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Main Terminal at Old Town
Old town is where California was born. On September
9, 1850 California became the 31 st state of the union. In 1542,
the Spanish first came to what is now San Diego , back in 1601
a Mexican explorer by the name of Sebastian Viscaino was sent
by Spain to explore the California Coastline. About 160 years
later San Diego became California ’s first settlement when a mission
and fort were established in 1769. The town developed below as
retired soldiers and settlers built homes here. For the next 250
years Spain ruled, then in 1821, Mexico won independence from
Spain and along with it, California then Mexico ruled over California
. In 1848 the Mexican war saw he annexation of California to the
United States . On September 1850 California became the 31 st
state of the union. Today's Old Town recreates the setting of
California life during the Mexican and early American periods,
1821-1872. It became an historic park in 1968. you can find a
collection of 37 historic adobe and wood buildings from that era
where 3 original adobes have been restored, the Casa de Estudillo,
Machado y Stewart and Machado y Silvas. Buildings now house museums,
shops and restaurants. Sheriff house, is still active as a sheriff
office. El Campo Santo Cemetery, established in 1849. 477 bodies
were buried here, but not all stayed within the wall In 1889 a
horse-drawn streetcar line was built through part of the cemetery,
which later became San Diego Avenue . In 1942 it was finally paved
over, leaving as many as 18 graves under the street and sidewalk.
Harbor Loop (Red Line):
Embarcadero and Ferry Terminal at San Diego Bay
Along the embarcadero you can book cruise, an evening dinner cruise
or wale watching tour. Along Harbor Drive, you will find the Urban
Trees exhibition. It is the second iteration of the Port's original
"Urban Trees" program that results in the creation of
30 sculptural artworks based on a tree theme. These tree sculptures
are on a one-year temporary exhibition along the San Diego waterfront
Embarcadero. Under Urban Trees II, the Port commissioned 30 aditional
tree sculptures selected through a design competition held September
2004.
Take time to visit the Maritime museum, which exhibit’s the star
of India, the world’s oldest active ship built in 1863 is an iron
hulled square rigged sailing vessel that circled the globe 27
times, it still go into sea for special events, the Berkeley,
the chief and commondore ship , B39 submarine. Enjoy the stunning
sunsets as only found here in southern California.
The Port of San Diego welcomes over 190 cruise ships throughout
the year at San Diego's B Street Cruise Ship Terminal. Seasonally,
Holland America Line and Celebrity Cruises homeport in San Diego.
Other lines that will visit San Diego during the upcoming year
include Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Radisson
Seven Seas, Crystal Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Line, and The World of
ResidenSea. This terminal manages half a million people per year.
USS Midway
From here you can see Point Loma home to Cabrillo monument, and
further to our left Coronado, home to San Diego’s finest beaches,
and home to Hotel Del Coronado, one of the top ten resort destinations
in the world, which from the cruise ship terminal you can take
a ferry every hour till 10 pm to Coronado.
The USS Midway, launched in September 10, 1946 it was the largest
carrier ever put on sea. For nearly 50 years she saw action in
every major US conflict. In 1992 it was decommissioned she was
no longer the biggest, but she still remained the best of the
west. It opened as the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum on June
7, 2004. On board you will find more than 40 exhibits including
flight simulators and several aircraft, you could enjoyed a relaxed
afternoon in the Fan Tail cafÎ located at the rear of the carrier.
Since opening in 2004, it has seen more than a million visitors
and it’s the most popular historic naval ship museum in the Unites
States.
Seaport Village
Here you’ll find 4 miles of pedestrian only walkways. Here you’ll
find over 50one of a kind shops and 17 restaurants. Seaport Village
has one of the two best carousels in the nations, built in 1895
and features 54 animals. The Spanish style building on the right
was home to the old police headquarters in the era of 1939 and
was influenced by the Spanish colonial tradition of towers, courtyard,
tile roofs and arched openings.
Convention center
The construction of the 1.7 million square-foot building began
in March 1987 and was completed in November 1989. An expansion,
nearly doubled the building in size to 2.6 million total square
feet, was completed in September 2001. This year we are expecting
to have 250 conventions. That’s 3 every week. The San Diego Convention
Center is currently ranked 21st in size among the 375 convention
facilities in North America .
Petco Park
PETCO Park is spectacular in every way, combining the best sight
lines in baseball with breathtaking views of San Diego. Architecturally
magnificent, it celebrates the sea, the sky, the natural beauty,
cultural diversity and unique spirit of our region. Innovative
design features evoke the timeless traditions of baseball in an
intimate setting, with state-of-the-art fan amenities to suit
every taste and budget. The natural stone and stucco exterior
and lovely landscaping, including the Park at the Park beyond
the outfield fence, make this the garden spot of baseball, with
a relaxed yet dynamic atmosphere that reflects the San Diego lifestyle.
Concourses are spacious, open and airy. Signature towers and terraces
offer panoramic views of the Bay, the downtown skyline, Balboa
Park and the mountains on the horizon of America’s Finest City.
Fans are lower and closer to the action than at Qualcomm Stadium.
The playing field is asymmetrical, with dimensions and charming
features that accentuate traditional baseball values. The seating
bowl is divided into distinctive "neighborhoods." All
42,000 fixed seats are comfortable, with cup-holders and extra
leg room. Seats down the lines are angled to the infield. The
two upper levels are built on extended cantilevers, with the front
of the Terrace Level only 34 feet above the field, creating a
sense of intimacy reminiscent of the great old ballparks, but
with outstanding sight lines from every seat and no obstructed
views. The handsome and historic Western Metal Supply Company
Building has been renovated and incorporated into the Ballpark,
with the left-field foul pole attached to its southeastern corner,
334 feet from home plate. The 95-year-old structure houses the
Padres Team Store on the first floor, with a door opening onto
a standing room area in left field. The second and third floors
feature festive Party Suites. A restaurant on the fourth floor
provides terrace dining with superb views of the field. There
is bleacher seating and standing room on the roof, 80 feet above
the field. Located at the hub of the regional transportation system,
with easy access by car, Trolley, the Coaster, bus and future
water taxis, the Ballpark has ample parking and inviting promenades
to and from your vehicle or public transit. In short, PETCO Park
is attractive, efficient, comfortable and strikingly beautiful
— just like San Diego.
Gaslamp Quarter
One of San Diego's most popular neighborhoods; featuring a charming
blend of old and new building teeming with activity. Through the
late 1800s and into the 1900s this wild western town was called
the stingaree district. It was famous for its red light reputation
of gambling and drinking.
Most of the historic buildings have been restored to their original
character. Here you’ll be able to see charming Victorian-style
buildings constructed between 1880 and 1910. If you gaze at the
top of some of the buildings you will see the year they were built.
Today, the Gas lamp Quarter has something for everyone whether
you're seeking theatre , upscale shops or fine dining . By day,
by night this is a vibrant neighborhood alive with the sights
and sounds of America 's Finest City . You will find over 100
restaurants, 35 nightclubs and 100 retail shops. More liquor licenses
have been issued there than any place in the country even more
than Bourbon St New Orleans There are block parties commemorating
different events through out the year
Broadway Ave. and Horton Plaza
Broadway Ave. the most important avenue in San Diego . From here
you can see the NBC building and the Spreckles theater. The theater
was built in 1912; it has a 1464 seat showcase, the first modern
commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi . Spreckles has an
elaborate Baroque dÎcor that includes murals above the stage and
on the ceiling.
Horton Plaza is named after Alonzo Horton who purchased 960 acres
of land for approx. 27 Cents/acre total of $265.00 in 1867. Alonzo
Horton developed it into what is now down town San Diego this
moved the center of San Diego to the Waterfront area giving the
City its unique scenic location. The Westfield Shopping town Horton
Plaza now occupies six and one-half blocks of the heart of San
Diego-Central and provides a festive commercial heart for the
city. Opened in 1985, Horton Plaza was designed by the Jerde Partnership
of San Diego to resemble an European market place and to function
like an amusement park for shoppers. The architects also included
elements of San Diego 's history in their design.
Little Italy
The earliest italian families came to San Diego during the 1860's
and 1870's. By the first decade of a new century the area known
as Middletown was populated with Portuguese and Genoese fishing
families who founded San Diego's tuna industry. By the late 1930's,
the waterfront strip south of Washington Street had a business
district, fish canneries, and a residential neighborhood supported
by the nearby fishing and aircraft industries. Eventually the
concentration of homes and businesses became known as Little Italy.
More than 6,000 families once lived in Little Italy.
Parks and Zoo Loop (Blue Line):
Heritage Park
Heritage Park near San Diego State Historic Park in Old
Town is an almost eight acre county park developed to preserve
examples of San Diego's historic Victorian architecture including
Italianate, Stick-Eastlake, Queen Anne and Classick Revival styles.
Heritage Park was a joint effort of the county and the Save Our
Heritage Organization. The expansion of downtown San Diego after
WWII threatened the buildings that now reside in Heritage Park
with demolition. They were acquired and relocated to this location
over a period of 25 years. Funds for purchasing, moving and restoring
these historic Victorian structures came from both public and
private sources. Heritage Park restored Victorians are owned by
the county and leased to private and commercial entities who are
responsible for interior renovation and operation in keeping with
the Park's Victorian theme.
Hillcrest
In 1906 William Wesley Whitson purchased the 40-acre George Hill
estate for $115,000. The following year Whitson opened a sales
office at Fifth & University to sell building lots. His sister-in-law,
Laura Anderson who recommended that he buy the land, named the
subdivision ÒHillcrest.ÓAs one of San Diego's oldest communities,
Hillcrest has a rich history that should be shared.
San Diego Zoo
The history of the San Diego Zoo began with the Panama-California
International Exposition in San Diego 's Balboa Park . Many foreign
animals were eagerly brought to San Diego for the Exposition and
put on display at the Park. Wegeforth had a dazzling passion for
animals. He believed animals were just as important as people
and there his quest began. Dr. Wegeforth founded the zoon in 1916
with animals left over from the Panama-California Exposition.
It took him 15 years, but he zoo eventually escaped the prodding
and nitpicking of politicians. Today the zoo is more than 100
acres and its cares for more than 400 rare and endangered animals
representing 800 different species. The zoo is also an accredited
museum for its lush horticulture the plants are rarer than the
animals , and its best known for its conservation work, especially
with the giant pandas from china. Research on the survival of
endangered species is on-going. If you still think this is not
enough for you here, you can experience the hiking trails, a swimming
pool. A casting pond for fly fishing, and 2 public golf courses.
Balboa Park Miniature Railroad. This miniature locomotive holds
48 passengers and takes a 3-minute, _-mile trip through four acres
of Balboa Park . The locomotive is one-fifth the scale of the
General Motors F3 diesels, which pull the Santa Fe ’s Super Chief.
The train is a model G16 – now a rare antique with as few as fifty
currently remaining. Since 1948, when the locomotive was introduced
in the Park with great pomp and ceremony, over 5 million passengers
have ridden on board. A conductor in a railroad cap and overalls
runs the miniature train on Saturdays, Sundays, and daily during
school vacations, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 pm.
The Natural history museum, the Ruben HFleet Science Center ,
inside the center you’ll find the world’s first IMAX dome theater.
Basically a movie theater where you are surrounded by the screen
and you’ll sell like you are part of the screen. Very intense,
kids love it. There are over 100 interactive science exhibits
that will appeal to visitors of any age, as well as Comet IMPACT,
a motion simulator ride featuring a comet headed straight for
Earth. The rich ethnic diversity of San Diego is reflected in
the Park's institutions: the Centro Cultural de la Raza; the World
Beat Center (celebrating cultures of African origins); the Museum
of Man anthropological museum; the Mingei Museum of International
Folk Art; the Japanese Friendship Garden, and the House of Pacific
Relations–17 cottages which are home to groups of diverse national
origin. Each Sunday afternoon, one of the houses sponsors ethnic
folk dances, music or entertainment.
The sports museum and Automobile museum. The permanent collection
contains more than 80 historic autos and motorcycles -- including
Frank Sinatra’s 1967 Austin Petrol Hire Car and Russell Crowe’s
Harley-Davidson. You’ll also see the cottage village where 30
groups promote international peace and understanding.
The spreckels organ pavilion John D. and Adolph Spreckels donated
the Spreckels Organ, one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs,
to the City of San Diego in 1914 for the Panama-California Exposition.
This unique organ contains 4,530 pipes ranging in length from
the size of a pencil to 32 feet and is housed in an ornate vaulted
structure with highly embellished gables. Since 1917, San Diego
has had a civic organist, who performs free weekly Sunday concerts.
Also here is the Japanese friendship garden. And as we come up
here you’ll see the art museum and to the left under the 200 ft
California towers is the museum of man.
Balboa Park
A very special part of san Diego, This place is larger than New
York City’s Central Park and older than Golden Gate Park in San
Francisco, home to the Balboa Naval Hospital, opened in 1909 and
it’s the world’s largest military hospital, taking up 79 of the
1200 acres of the park.
Balboa Park is made up of more than 1000 acres and offers fifteen
museums, various gardens, arts and international culture associations,
as well as the San Diego Zoo, making it a place that offers something
historical, horticultural, educational and recreational for everyone.
Approximately 14 million visitors come to the park each year.
Balboa Park now serves as the largest cultural complex west of
the Mississippi . Here to our left you’ll see the World Beat Center
which celebrates cultures of African origins, and the Centro Cultural
de la Raza which emphasizes Mexican heritage.
Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden this is an award-winning
All-America Rose Selection Display Garden containing over 2,400
rose bushes in 180 varieties. Recently honored by the World Federation
of Rose Societies as one of the top 12 public rose gardens in
the world; one of only 2 in the United States to receive this
distinction. The garden is in peak bloom during April and May,
although many roses are in bloom from March through December.
This garden is one of the most popular wedding spots in the Park.
Open 365 days a year.
Desert Garden There is about 1,300 plants including succulents
and drought-resistant plants from around the world. Peak blooming
period is January-March. Open 365 days a year,
The History of Balboa Park
In the late 1800’s A 1,400-acre tract of land was set aside by
City leaders for a public park. Horticulturist Kate O. Sessions
was given 30 acres in City Park, as it was known, for a private
nursery. In return, she planted 100 trees a year in the Park and
300 trees and other plants throughout San Diego. Sessions became
known as the "mother of Balboa Park" because of her
many plantings and exotic plant introductions to the area. In
the begining of the 1900’s The first master plan was prepared
for Park improvements and beautification. A City tax was levied
to support the Park’s master plan. Water systems were installed,
and roads were built. The Park began to look much like it does
today. The Park covers a huge 1,200 acres and it’s minutes away
from downtown San Diego. We have over 85 cultural and recreational
organizations here, including fifteen museums and various performing
arts groups, like the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre and the world-famous
Old Globe Theatre, which presents at least 14 productions and
550 performances a year. And speaking of "world famous,"
we’re also home to the San Diego Zoo, where you can stroll around
the 100-acre grounds, discovering colorful and exotic species
of animals displayed in spacious natural habitats.
Balboa Park is also acclaimed for its horticultural treasures
– a host of glorious gardens including an award-winning rose garden
and a butterfly garden; rare plant species; 58 different varieties
of palm trees; and an outstanding Botanical Building housing over
2,000 different tropical plants. All these botanical marvels are
set among manicured lawns, shady groves of majestic trees or nestled
within peaceful vistas.
The rich ethnic diversity of San Diego is reflected in the Park’s
attractions: the Centro Cultural de la Raza; WorldBeat Center
celebrating cultures of African origins; the Japanese Friendship
Garden; and the House of Pacific Relations–17 cottages which are
home to groups representing 30 different nations. You can explore
all these wonders and more in beautiful Balboa Park, the largest
cultural complex west of the Mississippi.
The Park covers a huge 1,200 acres and it’s minutes away from
downtown San Diego. We have over 85 cultural and recreational
organizations here, including fifteen museums and various performing
arts groups, like the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre and the world-famous
Old Globe Theatre, which presents at least 14 productions and
550 performances a year. And speaking of "world famous,"
we’re also home to the San Diego Zoo, where you can stroll around
the 100-acre grounds, discovering colorful and exotic species
of animals displayed in spacious natural habitats.
Balboa Park is also acclaimed for its horticultural treasures
– a host of glorious gardens including an award-winning rose garden
and a butterfly garden; rare plant species; 58 different varieties
of palm trees; and an outstanding Botanical Building housing over
2,000 different tropical plants. All these botanical marvels are
set among manicured lawns, shady groves of majestic trees or nestled
within peaceful vistas.
The rich ethnic diversity of San Diego is reflected in the Park’s
attractions: the Centro Cultural de la Raza; WorldBeat Center
celebrating cultures of African origins; the Japanese Friendship
Garden; and the House of Pacific Relations–17 cottages which are
home to groups representing 30 different nations.
Many of the museums along the Park’s celebrated El Prado walkway
are housed in magnificent Spanish Colonial buildings, originally
built for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition. It was the
first time that this richly ornamented architectural style had
ever been used in this country.
Visit the museums with our Package!!!
Coronado Bay Bridge
The 2 3/10 mile-long graceful blue span links downtown San Diego
with Coronado. It rises 210 feet above San Diego Bay and has low
guardrails that permit an unobstructed view of the San Diego area.
The bridge employs the world's longest continuous orthopedic spans,
utilizing a structural system, developed in Europe, which conceals
struts and braces within a box girder to preserve the sleek, sinuous
profile. The color was chosen to blend the blue of the bay and
the sky. If damaged, the central section is designed to fall away
and float. this prevents the harbor from being blocked during
a war- a lesson learned from the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Underneath
the bridge on the San Diego side is Chicano Park. Created in 1970,
the four acre park displays colorful murals celebrating Chicano
ethnic heritage.
Cabrillo Bridge (Laurel Street Bridge)
The freeway through the park is one of the most beautiful drives
in San Diego , great care was taken to ensure the minimum possible
impact of the pavement on the surrounding greenery of Balboa Park
. Built between 1942 and 1948, it opened in 1948as U.S 395/ Cabrillo
freeway, it was the first freeway constructed in San Diego County
. We will now go under the Cabrillo bridge built in 1914 to expand
to expand the Cabrillo canyon 916 feet. The simple, yet majestic
Cabrillo Bridge served as the grand entryway into the first exposition’s
ÒMagic City.Ó Inspired by ancient Roman aqueducts, the bridge
still provides a graceful link between the museum corridor and
the Park’s West Mesa. One of the first people to ride in a car
across the bridge, as part of the dedication ceremony, was future
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Bankers Hill
Banker Hill or also known as "Pill Hill" because so
many doctors lived there.
It was an early upscale neighborhood of the growing city and many
Victorian mansions remain in the area. Some are still residences
and some are now offices for dentists, lawyers and small companies.
Many have been restored to their original glory. Condominiums
and charming older courtyard apartments share the neighborhood
with commercial development. Residents are young professionals,
empty nesters and those who enjoy the pedestrian lifestyle of
an urban environment. Many homes have views of the ocean or the
park. All share the noise of airplanes overhead. The flight path
passes right over their heads. Airplane watching is a common
Also, you'll see.......
Spawar
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego (SSC San Diego)
is the U.S. Navy's research, development, test and evaluation,
engineering and fleet support center for command, control and
communication systems and ocean surveillance. SSC San Diego provides
information resources to support the joint warfighter in mission
execution and force protection. SSC San Diego was established
June 1, 1940 as the Navy's first West Coast laboratory. It is
headquartered in San Diego, California, with other sites at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii; Barrigada, Guam; Yokosuka, Japan; Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Stuttgart, Germany; and Bahrain. The Center employs
3,400 civilian and military personnel, the majority of them engineers,
scientists and technicians developing technology to meet the Navy's
information requirements of the future and providing Fleet support
to keep current information systems running.
San Diego Airport
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh electrified the world when he made
San Diego the starting point for the first-ever solo, nonstop
transatlantic flight. In his Spirit of St. Louis , Lindbergh took
off from Dutch Flat bound for St. Louis, New York and Paris, France.
Lindbergh later agreed to lend his name to a proposed new airport:
San Diego Municipal Airport - Lindbergh Field.
Today, San Diego International Airport is the nation's busiest
single runway commercial airport — serving over 16 million passengers
in 2004, and servicing 19 airlines, seven airfreight companies,
16 airline support providers and 23 concessionaires. A far cry
from the first, dusty runway and single terminal, San Diego International
Airport now contributes nearly $5 billion annually to the regional
economy.
On any given day, an average of 40,000 passengers arrive or depart
San Diego International Airport. The Airport accommodates approximately
600 arrivals and departures each day, the vast majority of which
are for passenger service. More than 16 million passengers used
the airport in calendar year 2004. The Airport features a single
runway 9,400 feet long and 200 feet wide. The Airport features
41 gates in Terminals 1 and 2. The Commuter Terminal, opened in
1996, serves smaller aircraft. 18 passenger carriers and six cargo
carriers are served by San Diego International Airport.
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