Walking Tours in San Diego

With all of San Diego's major attractions, such as the Zoo, Lego Land, and even Sea World, there are some sites that tend to fall into the background and be forgotten by the tourist or even one who has resided in San Diego for most, if not all, of their life. This article gives three ideas for the tourist or the San Diego adventurer to explore and discover. These places bring portions of San Diego to life in ways that help the explorer fully understand what life was like. These locations are non-profit organizations and only ask for a donation to help continue on with the preserving of San Diego's unique history.

1. Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. 410 Island Avenue, San Diego, California. This 1850 Saltbox style home is one of the city's original homes. Now it is home to Gaslamp Visitor Center for the Gaslamp District in Downtown San Diego. This self-guided tour offers a glimpse into the life and times of San Diego when it a new city.

2. La Jolla Walking Tours. www.lajollahistory.org. This walking tour covers over twenty blocks and taking a leisurely pace will only take an hour and a half to complete. The tour has over fifteen stops that showcase La Jolla's history, architecture and culture of La Jolla Village as well as showcasing structures dating back to the 1890s and the ocean's natural beauty. The twenty page guide book is available through the La Jolla Historical Society Store. The price of the guide book (approximately $6) helps keep the society running. With San Diego's near perfect weather, this tour is good any time of the year.

3. San Diego Chinese Historical Museum. 404 3^rd Avenue, San Diego, California. www.sdchm.org or www.asianpacificdistrict.org. Showcases San Diego's rich Chinese history as well as from around the world. The tranquil garden with a koi pond built in the heart of San Diego and on the original site of San Diego's Chinatown; it is quiet place to explore in amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown life. Not only does this museum offer a guided tour, it is also partnered with the Asian Pacific District marketplace which showcases gifts as well as foods from the culture.

Tie up your shoes, grab a bottle of water, a camera and a backpack and come explore a few of the lesser known locations that make San Diego unique in every sense of the word.