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Justin Meissen
Anza-Borrego Desert
Justin Meissen photo
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Balboa Park
KGS Imaging photo
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Belmont Park
Chris Lee photo
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Birch Aquarium
mliu
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Photographer:hepherson
Galletta Meadows Sculpture
Harry Pherson photo
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Tim Buss Carlsbad CA 92011
Galletta Meadows Sculpture
Tim Buss photo
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Tim Buss Carlsbad CA 92011
Galletta Meadows Sculpture
Tim Buss photo
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Gaslamp District
Nathan Rupert photo
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Julian
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La Jolla Ecologicl Reserve
Tomcio
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Picasa
Mission de Alcala
Chris M. Morris photo
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Mission de Alcala
Rennett Stowe photo
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Mission Trails Regional Park Rattlesnakes
Ensie & Matthias photo
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Kellina Handbasket photo
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U.S.S. Midway
Kenny Chung photo
By Debbie Sipe
After you've been to Sea World, Legoland, the San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park?
So what do you do in San Diego after you’ve been to Sea World, Legoland, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park? Those four parks are actually just the tip of the iceberg of what there is to see and do in San Diego County.
While Sea World (www.seaworldparks.com), the Zoo (zoo.sandiegozoo.org) and Safari Park (sdsafaripark.org) and Legoland (california.legoland.com) are well known, San Diego County has numerous lesser known attractions that are equally compelling destinations, including historical sites, museums and natural wonders. They include:
Amusement Parks
Belmont Park: This beachfront amusement park features The Plunge, the largest indoor swimming pool in Southern California, as well as bumper cars and roller coasters, including the Giant Dipper high speed roller coaster, built in 1925. It’s scarier than you think. www.belmontpark.com
Aquariums
Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla: The aquarium features 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and beyond. The aquarium also has a two-story, 70,000 gallon tank with a living kelp forest and dive shows as well as exhibits with leopard sharks, stingrays, barracudas and sea horses. Tide pool displays include starfish, lobsters and hermit crabs. The aquarium’s oceanographic museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps scientists of climate, earth and ocean science. www.aquarium.ucsd.edu
Historical Sites
Balboa Park: Located near downtown San Diego, Balboa Park is the site of 17 museums and features numerous historical buildings that were built for the first world’s fair, the 1915-16 Panama California Exposition, which commemorated the opening of the Panama Canal, as well as the second world’s fair, the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. www.balboapark.org
Gaslamp Quarter: A National Historic District where Victorian era buildings and modern skyscrapers stand side by side, the Gaslamp quarter is San Diego’s premier shopping, dining and entertainment district, with over 200 restaurants, bars, nightclubs, boutiques and art galleries. www.gaslamp.org
Julian: Located at the 1280 m (4,200 ft) level in pine and oak covered mountains an hour east of San Diego, Julian is a historic gold mining town that features historic architecture, art galleries and quaint shops. The local speciality is apple pies made from the fruit of local apple orchards. www.julianca.com
San Diego Mission de Alcala: Known as the “Mother of Missions,” this is the oldest of California’s 21 Spanish missions, founded in 1769 by Junipero Serra. The mission remains an active church and has a museum and special events. www.missionsandiego.com
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park: Located next to the San Diego Mission de Alcala, Old Town is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. Today, Old Town features numerous historic buildings, exhibits and museums, including Whaley House, which has been officially designated as a haunted house. Old Town has numerous restaurants and stores as well as living history demonstrations. www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com
Museums
U.S.S. Midway: One of America’s longest serving aircraft carriers is now a museum with more than 60 exhibits and 29 restored aircraft. Activities include fighter jet flight simulators. Visitors typically spend three to four hours here. www.midway.org
Natural Wonders
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Located in eastern San Diego County, this is the largest state park in California. A popular location for photographers, Anza Borrego offers 800 km (500 mi) of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and many miles of hiking trails. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake. An archeology themed weekend is planned for April 5-6 with field trips, lectures and special activities for children. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
La Jolla Ecological Reserve: Located at the south end of Kellogg Park, this is a 6,000-acre marine life preserve and aquatic recreation zone that includes a kelp forest and two underwater canyons that are up to 180 m (600 ft) deep. The reserve is a popular attraction for kayakers, swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers. Private companies provide kayak tours to see the caves that are located within the reserve. www.bikeandkayaktours.com
Lake Cuyamaca: Lake Cuyamaca offers boating and fishing opportunities for trout, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill and sturgeon. The lake is located at the 1400 m (4,600 ft) level in the pine and oak covered mountains near Julian. www.lakecuyamaca.org
Mission Trails Regional Park: This park features some of the most scenic and rugged terrain in San Diego County, including excellent locations for hiking and rock climbing, as well as Lake Murray, a popular fishing lake. The park has a visitor’s center with a 94-seat theater and offers guided nature walks, bird walks and wildlife tracking walks. The San Diego Astronomy Association is planning to set up telescopes for viewing the stars and planets on the second Friday of every month. The San Diego Native American Flute Players also perform at the park on the second Sunday of each month. Other special events are planned throughout the year. www.mtrp.org
Galleto Meadows: Dotted around Borrego Springs are dozens of giant sculptures depicting creatures that once inhabited this now desert region. The sculptures are the creation of Ricardo A. Breceda of Perris, California. These works of art were commissioned by the late Dennis Avery and sit on land he owns and allows the public to use. www.galletameadows.com
Visitors to San Diego County can make their trips even more memorable by staying in local campgrounds, many of which have a wide variety of onsite activities as well as unique rental accommodations ranging from furnished safari tents to furnished cabins, RVs and park models. Here’s a few of them:
Chula Vista RV Park & Resort in Chula Vista: This park has its own 552-slip marina, a general store with a ladies boutique, a picnic area with barbecues, a swimming pool and spa and two waterfront restaurants, the Galley at the Marina and South Bay Fish and Grill. Special events are also planned throughout the year, include Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations with mimosas as well as dinner barbecues with dancing. A build-your-own wooden boat day is scheduled for Sept. 20 that will include wooden boat races. www.chulavistarv.com
Pio Pico RV Resort and Campground in Jamul: This Thousand Trails park features RV and tent sites as well as cottages, trailers and park model cabins that include kitchen facilities. www.rvonthego.com/ca
The Springs at Borrego RV Resort in Borrego Springs: Located just outside Anza Borrego State Park, this RV resort has an onsite spa and wellness center as well as an amphitheater for concerts and other special events. Activities during the cooler months include classes in water aerobics, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Yoga in addition to tennis clinics and line dancing. The resort also offers frequent wine tasting social hours as well as periodic “star parties” with world-renowned astronomer and sky photographer Dennis Mammana, the next of which is scheduled for Easter Sunday, April 20. The parties include a buffet-style dinner, after which Mammana provides a short lecture and slide show on a particular topic. He then invites the participants to look into the galaxies through telescopes that are set up within walking distance of the park for the convenience of resort guests. www.springsatborrego.com
Additional travel planning resources for San Diego County are available at www.Camp-California.com, which includes listings of campgrounds that provide unique rental accommodations.
Debbie Sipe is executive director of the California Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.