distinct shopping during the day.

26. Horton Plaza. The end of your journey. This multi-layered shopping mall is praised for its unique and contemporary architecture.

San Diego's website also offers additional places to visit if you wish to extend your drive to such places as the Wild Animal Park and Hotel del Coronado. It is well worth the drive and the time to see the sites that San Diego has to offer and as the saying goes - Happy Happens in San Diego.