Introduction
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round climate, its natural deep-water harbor, and its long association with the U.S. Navy. The population was 1,301,617 at the 2010 census.
San Diego is one of the most pleasant big cities in the nation. Certainly the year-round warm weather and 70 miles of beaches contribute to the pleasantness and possibly even to the surprisingly low crime rate here in the nation's 8th largest city. The sweeping blue Coronado Bridge is the landmark of San Diego's skyline, which curves attractively along the edge of San Diego Bay. Once known mainly as home to a large Navy base, San Diego has grown into a major center for culture and recreation in California's southwest.
Places to Visit
San Diego Zoo Safari Park - Lions lounge in the grasslands while rhinos and antelopes cool off in a nearby watering hole. All this with no passport necessary. See the best of African wildlife on this memorable safari adventure in a park that's home to more than 3,500 animals. No need to go all the way to Africa to experience a safari--San Diego Zoo Safari Park offers a very realistic mini-safari excursion that lets you take in all the splendors of the savannah! Step foot inside the Safari Park's 1,800 acres, home to more than 3,500 animals and representing 429 species. Climb aboard the Africa Tram Safari for a quick trip around the park.
Air and Space Museum - From the first hot air balloon ride in 1783 to ongoing space shuttles, people never tire of going up, up and away. This top museum's collection showcases all types of excursions and don't miss the unique 3D/4D Zable Theater, where you feel like you're flying, too. Science, space and aviation history all become real at the San Diego Air & Space Museum California's official air and space museum. This venue is a dynamic monument built to celebrate aviation and space flight, to educate the public about aviation's social and historical significance, and to inspire students to excel in technology, mathematics and the sciences. As San Diego is one of the great American aviation hubs, it's only natural to pay a visit to this unique museum when you are in the area.
Coronado Ferry - The Coronado Ferry is the way to get to beautiful Coronoado Island, and your San Diego pass includes a round-trip ticket! Take a scenic, 15-minute ride to Coronado on a ferry that's miles away from everyday life. Departing downtown San Diego from both the Broadway Pier and the Convention Center, the Coronado Ferry drops you off at Ferry Landing Marketplace simply put, a shopper's paradise. The Marketplace offers a charming collection of shops, art galleries, fine restaurants and fun eateries surrounded by swaying palms and a beautiful view of downtown San Diego. The Marketplace's architecture recalls the gingerbread architecture of the iconic Hotel del Coronado just a mile southeast.
Belmont Park Unlimited Ride Wristband - Belmont Park is San Diego's only beachfront amusement center, and is home to the Giant Dipper, a rollercoaster built in 1925 that has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places, comprising 2,500 feet of track and thirteen heart-pounding hills and complete with a photo opportunity at the top. What other rides can you experience at Belmont Park? Without giving it all away, here's a look at just some of the excitement that awaits you at this sunny oasis of fun.
Old Town Trolley Tour - Climb onboard the Old Town Trolley and enjoy a two hour, fully narrated, fun-filled tour. Turn back the pages of history and see how San Diego became the birthplace of California. The San Diego Old Town Trolley tour makes 8 stops so you can disembark along the way and enjoy Old Town, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, Balboa Park, Coronado and the San Diego Zoo.
LegoLand - The newest addition to San Diego's amusement parks, LegoLand, located in Carlsbad, just north of San Diego, is just what its name implies. Based on the hugely popular interactive toy blocks everyone played with as kids, LegoLand brings it all to life with interactive rides and amusements for the younger set, especially those who are toddlers to preteens. But adults will enjoy LegoLand as well, especially the fascinating and impressive replications of famous cities using Legos and the new Knights' Tournament ride, a contraption where you ride on robotic arms that you control.
Sea World - Home of Shamu, Sea World brings ocean life right before your eyes. From entertaining and educational shows featuring Shamu the killer whale, dolphin interaction, shark and penguin encounters, as well as amusement rides like Shipwreck Rapids and the Journey to Atlantis water coaster, Sea World has something to entertain any age.
Balboa Park - The City of San Diego website states that Balboa Park is one of the largest cultural and entertainment complexes in the US. Balboa Park features fifteen museums, gardens, arts centers, restaurants and the San Diego Zoo. Some attractions within the park include the Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego Air and Space Museum, Timken Museum of Art and the San Diego Museum of Man.
Gaslamp Quarter - Like Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter acts as a throwback to early California history. The Gaslamp Quarter features Victorian architecture, art galleries, shopping and nightclubs for adult visitors. Most buildings within Gaslamp Quarter, as noted on the website Go World Travel, were built between 1873 and 1930. During Mardi Gras, the Gaslamp Quarter hosts a number of festivities to celebrate.
Birch Aquarium - Birch Aquarium was opened by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to both educate the public on marine life and further their oceanography research. This aquarium features over 60 different habitats within. Visitors can experience some hands-on exhibits to get even closer to marine life.
How To Reach
By Plane - San Diego International Airport (SAN) is just about 5 kilometres from downtown San Diego. Around 20 airlines serve San Diego, with the main destinations being Mexico City, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Portland, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Houston, Detroit, Honolulu, Memphis, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Salt Lake City, Denver, Maui, Boston, Albuquerque, Austin, Boston, Baltimore, El Paso, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Philadelphia. It's the second largest single-runway airport in the world, after London Gatwick Airport and is the largest metropolitan area in the USA without an airport being a hub or secondary hub for any airline.
By Train - The Pacific Surfliner operated by Amtrak travels between San Diego and Paso Robles stopping en route in places like Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Trains are reasonably frequent, running every two hours or so and very comfortable. Just north of San Diego, the tracks travel right alongside the ocean providing really great views. If you are coming from Los Angeles Airport, you can catch a Flyaway shuttle bus to Union Station. From there you can take Amtrak to San Diego.
Best Time To Visit
San Diego, California, is known for its near-perfect weather. The average daily temperature is 70.5 degrees F, according to the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, and seasonal fluctuations are moderate. That makes San Diego an ideal outdoors town, with visitors able to derive year-round pleasure from such popular tourist draws as sandy white beaches, two big bays, Old Town State Historic Park, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, the downtown Gaslamp Quarter and Cabrillo National Monument. Veteran travelers to San Diego insist September is the ideal time to visit what locals call "America's Finest City." After Labor Day and the start of school, the beaches and other tourist draws empty out. And yet the summer temperatures, and warm waters, typically linger until well past the start of October.
Things to Do
Shopping - The Gaslamp Quarter is crammed with specialty shops like the Wine Bank, where you can taste local cabernet sauvignons or buy rare clarets. Image-conscious locals pick up the hottest designer fashions in boutiques in La Jolla, Del Mar and Hillcrest. Go bargain-hunting in the Ocean Beach Antique District and find one-of-a-kind artworks and home furnishings in Cedros Design District. For inexpensive ethnic treasures, cross the Mexican border to Tijuana -- but check your gift limits before returning to the U.S.
Nightlife and Entertainment - Bronzed, well-dressed revelers begin their evening over cocktails and legendary Pacific sunsets at La Jolla Bay. Go downtown to the Gaslamp Quarter for an upbeat mix of nightlife -- from live jazz to Irish reels via techno DJs -- in bars that range from cozy to post-modern. Playful Mission Valley is the place to sample locally made beers in a brewpub and take your chances in the arcades. The much-lauded San Diego Symphony perform at Copley Symphony Hall.
Restaurants and Dining - Enjoy tacos with ice-cold cerveza (beer) in the Mexican-infused Old Town and Old World flavors from Mediterranean to classic French in the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter. For a thin-crust pizza with a bottle of chianti, head to Little Italy. Here, diners tuck into Eric Bauer's market-fresh cuisine over live jazz and blues in trendy supper club Anthology. Prospect Street is the heart of La Jolla's restaurant row, offering swanky dining, locally grown, organic dishes and ocean panoramas.
Language
In San Diego many languages are spoken everywhere but in general all use English. Next to English many will speak Spanish these two are mostly widely spoken language in San Diego. Other than these two there are many languages which is spoken by people from Filipinos, Somali and Chaldean are Tagalog, Cebuano, llocano, Pampangueno, Pangasinan, and Bicolano. But all these are not national languages of America these languages are widely spoken by people from the past history. In total there are 311 languages are spoken in San Diego.