A Day In San Diego, California

Tijuana River Estuary and Tijuana Slough Refuge are down in Imperial Beach area just north of the Mexican border. There is a cute little interpretative center there along with some good hiking trails that takes you through the area's version of a swamp where the water fowls hang out. San Elijo and Solana Beach are good surfing beaches up to the north. There's a good campground overlooking a surfing-friendly beach... and when the wind kicks up you can catch the local hipsters para-surfing along Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

 

Downtown San Diego is on the east shore of the San Diego Bay. No beach there, but the Embarcadero Marina Parks South has a good fishing pier (no fee, no license needed) where you can sit and watch all sort of boats and the patrolling sea gulls (and pelicans and other water birds). Occasionally the Maritime Museum would stage 'Cannon Battles' on the bay among a few of their tall ships. The tips of Broadway Pier and Navy Pier (where the USS Midway is at) offer great vintage points for watching that.

California Tower at the Museum of Man viewed from the Prado

Sunset from Top of the Hyatt Lounge

When you are tired of the waterfront, there is always Balboa Park, of course. There are always something interesting to see along El Prado. And if you drop in on a Sunday afternoon, check to see if there's a free concert at Spreckels Organ Pavilion, too.

There are many good places to catch a spectacular sunset in the City of San Diego, the Top-of-the-Hyatt Lounge on the 40th floor of the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Marina District is one of them. I should warn you that a can of Diet Coke there costs $4, but you don't have to buy anything if you just stand in the hallway...