Hi
Got a coupe of days free in both places in March. First time in both. Any recommendations for not to be missed sights, eating, drinking, etc given limited time.
Also any areas of New York that are better to stay in from point of cost/convenience with regard to sights etc. Any hotels recommeneded for moderate budget?
Thanks
rich
San Diego’s great. It’s a beautiful clean city on a harbor, with a nice gaslamp oldtown district and by the waterfront there are lots of fun wharfs to walk on to look at the luxury boats. It’s got one of the best zoos in the world, where the landscaping cost more than the animals. Balboa Park is a beautiful large park with a great arboretum and decent art museum. Mission Bay is a lot of fun, for walking on the boardwalk and watching surfers, volleyball players and rollerbladers in thong bikinis, and it’s a great place for swimming in the ocean. Seaworld is great if you have kids and I’ve heard there’s a Legoland that’s fantastic fun for kids.
One of the best zoos in the world? THE best, mister! ha…
Anyways, yeah, check out Mission Bay/Ocean Beach… decent beach and antique roller coaster/boardwalk (well, antique for the west coast). I concur with the Gaslamp District and Balboa Park. Also maybe La Jolla Beach; there’s a strip of restaurants and shops along the beach near Seal Rock.
Go play on the Star of India while in San Diego. I did a seamanship course there, and sailed a couple of times on the world’s oldest ‘active’ sailing ship. Bloody marvellous!
The aerospace museum is pretty cool too. I remember a particularly bodacious strawberry/chocolate fondue there in a room with Phantom jet fighters and a Huey Cobra attack helo hanging from the ceiling above me.
There’s a bar out towards Shelter Cove advertising ‘Semi Live Music’. Avoid this place if at all possible. Ocean Beach is a great place for a night out, if you like surfy atmospheres and Californian girls.
You might be a bit early in the season for the ‘desert in bloom’ thing at Anza Borego, but if it happens then get out of town for a look-see.
Personally, I find the San Diego Zoo horribly overrated from a visitors perspective, although I am sure it is great from a research and conservation standpoint. I otherwise agree with most of the above suggestions. I am surprised nobody mentioned Old Town, a historic area with several shops and restaurants, most of which specialize Mexican (actually MexiCali) food, and margaritas. Pacific Beach is also good for clubbing and people watching. Tijuana, Mexico is pretty interesting, as well, although not the most attractive place around. PM me if you have any specific questions about SD or Tijuana, as I just moved from there a few months ago.
Wow. MT and everyone else already said what I wanted to contribute in regards to San Diego. Couldn’t agree more about the GREAT weather!! This city is very diverse and have some of the greatest museums, stores to visit. From Gaslamp, old town, to Mission Bay, La Jolla… and they also got some of the greatest food!!!
I used to go to the swap meet off 8 and I think it was the BOMB!! You can get those traditional mexican spicy mango there…ahh… i am getting hungry!!!
Any decent accomodations in Manhattan will set you back a C-note or more (and this is with really small rooms). Your best bet at “reasonable” prices will be other boroughs or New Jersey, and then take the subway or bus into the city.
No trip to San Diego is complete without stopping in at Rubio’s Fish Tacos for a meal. Absolutly wonderful taste and filling too.
MiakaW, do me a favor and pack a few up and airmail 'em to Beitou for me.
Balboa park is also a great place to hang out. The Old Globe and the Starlight for great theatre. The Starlight is funny. its out door and inn the flight path to Lindburgh Field. When the 747’s come flying over all action and dialogue on the stage freezes, and resume’s again when the plane has passed. One would think it annoying but you get used to it rather quickly.
Great Aerospace and Natural History Museum in the park as well, a fantastic Arboretum and plenty of street theatre aroudn the fountain.
If your into golfing a visit to Torrey Pines is a must do. Its where they played the Bing Crosby Classic (now renamed???).
If your lucky one of the aircraft carriers might be open for a tour. Its the home of the Pacific Fleet afterall. Although I’vve been aboard oone many years ago, my wife only got to see one during a harbor cruise, and her only comment was, “I thought they wre bigger!” Crazy woman, what was she comparing it too, a massive KTV building in Chia Yi?
San Diego’s Great. Rent a Car and Enjoy.
Chou
With a rental car, and a little more time, one can also check out the Wild Animal Park, which is a pretty cool place with African animals roaming free across the land, or if it hadn’t burned down in the fire this fall the wonderful Cuyamaca park, where I’ve often been hiking and seen deer, wildcats, hawks and lots of beautiful wilderness. But I’m afraid the latter is all cinders now ( 
).