When you can not get any more shades of gray over Seattle and the spring equinox is far behind, consider replenishing your vitamin D capital and treat yourself with 3 days of sun in the Californian sweetness.
San Diego, the founding city of California, is accessible by Alaska Airlines daily less than 2 hour and 30 min away by flight.
Some ideas to spend really exotic 3 days / 2 nights :
Walking from the Gaslamp Quarter to Seaport Village, passing through Convention Center, you will discover its seafront with amazing views over the bay and skyscrapers. Once at Seaport Village, continue along the waterfront, do not miss the airlift USS Midway recalling the military history of San Diego, an important US Navy base and the principal port of the Pacific Fleet.
Fancy a nap in the shade of a giant cactus, Balboa Park is a landscaped park of 560 ha, the most former of the Pacific coast. In 1915, it served as a frame for an exhibition, the monuments are Colonial Spanish-Mexican style on the promenade del Prado and will plunge you almost in an episode of Zorro; whereas the buildings are little more than a century old. This park is also a home for fifteen galleries and museums as well as the famous zoo from San Diego!
For athletes and hurry, Balboa Park can be visited by bike.
Are you looking for some really old heritage? A trip to Old Town, the historic cradle of Spanish California, will immerse you 200 years back in a Mexican pueblo with haciendas, historically looking hotel and its very lively plaza. It is a very touristic place, with souvenir shops, restaurants abound and some old or reconstructed buildings giving home to small museums.
Visit one of California’s first San Diego De Alcala Missions founded by the Franciscan father, Junipero Serra in 1769. In 1823, 21 missions had already been created along the Californian coast uphill to the north. Distancing one by one from a day’s walk and 56 km in total, they constitute “El camino real”. It is a charming place even though it is now surrounded by highways and commercial centers .
Seaside resort in Coronado (late nineteenth): The peninsula hosts one of the largest wooden structures of the United States . The Hotel del Coronado, in Victorian style, has hosted many celebrities including Charlie Chaplin, Charles Lindberg, Marilyn Monroe (Some like it hot). Shops, ocean view restaurants, green spaces, beaches are accessible to all walkers. This part of Coronado was also named Tent City at the beginning of the 20th century, you will discover why on site. As for Frank Baum, this is the place that inspired him for his saga “The Wizard of Oz”.
Going along the Pacific Ocean towards the South, you will reach in a few minutes by car the most southern beach of the West Coast, before the Mexican border: the Imperial Beach, and also a paradise for surfers.
If you’re not scared, drive half a kilometer over the Pacific Ocean using the Fishing Pier. It was inaugurated in full national mourning, the day after the assassination of JF Kennedy. It was specifically built for fishing, a popular activity there thanks to the abundance of fishes. While dining on the terrace of the SEA180 you will have the pleasure to watch the sun set over the ocean.
For high-end shopping go to the village of La Jolla.
The seaside resort is perched on the cliff and offers restaurants looking down over the sea. Peaceful. The beach is below and it is not impossible that you find yourself nose to nose to a sea lion or seal when swimming.
To get around: rent a car at the airport or an electric scooter in the center ($ 1 for commissioning then 15 cents / minute).
Isabelle Guibourgé
