SAN DIEGO – Perhaps the most perfect weather in the world. Fantastic beaches. And a world-renowned zoo. Most folks conjure up those images when they think of this city perched in the far southwest corner of the U.S. But you’ll also find wonderful shopping, museums with a Canadian angle and some of America’s best craft beer. Lucky for Canadians, Porter Airlines has announced service will begin between Toronto and San Diego later this year. San Diego is a year-round route,
starting Dec. 9, with four weekly flights.
Here’s a look at six great things to do and check out in beautiful San Diego.
PLAY IN LA JOLLA This coastal area just north of La Jolla is home to one of the best public golf complexes on the planet, Torrey Pines Golf Course. Just south of the two-course complex you’ll find a glider port, where hang gliders and paragliders ride waves of air that come off the Pacific and rise up the golden-yellow bluffs, creating perfect thermals. You can watch from the comfort of a picnic table or even try lessons or a tandem ride. The folks at Hike Bike Kayak can take you on tours of the stunning waters of La Jolla Cove, where sea lions swim in gorgeous, clear water below golden cliffs covered with wildflowers. The La Jolla Playhouse is internationally renowned and beautiful. The highly regarded play “Come From Away,” based on international travellers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland after 9/11, started here a few years ago.
Elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Circe Denyer/Unsplash Photo
THE SAN DIEGO ZOO Considered by many the finest zoo in the world, you’ll find lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) at the San Diego Zoo, as well as koalas, wallabies, elephants, gorillas, and spectacularly adorable pandas. There are brilliant coloured pink flamingoes, as well as unusual creatures such as South American tapirs and curly-horned, antelope-like creatures called Lesser Kudo. Try the aerial tram early in the day for smaller lineups. The zoo is situated in a lovely valley thick with fragrant eucalyptus trees, and you’ll also find colourful displays of azaleas and other flowering plants in winter or spring. If you’re more interested in watching animals in the wild, you’ll usually find gray whales off the shore of San Diego from December to April.
CULTURE GALORE IN BALBOA PARK You’ll find one of North America’s finest museum complexes in the park, which is just north of downtown. Among the 15 offerings are a small but fine Museum of Art with works from the likes of Gauguin and Picasso, an automotive museum with cool old cars (and newer ones) and a fun model railway museum. The Air and Space Museum includes a small display on Canada’s Billy Bishop, one of the top fliers for the Allied forces in World War I. Buildings are mostly designed in a Spanish style, with lovely tiles, gardens and fountains all around that make it a great spot to simply wander about.
SERIOUS SHOPPING Seaport Village is a beautiful, seaside shopping complex with everything from surf stores to Christmas shops and restaurants with patios and ocean views that will soothe the winter-battered souls of Canadian visitors. Old Town San Diego is the original centre of town, dating from the early 1800s. You’ll find Spanish/Mexican style adobe homes and old wooden buildings along with an old, one-room school house and Mexican restaurants with patios. The shops are mostly touristy but worth a look. The downtown Gas Lamp district has great food and lively bars. The North Park area is great for funky, independent shops. La Jolla has a great mix of chain stores and smaller boutiques. Check in at Legends Gallery in La Jolla for a permanent exhibit on local artist Dr. Seuss.
The San Diego coastline is especially beguiling around La Jolla. JIM BYERS PHOTO
BEACHES AND BEER San Diego has more beaches than you shake a tube of sunscreen at. Mission Beach is perhaps the most famous, with its souvenir shops and wooden roller coaster that give it an old-time, Coney Island feel. Coronado Beach is where more of the pretty people play, thanks to the fantastic Del Coronado Hotel. Coronado was named best beach in the U.S. in 2012 by a Florida professor known as “Dr. Beach.” La Jolla attracts more nature lovers and seekers of solitude and sea lions. San Diego also has some of the best craft breweries in the U.S., more than 100 at last count. Ballast Point makes wonderful beer (try their powerful IPA’s) and has a cool restaurant in Little Italy. Also highly regarded are Green Flash and Stone Brewing Co.
FOR THE KIDS Legoland California Resort in nearby Carlsbad features a Legoland Hotel, where rooms have Lego themes such as Adventure or Pirates. There’s also a water park where you can build your own Lego raft and, starting this summer, a place where kids can race each other on a water slide. Also a big attraction is the Star Wars: The Force Awakens mini-land, which has figures from several key scenes from the movie as well as lights, sound effects and animation. Lego Batman is making limited appearances in March and April of this year. Next door you’ll find the Sea World Aquarium, with sharks, jellyfish, octopus and rays. Carlsbad is a terrific destination I have written about in the past. Sea World is in the Mission Bay district of San Diego, close to downtown, and features killer whales, dolphins and other critters.
The rooftop pool at the Mission Pacific Hotel in Oceanside, California. JIM BYERS PHOTO
BONUS SIDE TRIPS The town of Julian, which sits at 3,000 feet and can get quite cool in winter, is famous for its apples. Stop at the Julian Pie Company for great apple pie and a cup of coffee. The Anza Borrego Desert also is close by, with stunning wildflowers this time of year. Just north of Carlsbad is the terrific seaside town of Oceanside, home to great, new hotels, a lovely Spanish mission, a cool art museum, a surfing museum, and much more.
A FAB NEARBY RESORT: The Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa is a five-star, luxury property just north of San Diego. The villas are stunning, the food is excellent, and the spa and swimming pools sensational.
