Surroundings, San Diego
|
|
San Diego's surroundings include the communities of La Jolla, Oceanside and Escondido.
Related Attractions
La Jolla, California
Just north of San Diego is La Jolla, a playground for surfing and hang gliding. The quaint town is full of upper end shops and cafés and the coast is lined with beautiful beaches and cliffs.
Coronado, California
Coronado is joined to San Diego by a bridge, or sightseers can take a ferry. One of the town's most famous attractions is the Hotel de Coronado.
| Highlights: |
|---|
Missions on El Camino Real
El Camino Real or The Royal Road is the home of 21 missions that dot the Pacific coast. Franciscan monks were instructed to build the missions as a means for the Spanish to better control the land.
San Diego Railroad Museum
The San Diego Railroad Museum's main facility is in Campo, 45 miles east of downtown San Diego. There is also a depot located next to the trolley tracks in La Mesa. The business office and library are located in downtown San Diego.The museum has more than 80 major railroad attractions at its two facilities in Campo and La Mesa.Highlights of the collection are Southern Pacific #2353 a ten wheeler steam locomotive and tender built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in 1912 and operated by the Southern Pacific Railway in passenger service until it was retired in 1957.There is also a good collection of diesel electric locomotives including the Oregon and Northwestern Railroad #1. At 162.5 tons it is the heaviest locomotive in the collection. The 1,600 horsepower road switcher was built in 1953 by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton and is equipped with dynamic brakes and a turbo charged engine.The museum runs a Two-Nation Train Tour between Campo and the picturesque town of Tecate, Mexico on a regular Saturday schedule.
| Highlights: |
|---|
Mission San Antonio de Pala -, Pala, California
Mission San Antonio de Pala was a branch of the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia and founded in 1816. The mission itself was built in 1826, part of a planned second series of inland Spanish Missions. It was restored and is open to the public featuring the museum, mineral room, gardens and a chapel.The bell tower is an accurate replica of the original, with two bells.
Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista is located south of San Diego. It has a Mediterranean-type climate that allows for many outdoor sports including sailing on San Diego Bay, to bicycling and horseback riding in nearby mountains, to fishing in freshwater lakes and the Pacific Ocean.
Chula Vista Nature Center
The Chula Vista Nature Center is in the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors can experience the natural history and ecology of the California wetlands. The center offer miles of hikes in which over 200 species of birds can be viewed some of which are endangered.There is also a petting tank where visitors can reach out and touch sharks and stingrays.
Arco Training Center
The Arco Training Center is a year-round, multi-sport Olympic training complex. The Copley Visitors Center presents a short film that provides a glimpse into the motivation behind the Olympic movement. After the film, visitors are taken on a narrated tour of the 150-acre campus.
La Jolla Underwater Park
San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park was established in 1970 and encompasses 6,000 acres from Alligator Head in La Jolla to Torrey Pines State Reserve in the north.Fishing is permitted in the park but not in a special area of over 500 acres set aside as a Marine Life refuge.
Temecula, California
Temecula is located about 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean in Riverside County. The Old Town Temecula Historical Preservation District has excellent shopping in Butterfield Square, wooden sidewalks, an abundance of antique shops and numerous art galleries. The countryside is noted for its horse ranches.
Temecula Valley Museum
Temecula Valley Museum has exhibits that feature various periods in time in the history of the valley and many cultural influences. Handcrafted artifacts, cultural items, ranching and farming equipment, documents, and photographs are displayed. Outside the museum are picnic facilities and a children's playground.
La Mesa - Computer Museum of America (closed)
ATTRACTION CLOSED.The Computer Museum of American was established by Jim and Marie Petroff in 1983, to preserve the history of computing.There are over 100 computers on display as well as a wealth of photos.
Mission Trails Regional Park
The Mission Trails Regional Park is situated on 5,800 acres eight miles northeast of San Diego. It was established in 1974 and is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States with 50 miles of trails for hiking.
| Highlights: |
|---|
Cleveland National Forest
The Cleveland National Forest covers more than 420,000 acres of land in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. Popular activities are camping and hiking.
Del Mar, California
Del Mar (pop. 4,860) is on the Pacific Ocean 20mi/32km north of San Diego. The fairgrounds host horse and car racing.
Torrey Pines State Reserve
On the boundary between La Jolla and Del Mar you will find Torrey Pines State Park, where one of the rarest species of pine in the world grows on the rocky subsoil of the cliffs and canyons by the Pacific. Apart from La Jolla, the Torrey pine (pinus torreyana) thrives only on the island of Santa Rosa, 30mi/50km southwest of Santa Barbara. It was identified as long ago as 1850 and bears the name of a famous contemporary American botanist.The park covers almost 1,000 acres/400 hectares of land: canyons, mesas (plateaux), many footpaths and a sandy beach almost 3mi/5km long. Here you can also watch sail-planes and glider.
Del Mar Fairgrounds
Located on Jimmy Durante Boulevard, the 375 acre Del Mar Fairgrounds is the site of a number of events including the annual Del Mar Fair, Scream Zone and the Holiday of Lights. Horse racing is a big draw for the site throughout the year.
El Cajon, California
El Cajon (pop. 88,693) is located east of San Diego and is noted for high-tech industries such as electronics and aircraft parts.
Heritage of the Americas Museum
The Heritage of the Americas Museum is located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. The building is divided into areas with exhibits of Natural History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Art, and Education.
Olaf Wieghorst Museum
Olaf Wieghorst was known for his portrayals of the nineteenth century cowboys, Native American Indians, and settlers. The Olaf Wieghorst Museum presents hundreds of paintings and sketches that he produced over his career.
Boomers! El Cajon
Boomers! El Cajon is a family fun center has three miniature golf courses, bumper boats and go karts.
Confederate Air Force - San Diego Wing
The Confederate Air Force San Diego Wing was formed in 1981 to preserve the aircraft and history of World War II aviation.
Encinitas, California
Encinitas (pop. 55,386) is on the coast north of San Diego. It is the site of the Quail Botanical Gardens.
San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Botanical Gardens
The San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas began as a private estate. Charles and Ruth Larabee landscaped the 30 acres with exotic plants from around the world. The San Diego Botanic Garden features one of the most diverse plant collections in the world. Visitors can hike and walk through trails that include a Mexican Garden, Undersea Garden, miniature railroad and an abundant variety of native California plants.
San Dieguito Heritage Museum
The San Dieguito Heritage Museum has local history exhibits that span over 10,000 years. Exhibits include a Kumeyaay Indian wicki-up and grinding stones, Mexican Ranchero costumes, an Olivenhain furnished shanty, and other changing exhibitions as well as displays of old fashioned toys and artifact.
Julian, California
Julian (pop. 1,300) is a late-1800s mining town from the nineteenth century known for its spring wildflowers and autumn apple harvest.
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
More than half the 25,000 acres of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is designated as wilderness. The park is located on Highway 79 east of San Diego. It features over 100 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. There is also fishing in season.
Julian Pioneer Museum
The Julian Pioneer Museum is housed in a late-1800s building containing 19th-century clothing, household furnishings, artifacts from gold mining and those of American Indian life.
Eagle and High Peak Mines
At the Eagle and High Peak Mines in Julian visitors can take a tour of a gold mine.
Poway - Midland Railroad
Midland Railroad features restored antique railroad equipment with locomotives, cable cars, trolleys and a caboose.
Palomar Mountain, California
Palomar Mountain is an observatory located 45mi/72km northeast of San Diego.
Palomar Mountain State Park
Palomar Mountain State Park is noted for the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, as well as camping, picnicking, hiking, and fishing for trout in Doane Pond. Palomar Observatory is located eight miles east of the Park.
Palomar Observatory
The highlight of a visit to the Palomar Observatory is the 200 inch Hale telescope. The observatory is an astronomical research facility that also has an 48-inch and 60-inch telescopes.
San Diego Zoo
La Jolla
San Diego
SeaWorld
Balboa ParkMap of San Diego Attractions
San Diego Map
