San Diego Best Attractions

Cabrillo National Monument has amazing views of San Diego’s harbor and skyline, as well as Coronado and Naval Air Station North Island. On clear days, a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, Tijuana and Mexico’s Coronado Islands are also visible.

The Visitor Center is a good place to start your exploration of the park. There are exhibits, films, and ranger-guided programs which tell you the history of Cabrillo.

A short walk leads to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. This picturesque structure is restored to its 1880s appearance and presents life as it was for the lightkeepers and their families.

In the adjacent Assistant Keeper’s Quarters, interactive exhibits tell the story of the Lighthouses of Point Loma and, in a nearby historic military building, the exhibit “They Stood the Watch” presents the history of Fort Rosecrans.

A self-guided two-mile walk through a coastal sage scrub forest begins near the Lighthouse. This trail offers views of the harbor and city of San Diego and is particularly pleasant during the spring when wildflowers bloom. It’s also a quiet place to reflect and relax.

A little south of the Lighthouse is the Whale Overlook. This vantage point offers pleasant views of the Pacific Ocean and the New Point Loma Lighthouse. In the winter, migrating gray whales can be seen off the coast.

On the west side of the park is a small but beautiful stretch of rocky-intertidal coastline, where tide pools are accessible at low tide. It is also a wonderful place to bird watch year round, with as many as 200 bird species being seen in the area. You have to drive to get there.

There is an annual Cabrillo Festival Open House held each fall on Sunday.

For more information, park hours, and park fees click the link… http://www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm

Birch Aquarium is located in beautiful La Jolla and is part of UCSD. You can spend part of the day at the aquarium and then finish the day at the beach and exploring downtown La Jolla.

There are seven main exhibit halls:

- Hall of Fishes, featuring more than 60 tanks of Pacific fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the Caribbean. The largest habitat is a 70,000-gallon kelp tank forest. The tank can be viewed live online through the Kelp Cam.

- Shark Reef, a 13,000-gallon tank with shark species that inhabit tropical reef habitats, including whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, brownbanded bamboo sharks, Port Jackson sharks, and wobbegongs. Interpretive panels on shark biology and conservation accompany the reef.

- Tide Pool Plaza, featuring three living tide pools where visitors can touch and learn about tide-pool animals with docents. Windows in the habitats provide up-close views of starfish, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and other animals local to San Diego’s tide pools. The tide pool overlooks La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean.

- Coral Reef, featuring live coral and reef inhabitants such as lionfish, chambered nautilus, and giant clams. The gallery has interactive displays on the latest Scripps research on coral reefs around the world. The staff creates live corals for aquarium displays without harming natural coral reefs.

- The Art of Deception showcases marine creatures that use camouflage for survival, including frogs, fish and leafy sea dragons.

- Wonders of Water allows visitors to learn about erosion, water flow, and ocean currents by creating rapids, canals, dams and islands at interactive water stations.

- Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge presents the science of global warming and highlights Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s half-century of research on climate change.[9] Through interactive activities, the exhibit shows visitors current environmental changes and those projected for the future. It also presents the latest ideas for reducing carbon emissions. In Fall 2007, the exhibit was named the Silver winner in museum design for the 2007 Event Design Awards. Sponsored by Connecticut-based Event Design Magazine, the annual awards recognize the best designs worldwide across events, exhibits and environments.

For more information, ticket prices, and admission fees click on the link… http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/

Belmont Park is a great place to hang out. You pay per ride and there are carnival games, as well. You can ride a roller coaster built in 1925 named The Giant Dipper. It is fun for all ages!

There are thrill rides, an indoor mini golf course, bumper cars, shops, indoor swimming pool, and an arcade.

If there are no waves in the ocean, you can try your luck with the Flowrider waves. The Flowrider is an artificial wave maker that you can surf on. I’ve never done it, but you can watch people from the boardwalk and it looks really fun.

If you plan to ride more than four rides, you can get an unlimited ride wristband. When you are done with all the fun, grab an ice cream and go for a walk on the boardwalk. For more information, hours, and prices click on the link…

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