San Diego - Tourist Attractions / Parks

There are a number of noteworthy things to do when visiting San Diego. Balboa Park alone is home to over a dozen museums and cultural sites including the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Museum of Art,  historic Marston House, the Timken Museum of Art, the San Diego Natural History Museum and, amongst other things, a Japanese Friendship Garden. Also in the park is the Globe Theater, home to nationally recognized theater both Shakespearean and contemporary.

The coast offers up more attractions, from the historic Giant Dipper Roller Coaster at Mission Beach to the San Diego Coastline and Pacific Ocean sunsets. Hornblower Cruises take guests on narrated harbor tours, with a great overview of the varied natural and man-made history of the area. The Naval Base on Coronado offers tours of several vessels ranging from destroyers to submarines, depending on what’s in port and declassified, and the historic three-masted schooner Star of India is open year-round for tours, along with two other vessels managed by the San Diego Maritime Museum.

To wind up a day out and about, head for San Diego's renovated Gaslamp Quarter, the popular spot to catch dinner and a late night at some local club.