I will be visiting the San Diego and San Bernadino areas for a job convention next week. I am not at all familiar with the area but have a couple of open days and looking to explore. What interesting or amazing things I should see while there? What say you?

It's been a while (20 years) since I lived in San Diego, but I loved spending time on Coronado (Hotel del Coronado), Shelter Island (Humphrey's), and Sunset Cliffs.

The San Diego Zoo had a world-class reputation, but I liked the Wild Animal Park out in Escondido (apparently now called the Safari Park).

Check out the USS Midway or Balboa Park has numerous museums plus the San Diego Zoo. My favorite thing there is the Ruben H. Fleet Areospace Museum. If you find yourself in the Gaslamp District hungry I recomend Fogo de Chao

I’ve stayed in Oceanside for work a few times. Beautiful beach. Also on Thursday nights they do a street fair/market thing that’s awesome. No idea if Covid shut that down though.

Interestingly I’ve also noticed the pier at Oceanside beach is where Mark Dice interviews all the liberal morons.

Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial.

I have family in Sandy Eggo and I am especially fond of Mount Soledad. It's one place I always visit when I'm there.

The view is extraordinary, and the sunrise and sunsets are stunning. The 360 degree view is fantastic.

It's a Memorial to US Military Veterans if you want to go pay your respects. The drive up and down is really cool to see the homes, etc.

It's actually on the edge of La Jolla, Mount Soledad is something like 13 miles from downtown. It's not commercially promoted because there is just no money to be made by vendors, business, etc there.
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watch marines graduate no dry eyes.

One of the best cheeseburgers I've ever had was at the Balboa Grill in San Diego.
https://www.thebalboabarandgrill.com/

JP

I haven't lived in SoCal in 15 years, but I've been back quite a few times. San Diego (nice) is the antithesis of San Bernadino which is why all of the recommendations have been the San Diego area.

As far as the coast, I like the La Jolla Shores area. Nice variety of terrain - sandy beaches, cliffs, and reefs.

Del Mar's horse racing season begins Nov 3rd. I don't know much about horse racing or betting, but still had fun.

If you like wine, there is a neat little wine country area called Temecula that is in between San Diego and San Bernadino. Miramonte was my favorite, and Wilson Creek's almond champagne was memorable (still pick it up occasionally)>

Do the Zoo.

Stay away from Sea World. As a 60 year, lifelong resident of San Diego I can loudly proclaim, " IT SUCKS NOW."

Along with the misguided experience, removing yourself from their pushed emails is impossible.

I went to Cali for my first time a few years ago, I work trip. A co-worker and I flew into San Diego. We got there about lunch and found a restaurant fairly close to the airport to eat lunch at. We sat by the window and during our lunch had the privilege of seeing a homeless guy across the street bathing with the water from a water fountain. I recall all the homeless people everywhere.

I was trying to remember what we visited, we went to Old Town San Diego, there was also a neat car museum somewhere in the area. We were only there for a couple of days so we did not get to see much.

(Scribbling a note to myself: Next time in San Diego, go to LS1gto guy's house and drink all his beer. Then stumble over to PipeSmokers and drop off a case of fancy crackers.)

San Berdo---Bass Pro Shop
San Diego---Safari Park

My email in profile. Hit me up and I can help you out on suggestions that would fit your time parameters. I am in North San Diego County.

The Torey Pines Gliderport!

You can stand within a few feet of parasails and hang gliders taking off and landing. Entertaining RC gliders too. You can even buy parasail rides (you’re tucked in right behind the pilot). The rising off-ocean breeze allows them to stay aloft indefinitely. Open only on weekends. There’s even a sandwich shop.

https://www.flytorrey.com/

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
(Scribbling a note to myself: Next time in San Diego, go to LS1gto guy's house and drink all his beer. Then stumble over to PipeSmokers and drop off a case of fancy crackers.)

Dude - I'm in PQ and used to hunt in Woodward Co. Ms Sharon was my friend.

May Pipesmoker(?) myself,and others - we make for a lunch date at at Fisherman's Sporthouse on Missions Bay??

^^^^ Copy Sharon, understood ^^^^

Young neighbors next door know Sharon quite well.

Safari park > Zoo

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
^^^^ Copy Sharon, understood ^^^^

Young neighbors next door know Sharon quite well.

I was once asked by the Mayor - should Sharon have [more than one] two stop signs?

My answer, "depends on how many people travel through her."

I really hope she only needs to [still] say "stop" once. McDonalds might like that.

As far as San Diego, the USS Midway museum is way cool. The Corvette Diner has always been a favorite from its original days in Hilcrest to now as part of the redevelopment of the Presidio, Liberty Landing. Sunday brunch at Humphrey's absolutely rocks. Always enjoyed hiking around Cabrillo National Monument at the end of Point Loma.

From first hand experience I can tell you that San Berdoo is an overall shithole. Do your business and stay in at night. When you can, GTFO and don't look back.
As for San Diego, try the Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park. https://sandiegoairandspace.org/
Have a good time.

San Bernardino....ummmm, there's no a whole lot there; low-end, dirty, sprawl come immediately to mind. Its home of the 909ers, when you get there and see it, you'll know.
You could take a hike up or, around Mt Baldy. Its a part of the LA-region that most residents never visit or see.
For goods eats, check out the historic Mitla Cafe, possibly originated the hard shell taco and where Taco Bell founder Glen Bell got 'inspired' to start Taco Bell. For what it's worth, McDonald's originated in San Bernardino, I believe the original location is still standing.

For San Diego, much depends on where you're staying and do you have a rental car.

Balboa Park has much of the parks and museums, the famous San Diego Zoo, SD Air & Space Museum, SD Auto Museum, Museum of Photography, etc....there's a lot of museums in a concentrated area. SD Zoo is quite massive, its very well put together and not hard to see why its one of the leading zoo's in the country.

There's a lot of solid and interesting neighborhoods and each of them have really good food. Gaslamp District is the big tourist hot spot adjacent to downtown. Lots of hotels, restaurants and tourist traps. Nearby Little Italy isn't as over-run with tourist attractions and has better restaurants and hang-outs. North Park is bit more hipster, lots of solid restaurants, younger bars with a variety of live music venues. LaJolla is the upscale residential area, also plenty of shopping and places to eat situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific; LaJolla Cove is a popular spot to take a dip into the Pacific. If you're looking for that West Coast beach vibe, Pacific Beach fills that roll. Ocean Beach resembles San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury (hippies, gutter-rats, bohemian, counterculture, etc) but, on the beach; SD institution Hodad's Burgers is located here. Cabrillo National Monument at the end of Point Loma, is a great spot to unwind, get some air, get a light hike in, and enjoy a great view of all the Navy action in the Bay. Coronado situation across the bay, known for the historic Hotel Del Coronado, along with the nearby Navy SEAL training base. Grab a cocktail at the bar and you might see the next SEAL training class run by.

If you're able to go up the North Coast, drive-up the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and check out Encinitas. This is the idealized SoCal beach community. The downtown-main drag has plenty of shopping, places to eat/drink and generally kill some time..and the beach is nearby.

Let us know some more details and we can recommend places to eat, lots of fish tacos and breweries...so many breweries.