San Diego's sunny disposition and great outdoors win over CIARÁN HANCOCK
HEN IRISH PEOPLE think of visiting the west coast of the United States, San Francisco and Los Angeles usually top the list, with a stopover on the way home in that sun-baked casino theme-park called Las Vegas. There is an alternative. San Diego might not have a Golden Gate bridge or Hollywood Studios but it has plenty other attractions – and sunshine nearly all year round.
Colonised by the Spanish and once part of Mexico, San Diego is now the southernmost city on the US west coast. Go 15 miles south and you hit the border with Mexico and the city of Tijuana, which is worth a day trip. It shares many characteristics with Dublin. Like our capital city, San Diego is flanked by sea on one side (the Pacific Ocean) and low-lying mountains on the other.
Downtown San Diego is also compact and easy to navigate on foot. The airport, named after aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, is one of the oldest in the US and only a short distance from downtown. A taxi fare should cost you about $12 ($9).
San Diego has one major advantage over Dublin: warm weather, which makes it an outdoorsy city. Temperatures remain pretty even all year round, neither too hot nor nor too cold. It’s akin to a warm summer’s day in Ireland, albeit with higher humidity levels. Locals joke that the city has two seasons – day and night.
Because it hardly ever rains, water shortages are always a worry in what was once desert land. However, there were two days of rain during my stay, including a one-hour flash storm that made me think the end of the world was nigh.
For decades, San Diego was best known as a US navy town and the world’s biggest source of tuna fish. The fishing industry has moved down the coast to Mexico although the navy continues to have a big presence in the city. The crack Navy Seals regiment trains there.
Up until the mid-1980s, San Diego’s inner-city was run down and neglected. A major rejuvenation over the past 30 years has changed the city completely. Attractive new residential blocks replaced utilitarian military housing and the Gaslamp Quarter was created as the heartbeat of the downtown area for locals and visitors.
It’s abuzz at night with a wide range of chic restaurants, bars, high-end retail stores and hotels. It’s like Dublin’s Temple Bar but better.
By day, there are plenty of attractions to keep tourists occupied and interested. The Old Trolley Tours are a good way to get your bearings. They go from the Old Town in the north, to the resort of Coronado, an affluent suburb of San Diego with 30,000 residents, which is also connected to the city by a five-lane bridge that spans the bay and is home to the Hotel del Coronado, an impressive resort property built in 1888. The hotel was used in the filming of the Marilyn Monroe classic Some Like it Hotand has attracted the great and good of Hollywood over the years and 10 US presidents.
Coronado offers a beach alternative to the city and temperatures there are generally a touch higher. It’s perfect for surfing or an ocean dip. If you want to spoil yourself, “The Del” does a Sunday brunch for $80 (€60.31) a head. It’s expensive, but it’s an “all you can eat and drink” buffet. The deserts are amazing and there’s a whole island devoted to sweets and candy.
Back in the city, San Diego Zoo is a must-see, if only for the three Giant Pandas on loan from China. Situated in Balboa Park, the zoo covers 100 acres and houses 4,000 animals. Some of them, it must be said, are held in what I would consider to be small enclosures. But the zoo is getting a makeover. It’s all about the pandas though. I saw “Big Big”, who is actually small, small for a Panda, having being malnourished as a youngster. In fact, one of his offspring is bigger than him. “Big Big” spent all of his time stripping and chewing bamboo while I was there. Like all San Diego’s attractions, the zoo is not cheap to visit. An adult tickets costs $42 (€31.65) and you pay more to use the various buses inside.
It’s a similar story at Sea World, where a ticket for those aged over 10 costs $73 (€55). Children aged three to nine pay $65 (€49) each. Parking is an additional $14 (€10.55) if you rent a car. This park will wow the kids. It has sharks, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, a variety of whales, turtles and other fishes. There’s also a big rollercoaster and other rides to amuse the kids and adults. Be warned, you risk being soaked on the main rollercoaster. And, if you don’t want to get wet, then don’t sit in the first 12 rows of the dolphin show.
Visiting the zoo can be combined with a stroll around the Prada area of Balboa Park, which houses a variety of museums. Just hang a right when you exit the zoo, walk through the Spanish Arts Centre, with its coloured paving stones, and you’ll find yourself in the museum district.
It covers everything from modern art to botanical gardens, a natural history museum and air and space travel. My inner child couldn’t resist a visit to the model railway museum, which is good fun. It tells the history of US rail travel and how it helped to shape the nation.
Military buffs can visit the Midway Museum – an aircraft carrier that served in the US navy from 1945 to 1992. There's a self-guided audio tour that makes it easy to navigate. Check out the interactive zone on the middle deck. It's a hoot and gives you a chance to fly a US fighter plane and shoot down enemy fighters. I shared a simulator with Martin Breen, editor of the Sunday Lifetabloid in the North. We seemed to spend most of our three-minute simulation upside down, trying to avoid a crash landing. But we did manage to shoot down one enemy plane. It's good fun if not for anyone with a weak constitution.
If you fancy some boating, you can take tours of the north and south harbor or go whale watching.
When visiting California, it’s always worth renting a car and driving along the coast. The scenery is breathtaking and the driving is easy. I headed north for the affluent village of La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya). The main street is like a slimmed down Rodeo Drive, with a range of high-end retailers, such as Ralph Lauren, where the nice man told me I could have a water or diet coke while I browsed. There was nothing I could afford.
Slightly further north is Torrey Pines. The views from there are spectacular and if you’re adventurous you could try out the cliff-top paragliding. Del Mar, Cardiff on the Sea and Carlsbad, home to a Legoland themepark, are other coastal locations within easy reach of San Diego.
One tip for those who haven’t travelled to California before: bring your stretchy pants. Every restaurant and cafe serves portions that would feed a family of dinosaurs.
San Diego is an attractive and safe city, with friendly, welcoming locals. It’s also a good gateway to the affluent shoreline areas of California, many of which are simply stunning. It’s a long way from home but worth the effort.
* Ciarán Hancock travelled with British Airways and the San Diego Convention and Visitor Bureau.
SAN DIEGO: where to...
PLACES TO STAY
Hotel del Coronado is the grandaddy, having opened in 1888. A sprawling resort overlooking the ocean, much of the property has been modernised. The original 368-bedroom Victorian building is getting an $8 million (€6m) makeover this year.
The US Grant is the top five-star hotel in the heart of downtown. A three-night stay in a double room on Hotels.comcost €470.
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club: Magnificent grounds with swans and ducks waddling free, this resort overlooks the beach. Offers self-catering suites overlooking the ocean.
SHOPPING
Westfield at Horton Plaza and Fashion Valley are the two main retail destinations for visitors with a wide range of top brands on offer. La Jolla village has a number of high-end fashion retailers with saucy price tags.
PLACES TO EAT
Croce’s in the Gaslamp Quarter offers good food in a buzzy setting with live music most nights.
Cafe Coyote serves traditional Mexican dishes in the Old Town to the north of the city. Seaport Village in the docks has a wide range of restaurants and bars.
The Kansas City Barbecue, used in the filming of Top Gun, is across the street.
The Marine Room, adjoining the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, offers a fine dining experience. It sits almost on the ocean and is a great place to watch the sun set over an early dinner.
HOW TO GET THERE
British Airways is the only airline in Europe to offer a direct connection to San Diego.
Prices start at €739 return from Dublin and can be booked through Ba.com.