An aerial view of San Diego. With an estimated population of 1,419,516 as of July 1, 2017, San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, a trans-border agglomeration of cities, cultures and commerce taking in both the US and Mexico.
San Diego is called “the birthplace of California”. Before Europeans arrived, it was the home to the Kumeyaay people, it was the first site visited by Spanish explorers on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay, the area was claimed for Spain. The Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, forming the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of newly independent Mexico, which reformed as the First Mexican Republic two years later. California only became a part of the United States in 1848 following the Mexican–American War and was admitted to the union as a state in 1850.
The city of San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County and the economic center of the region known as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area.
When we say San Diego has a great climate we mean it, the temperature in San Diego stays between 60º to 80°F. Normal days offer up a gentle wind of around 10 mph, and the humidity hovers at a reasonable 50%.
Other sites and adventures in and near San Diego.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban cultural park in San Diego. In addition to open space areas, natural vegetation zones, green belts, gardens, and walking paths, the park contains museums, several theaters, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. There are also many recreational facilities, gift shops, and restaurants within its boundaries. Placed in reserve in 1835, the park’s site is one of the oldest areas in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. Balboa Park is managed and maintained by the City of San Diego.
Named for the Spanish conquistador and maritime explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The park hosted the 1915–16 Panama-California Exposition and 1935–36 California Pacific International Exposition, both of which left their historic Exposition buildings, which were declared National Historic Landmarks and the park is a National Historic Landmark District. Balboa Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Explore San Diego Balboa Park Museums with One Pass
LINK to One Pass: https://goo.gl/t7cUoe
The Famous SAN DIEGO ZOO in Balboa Park.
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park housing over 3,700 animals, more than 650 species and subspecies. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Global, is one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people. The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cageless exhibits that re-create natural animal habitats. It’s one of the few zoos in the world that houses and successfully breeds the giant panda. In 2013, the zoo added a new Koalafornia Adventure exhibit, providing an updated Australian animal experience. Another new exhibit, called Africa Rocks, opened in 2017.
THE USS MIDWAY
The USSMidway (CV-41), which is an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1945 and decommissioned in 1992. It was donated as a museum ship and resides in San Diego, California as a way of connecting people to the huge Navel Base located in the city.
LEGOLAND
LEGOLAND is part of a chain of family theme parks. The park is split into nine sections, which are: The Beginning, Explorer Island, Heartlake City, Fun Town, Castle Hill, Miniland USA, Imagination Zone, Pirate Shores, and Land of Adventure. A Sea Life aquarium is adjacent to Legoland California and there is also a water park. They are not fully owned by The Lego Group itself but are operated by the British theme park company Merlin Entertainments.
Whale & Dolphin Watching Expedition
Cast off from San Diego Harbor and head into the waters nearby in search of the majestic California gray whale. Feel the exhilaration of seeing some of the ocean’s largest and most magnificent creatures up-close and personal.
Guided Leopard Shark Snorkeling Tour
You can snorkel with leopard sharks in a place that’s unlike anywhere else in Southern California. Explore the shallow waters, kelp reefs, sandy flats, and sand dollar beds off La Jolla’s coast to find these marine creatures plus lobsters, rays, guitarfish, and even the occasional sea turtle.
Sunset Sailing Tour
Leave your worries behind as you cruise the San Diego Bay and marvel at the cityscape. The vibrant waterfront offers expansive views of Downtown, Point Loma, and Coronado Island. Experience the setting sun cast it’s brilliant colors across the ocean and reflecting from city as it lights up for the nightlife.
Surfing Lessons
Learn the best techniques for catching waves from a professional surfing instructor at La Jolla Shores Beach. This crescent beach is the perfect place to learn—or refine—the art of surfing. On soft sand, discover how to read ocean conditions and surf the gentle waves found on this scenic coastline. A lesson on land teaches you how to pop-up and balance on your board using foot placement, as well as how to slow down or speed up by shifting your weight. Surfboards are custom-fit to your needs and provide a sturdy support base. After practice exercises on the beach, paddle out to the surf zone and receive guidance on how to properly head into rolling waves at the ideal time to catch your first wave of the day.
DINING
The Addison (fine dining)
($$$$ French 5 Star & 5 Diamonds)
The Grand Del Mar5200 Grand Del Mar Way
San Diego, CA 92130
At Addison, acclaimed Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef William Bradley presents his artisanal approach to cooking, combining local ingredients with contemporary French influences. Inventive and elegantly presented, the prix fixe meals are paired with great wines in beautiful surroundings complemented by exceptional service. Some find portions a bit small given the sky-high pricing, but the general consensus it is a splurge you should try at least once. The Chef’s tasting menu and a four-course menu is served over three hours. Reservations required.
(Source: Zagat)
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Hodad’s Restaurant Downtown (casual dining)
$ Best Burgers / American Food, + Full Bar
Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
Kids totally loved this place. It’s a fun atmosphere, the vibe and the food are both good! The pastrami burger (Guido Burger) is great and the fries are good. This place is a casual place, and you can have a beer with your burger.
NOTE! If you don’t like drippy, sloppy diner-style burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes, sodas and beer – please don’t go, that is all they do – they do it well – and they don’t offer much else!
(INSIDE INFO: A Hoda is a non-surfer who spends time at the beach masquerading as a surfer.)
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
Ancient Past: Originally the native American tribe known as Kumeyaay (later named Diegueño) populated what is now the extreme southern portion of California and the northern part of Baja California, Mexico. In Spanish, Kumeyaay is commonly spelled Kumiai. Today there is still a Kumeyaay reservation with a population of approximately 1,200 living on the reservation and another 2,000 live off the reservation.
In May 1769, Portolà established the “Fort Presidio of San Diego” on a hill near the San Diego River. It was the first settlement by Europeans in what is now the state of California.
The Mexican Period: In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. In 1822, Mexico began attempting to extend its authority over the coastal territory of Alta California. The fort on Presidio Hill was gradually abandoned, while the town of San Diego grew up on the level land below Presidio Hill. The Mission was secularized by the Mexican government in 1834, and most of the Mission lands were granted to former soldiers. The 432 residents of the town petitioned the governor to form a pueblo, and Juan María Osuna was elected the first municipal magistrate. However, San Diego had been losing population throughout the 1830s and four years later, in 1838, the town lost its pueblo status, because its size dropped to an estimated 100 to 150 residents.
America gained an increased awareness of California, and its commercial possibilities, from the writings of two men involved in the economically significant hide and tallow trade, where San Diego was a major deepwater port. In books by William Shaler’s “Journal of a Voyage Between China and the North-Western Coast of America, Made in 1804” and Richard Henry Dana’s account, of his 1834–36 voyage to California, “Two Years Before the Mast” the fate of California started to change.
The California Republic was an unrecognized breakaway state, for a total of 25 days in 1846.
The United States Fights for California: Mexico had all but abandoned San Diego and in 1846, the United States and their Californio supporters went to war against Mexico and sent a naval and land expedition to conquer Alta California.
At first the US had an easy time of it capturing the major ports, including San Diego. But Mexico struck back with a successful battle in Los Angeles, then the American garrison at San Diego was driven out in early October 1846. Mexican partisans held San Diego for only three weeks until October 24, 1846, when the Americans recaptured it. For the next several months the Americans were blockaded inside that pueblo. Skirmishes occurred daily. The Mexican Californios drove all cattle away from the San Diego pueblo hoping to starve the Americans and their Californio supporters out. In December 1946 the dragoons of General Stephen W. Kearney and Commodore Robert F. Stockton’s mounted force of fifty joined forces, creating a joint command of 150 men. They marched to San Diego. In the ensuing Battle fought in the San Pasqual Valley which is now part of the city of San Diego, here the Americans suffered their worst losses of the campaign. Subsequently American reinforcements led by Lieutenant Gray arrived, turning the tide for the battered and blockaded Americans in the pueblo.
Stockton and Kearny’s lead their troops north and recovered Los Angeles and forced the capitulation of Alta California with the “Treaty of Cahuenga” on January 13, 1847. As a result of the Mexican–American War of 1846–48, the territory was ceded to the United States by Mexico. Under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848, the Mexican negotiators tried to retain San Diego as part of Mexico, but the Americans insisted that San Diego was as important to the US, for commercial purposes, as was the US port of San Francisco, and the Mexican–American border was eventually established to be one league south of the southernmost point of San Diego Bay, so as to include the entire bay within the United States.
Mexico was having to deal with uprisings with-in their own country, resulting in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to have far-reaching consequences, it forced Mexican Cession of the territories of Alta California and of New Mexico to the US in exchange for $18 million. In addition, the United States forgave the debt owed by the Mexican government to US citizens. Mexico also accepted the Rio Grande as its national border and gave up their claim to Texas.
(Source: Artwork in the historic part of this article are all in the public domain. Text information and photos/artwork for the contemporary article, are from Wikipedia, expedia.com, tourist p.r. sites and websites for the various experiences mentioned.)
