Six Fun and Almost Free Outdoor Activities In San Diego California
August 12, 2009 by Terry Hunefeld
Filed under Destinations
San Diego is the one of the world’s best vacation destinations. The San Diego Bay teems with life and surprises – its near-perfect weather make exploring it fun and interesting. You can take a moonlight paddle in a kayak, watch every-evening fireworks at Sea World or visit seventy miles of palm tree lined beaches to swim, surf or just chill. Following are six activities and things to do in San Diego that should not be missed on your visit.
1. The Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego’s vibrant dining, entertainment and shopping district. A walk through this eighteen-square-block in historic downtown San Diego takes you by modern restaurants and nightclubs inside turn of the century architectural buildings, complete with gas lamps and brick sidewalks. Explore avant-garde art galleries, historic theaters, unique boutiques and shops, more than a hundred restaurants, chic bars, hot nightclubs and a hardware store founded more than 100 years ago. One of San Diego’s best travel destinations, the Quarter is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive, from Fourth to Sixth Avenue.
2. Enjoy a free organ concert at 2 p.m. on Sundays at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in lovely Balboa Park. The Spreckels brothers donated this – one of the world’s largest outdoor pipe organs – to the City of San Diego for the Panama-California Exposition way back in 1914. The organ has more than 4000 pipes in length from the size of your finger to 32 feet. At the concerts you will hear world-famous organists play traditional favorites, waltzes and show tunes on enormous 32-foot pipes.
3. Look at Jupiter’s moons through a telescope in Balboa Park as the San Diego Astronomy Association sets up many of their big telescopes by the fountain in front of the Reuben Fleet Science Center. Because there are several amateur astronomy groups and professional observatories in San Diego, this is a great opportunity for you to explore the cosmos. Held each month on the first Wednesday after dark, you’ll be able to see the rings of Saturn, the planet Neptune and the craters on the moon – and understand why San Diegans consider Balboa Park the Smithsonian of the West.
4. Surf’s up! Head up to Oceanside and visit the California Surf Museum. Antique and classic surfboards along with profiles of famous surfers are give you an insider’s look at this unique SoCal sport. The museum is dedicated to archiving and displaying surfboards, surf art, skateboards, surf memorabilia, photographs and historical videos. Their “timeline of surfboards” exhibit includes wooden boards from the early 1900s all the way to today’s modern boards. There is something surreal in combining education with what is considered the ultimate beach bum sport.
5. Explore the tide pools in Point Loma below Cabrillo National Monument when the tide is out and get up close and personal with flowery anemones, scampering shore crabs, elusive octopus, spongy deadman’s fingers and many other cool sea creatures. Located on the western side of Point Loma, these pools lie in the rocky inter-tidal zone and offer a window into the ocean ecosystem. San Diego travel tip: Ranger walks are available during most low tides and a slide program is shown daily at the Cabrillo park visitor center.
6. How can we not mention the beach? With over 65 miles of coastline, this best part of San Diego is absolutely free – and all the beaches are just perfect for trying your hand at surfing or boogie-boarding.
Here are 2 good resources with accommodation information and links for when you visit the San Diego area: Carlsbad B&Bs and Hotels in Del Mar.