Visit San Diego, California

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Like so many California cities, San Diego is named for a Catholic saint, San Diego de Alcala. San Diego also shares its name with the flagship of the Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino, who surveyed the harbor and the areas now known as Mission Bay and Point Loma in the early 1600’s. San Diego has grown to become California’s second most populous and the 8th largest city in the United States. San Diego boasts a mild year round climate, miles of sandy beaches, a large, natural deep-water harbor and a myriad of attractions that support its significant tourism industry. The United States Navy has a long relationship with the city. Perhaps favorite among San Diego’s tourist destinations are the many gently sloping sandy beaches that grace the coastline where one can swim, surf, build sand castles, explore tidepools or just soak up the sun. Because most face west, the beaches are also spectacular places to take in a romantic sunset. Another draw is cruising San Diego Harbor to gaze upon the sights of the Coronado Bridge and Coronado Island, Point Loma, the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet and the city skyline. Coronado Island (the land mass is actually a peninsula) is a slim strip of the earth between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean that contains a sandy beach, generally considered as one of the best in the country, a bustling quaint downtown, a classic hotel and a laid back lifestyle that makes it hard to believe the busier part of San Diego is just around the corner. Many visitors to San Diego opt for the popular attractions such as Sea World, at Mission Bay, the California outlet of a chain of ocean themed amusement parks that boasts a killer whale show starring the highly recognizable “Shamu” among its other attractions. A trip to the water oriented theme park provides a day’s worth of exploring that allows opportunities to view ocean creatures up close in specially designed enclosures as well as staged performances by well trained participants including sea lions, birds and dolphin. San Diego also boasts a world class zoo, The San Diego Zoo and its sister attraction, San Diego Safari Park. The zoo has been in operation since 1916 and is consistently rated among the world’s top zoological parks. The Safari Park allows for observation of large animals in open areas, much like their natural environment and provides for a safari-like experience only a few minutes from the city. Another favorite of residents and visitors alike, Balboa Park, the USA’s largest urban cultural park, has over 25 museums and attractions but is also perfect for bike riding or strolling among the 8 botanical gardens located there. And, hearkening back to San Diego’s naval connection the USS Midway is permanently docked close to downtown with 25 aircraft aboard and is open to the public as a floating museum. The Midway was the longest serving U.S. Navy carrier and was the largest ship in the world between 1945 and 1955. San Diego also boasts professional sports teams, including Major League Baseball’s Padres and the National Football League’s Chargers. During each team’s respective season visitors join the hometown fans to cheer on the local team or perhaps root for a favorite rival that happens to be in town. San Diego is a perfect location for dreamers to plan that perfect getaway. Spectacular weather, miles of sandy beaches and a host of attractions makes for a worthy destination to be included on your list.

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