San Diego Things to Do Tips by Bwana_Brown

Zoo Skyfari Zoo Review

If you become tired of walking on the many trails in the Zoo, you can take a short-cut directly from one side of the Zoo to the other (from the Entrance area to the Polar Bear area) by means of the Skyfari gondola system. The waiting time was very short to access the gondola cars and it was well worth it for the great overview of the whole area as you silently float along! This is the view heading back toward the entrance area as we approach one of the restaurant complexes - Tree House Cafe/Albert's Restaurant.

Pacific Ocean Coronado Review

The Hotel del Coronado also had a large expanse of beach, looking out towards Point Loma where the Spaniards first landed on this coast. The Cabrillo National Monument on the point memorialized this act. This photo was taken from the Del's glass-walled promenade deck between the beach and their outdoor swimming pool area.

San Diego Zoo Zoo Review

Also located close to the downtown area of San Diego is the San Diego Zoo, which has been in operation since the early 1900s. The Zoo is located in a wooded valley and comprises numerous walking trails as well as a road system for the Zoo bus tours. There are a number of interesting species of animals located here - we found the gorillas to be particularly interesting. Also, the polar bears were very interesting to observe and it was great to observe hippos swimming underwater through the glass-paned viewing area. We arranged our all-day tour from the resort for US$28 - it included admission, a half-hour bus tour to get a relatively quick idea of the entire zoo and two tickets to the aerial sky-tram system. Although the Zoo was very well organized, it did not have a major impact on me because I had seen many of the animals in their native habitat in Africa.

Old Town Old Town Review

A complex of older buildings located in downtown San Diego has been preserved as a tourist shopping area, and is known as Old Town. This is also the location where the Trolley-tour of the town starts and ends. Photo of one of the buildings in mid-morning before the crowds have built up.

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier

Looking out into the San Diego harbour, one could see one of the few US Navy aircraft carriers that was not deployed overseas in response to the Iraq crisis at the time - the USS John C. Stennis distantly visible in the centre of the photo.

Yacht Basin Seaport Village Review

Also in the Seaport Village area was this large basin where many yachts were docked, right beside the tourist shopping area.

Seaport Village Seaport Village Review

One of the Trolley-tour stops included the Seaport Village area along the San Diego harbour waterfront. This is an area of shops and restaurants located close to the cruise ship docking wharfs.

del Coronado Courtyard Hotel Del Coronado Review

The Hotel del Coronado had a very large enclosed rectangular courtyard amongst its many nooks and crannies.

Hotel del Coronado Hotel Del Coronado Review

Actually, if I had to pick a favourite activity for San Diego - it would be the Hotel del Coronado. It is the largest all wood building in the USA, constructed in 1888 as a luxury hotel on the Pacific Ocean. We only had a short time to tour parts of the hotel on our Trolley tour of the city but, what I did see, was amazing! The opulance of the dark wood interiors, the well manicured grounds, the fantastic ocean view, etc. This location has been used by various Presidents to host visiting royal guests and I would say that it was definitely up to the task!

Address: Coronado Island