The Diversity of Attractions in San Diego, California

Hurricane Dean put a damper on my vacation. I dreampt of the warm weather in Riviera Maya, Mexico, until the storm blew in. All plans were canceled and my husband and I embarked on a "replacement trip," a trip we'd go on instead of flying into a category 5 hurricane. We ended up in California and although I thoroughly enjoyed all the cities we visited, one of my favorite places was San Diego, California.

One of the things that struck me about San Diego, besides the near perfect temperatures and the beautiful sunsets, was its diverse attractions. In the four short days that we were there, we experienced many different types of environments. One minute we were driving through the excitement of the city and the next we were enjoying a gorgeous sunset filled with bright pinks, lavenders and blues, with a bright sun bursting in the middle at Cornado beach, noted as the second best beach in the country by the Travel Channel.

After crossing the towering arched Cornado bridge, we toured the seven mile island, had a nice dinner on San Diego Harbor, before strolling along the Coronado beach. Teens on multi-person bikes giggled as they drove past us and the breeze caressed our skin while we admired Hotel del Coronado. The hotel, famous for it's appearance in many movies, is designated as a Historic Landmark and known as the first hotel in the world to have electricity.

Balboa Park offered us a chance to see the arts and cultural side of San Diego, California. Although we didn't get to visit everything because of it's grand size and limited time, we used the free trolley service to make the most of our stay. We visited the dog park, watched lawn bowling, strolled through rose and cactus gardens, the Botanical Building, and spent some time in San Diego Natural History Museum. The instant draw was the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit. Witnessing historical documents that were found in a cave off of the Dead Sea in Israel containing prayers, hymns, and other biblical books is not something you see everyday.

And yes, the exhibit was the reason we missed the San Diego Zoo. We didn't have time to do both, but it was a good decision. The Dead Sea Scroll exhibit was fascinating. There were plenty of other things that we never made it to too, such as the Museum of San Diego History, The Japanese Friendship Garden, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, and so much more. You can spend days in Balboa Park. It almost reminds me of the Smithsonian's in Washington, D.C. only not quite as large.

Traveling northwest, only about 10 minutes or less from Balboa Park, another unique experience awaited us. Old Town, San Diego, in Old Town Historic State Park, gave us a glimpse into San Diego in the 1800's. Considered the birthplace of California, San Diego is the where the first permanent Spanish settlement was. The park was created to preserve this rich history with a main plaza, exhibits, museums, living historical documents, restaurants, and shops. Walking through that area, I felt like I was really in Old Western times - some of the shops are housed in historic buildings that were renovated, taking you back in time with creaky wood floors, and old glass cases.

City life, beaches, culture, history - San Diego has it all. I am glad Hurricane Dean sent us on a "replacement" trip!