San Diego, California
Telephone - Cell: (619) 300-8819
Facsimile: (619) 229-0048 E-mail:
Click here to email Bob Copyright © 2006 by Bob Schwartz San Diego real estate broker Certified Residential Specialist Promotions Unlimited All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement. | | Antiquing | | In the past few years specifically, Antiquing has developed into more and more common. People search high and low for collectible bits and pieces and antique fixtures alike. Perhaps the younger age group has learned to appreciate what their ancestors owned. On Adams Avenue in the Kensington area, Ocean Beach, Carlsbad, Leucadia, and Ramona one can find many small, privately-owned shops. But, aside from the individual antique shops, San Diego is home to many antique malls each that can hold at least 85 vendors! From collectibles to beautiful furnishings, estate to vintage jewelry, anything and everything can be found in these malls. Some of the more popular malls include ones in Old Town, Ocean Beach, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, San Marcos and Oceanside. | Baja California | (800) 522-1516 www.bajatravel.com | Baja California is only a little ways south of San Diego and consists of many popular tourist areas across the border. Tijuana, Ensenada, Pureto Nuevo and Rosarito Beach possess multiple attractions including the Jai alai games, sightseeing, shopping, gulf and ocean fishing as well as a large selection of restaurants and nightclubs. If you’d rather not drive and have to obtain Mexican insurance, San Diego’s Trolley stops just north of the border which nicely creates easy walking access to Tijuana. | Cabrillo National Monument | 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr., San Diego (619) 557-5469 | The Cabrillo National Monument is situated at the end of Point Loma and it overlooks the entrance to San Diego Bay. Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriques Cabrillo landed in California in 1542, commemorating the first time Europeans discovered the state. The visitor’s center and monument are right near the harbor and coastline from the Mexican border to La Jolla. The area consists of a historic lighthouse open to visitors, hiking trails, Coastal Defense (a former army radio station), tide-pools and standard programs showing the marine life such as the California gray whale as well as the history of the area. | Gardening | Quail Botanical Gardens: (760) 436-3036 San Diego Master Gardener Association: (858) 694-2860 | For the green thumb that is dying to display the wide variety of flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits and vegetables that San Diego’s weather can provide all year long, there are multiple spring and summer shows for their productions of flora and fauna. One admired show is the Del Mar Fair Show at which gardeners display their larger flowers. | Gaslamp Quarter | Fifth Ave. between Market St. and Harbor Dr. San Diego (619) 223-4692 | 16 blocks of historic gas lamps and Victorian style buildings make up the Gaslamp Quarter. The area hosts over 40 unique restaurants many times including live music and entertainments as well as many different shopping places open late into the night creating a very exciting nightspot. In September, the quarter’s centerpiece, the Horton Grand Hotel, is home to the three-day San Diego Street Scene festival. Bystanders can watch over 100 performing acts on outdoor stages as well as food and live entertainment. | Harbor Tours | California Cruisin’: (619) 296-8000; (800) 44-YACHT (9-2248) Hornblower Cruises & Events: (619) 686-8700; (619) 686-8715 - Reservations | If you’re looking for a unique way to observe the city, bay, and harbor commotion, Harbor Tours can do just that. Along with your tour, you can chose from a variety of affairs such as dinner dance cruises, special event cruises, and even winter whale watching! | Hotel del Coronado | 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado (619) 435-6611 | This hotel is one of the area’s oldest and most photographed places and has been historically named the “castle by the sea.” The Hotel del Coronado, built in 1888, has been featured in prestigious Hollywood films such as, “Some Like it Hot.” The “Hotel Del” as it is many times referred to, has lured guests such as presidents, royalty and many other rich and famous to it’s five star resort, 10 elegant restaurants and numerous shops. | La Jolla | From I-5 Ardath Ave. to Torrey Pines Rd. | Previously, La Jolla was a still beach area. Today the area is booming with including seaside as well as, fine cuisine restaurants, and even art galleries, as well as hotels and quaint stores. It is a great area for tourists and sightseers alike. | Little Italy | | What was once home to San Diego’s booming tuna fishing business and the Italian immigrants who manned its boats, is now downtown’s Little Italy, full of inviting European charm. Along India Street and Kettner Boulevard, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfares, visitors will find a wide variety of restaurants, cafes deli markets, bakeries, shops and art galleries that make a visit here an Old-World encounter.
Little Italy is complete with some of the city’s finest traditional Italian restaurants, delis and bakeries. Other culinary delights include the artful “American Native” cuisine of Indigo Grill; the quirky classic fisherman’s dive, The Waterfront; and the British Princess pub, perfect for a pint of ale and an order of traditional fish and chips.
Little Italy also is a haven for local artists and their work. Throughout this exciting neighborhood visitors can browse through gallery showrooms, art supply stores, photography shops and unique home furnishing establishments. Popular annual culture events include the Art Wak in April, where guests can take self-guided tours through the work environments of local artists, the Sicilian Street Festival in May and the 13th annual Little Italy Precious Fiesta in October, with its exciting street painting festival, Italian food and craft booths and three stages of live entertainment among other activities. For more information on Little Italy, visit www.littleitalysd.com
-- San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau | Military | U.S. Naval Surface Shop, Public Information Office: (619) 437-2735 | Whether you're of a naval family or not, the U.S. Navy officers provide naval surface tours of numerous different ships. One can have a ball viewing guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers, destroyers, guided missile frigates, amphibious assault ships and even amphibious landing ships. Visiting the U.S. Naval ships can be a wonderful activity for anyone and everyone. Bring the entire family or come by yourself! It's sure to be an informative time. | San Diego Area Missions | Junipero Serra Museum 2727 Presidio Dr., San Diego (619) 297-3258Mission San Antonio de Pala Pala Mission Rd., Pala (760) 742-1600 Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala 10818 San Diego Mission Rd., San Diego (619) 281-8449 Mission San Juan Capistrano Two blocks west of Hwy. 74 and I-5, San Juan Capistrano (714) 248-2048 Mission San Luis Rey de Francia 4050 Mission Ave., Oceanside (760) 757-3651 Mission Santa Ysabel 23013 Highway 79, Santa Ysabel (760) 765-0810 | The Spanish heritage of San Diego is thriving, alive, and well; this area’s amazing missions serve as a preservation of the hispanic culture. Mission San Diego de Alcala hosts daily services in the original chapel of Father Junipero Serra. The largest of 21 California locations, Mission San luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside often includes weekend affairs. Near Palomar Mountain is Mission San Antonia de Pala which, along with Mission Santa Ysabel near Julian, even serves as a place of worship for local Native Americans. | S.D. Military Towns | | As one of the largest military complexes in the world, San Diego has 11 navy, Marine and Coast Guard systems, including Camp Pendleton Marine Base, Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, and Naval Station San Diego, which accomplished Navy Times’ top honor as the 2004 Best Base in the United States.
Two aircraft carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz, 50 surface warfare ships and six submarines are additionally home ported in San Diego’s great, native dock. In addition, the USS Midway, a custom-built aircraft carrier, now calls San Diego home and is the setting of the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum.
San Diego’s impressive military presence and triumph have amazed visitors and residents alike for years, from the U.S. Navy’s distinguished aviation successes in Coronado in the early 1900’s, as well as the very first successful sea-plane flight in 1911, to the founding of Top Gun, the famous elite Navy Fighter training school formerly located at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. | Seaport Village | 849 W. Harbor Dr., San Diego (619) 235-4013, 235-4014 | Seaport Village is a Beautiful area of San Diego that offers waterfront dining and shopping complexes which mirror the century-old harborside. The area includes over 75 different and unique shops and boutiques, numerous galleries, 12 eateries and four major restaurants. If you'd rather simply view the scenery, another interesting side attraction is the horse-drawn carriage rides that can be found around the area. Conveniently located right downtown and near many major hotels, Seaport Village is a popular attraction for many tourists and locals alike. |
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