Whether you've never been to San Diego or if your last visit was more than a few years ago, this relaxed and scenic city will hold some surprises for you. We're growing up. San Diego is no longer just a laid-back beach/navy town -- avant-garde architecture, sophisticated dining options, and a booming tourist industry all point to the city's maturing as a world-class travel destination.
We San Diegans generally prefer to keep things as they are, but we're also quick to brag about our latest hot attractions. Here is a sampling of recent changes and additions:
Planning Your Trip
The San Diego Museum of Art (www.sdmart.org) in Balboa Park will have Maxfield Parrish-Master of Make Believe, July 16-September 11, 2005. The touring show features 70 pieces ranging from Parrish's beloved calendar illustrations, to his signature classicized paintings, to rarely seen murals. Call tel. 619/232-7931 for more details. Meanwhile, the Museum of Contemporary Art (www.mcasd.org) will be surveying the burgeoning arts scene of Tijuana with Strange New World/Extraño Nuevo Mundo, a multi-faceted portrait of a border town that is little understood (even in San Diego). The exhibit opens in July and will occupy space at both the museum's La Jolla and downtown San Diego branches. For exact dates and other details call tel. 858/454-3541.
Where to Stay
With the downtown ballpark now open, a roster of hotel projects is hot on the heels. At the head of the list is the new Omni San Diego Hotel, 675 L St. (tel. 619/231-6664; www.omnihotels.com), connected via skybridge to Petco Park. The 511-room hotel boasts a rooftop terrace-with its swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and fireplace-is a snazzy perch for sunning and socializing.
Fortunately, not all the downtown development caters to affluent types: 500 West, at 500 W. Broadway (tel. 619/234-5252) is a $9 million makeover of downtown's old YMCA building and offers 260 rooms geared to the budget traveler, with an eye-catching price-range of $49 to $89.
Where to Dine
Taking over the former site of Mixx, Region, 3671 Fifth Ave. in Hillcrest (tel. 619/299-6499) is the brainchild of former Nine-Ten chef Michael Stibner and his crew. The menu celebrates ultra-fresh local produce and artisan creations (like the cheeses made right on premises). The food is splendid.
Summer nights in the Gaslamp have only gotten busier with the opening of the ballpark. Mister Tiki's Mai Tai Lounge, 801 Fifth Ave. at F St. (tel. 619/233-1183), is an eatery with more than a dozen affectionately kitschy tiki gods and masks custom carved by San Diego Poly-pop lover Bosko Hrnjak. The menu covers the Pacific regional gamut of potstickers, poke platters, and chow mein. Mai tais (plus stingers and zombies) are served in retro glassware.
Exploring San Diego
San Diego has 2 big newcomers. First out of the gate is the new home for our Padres baseball team, Petco Park(tel. 888/MY PADRES for general info or tel. 877/374-2784 for tickets; www.padres.com). The ballpark's construction was steeped in political squabbles andlegal delays, but city denizens quickly rallied in support with sellout crowds. The $474 million venue married 10,000 tons of structural steel with 60,000 cubic yards of concrete, and an almost-waterfront location to produce great sight lines and downtown skyline views.
Also new is the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum (tel. 619/702-7700; www.midway.org), the city's first museum devoted to naval history, located at the Embarcadero. You can't miss this attraction -- just drive south on Harbor Drive and look for the 1,001-foot-long aircraft carrier parked at Navy Pier. Climb aboard the USS Midway and explore this piece of military history, served on by more than 200,000 Americans.
The San Diego Trolley gets an important extension this year (scheduled to be finished in June 2005). A new 6-mile section will link San Diego State University to the network. Concert-goers headed to either of SDSU's venues will find this an easy transportation route. More info is available at www.sandiegotrolley.com.
There's news at all three of our fantastic animal parks, and this year. Continuing its move toward ride-type enhancements, SeaWorld, 500 SeaWorld Dr. (tel. 619/226-3901; www.seaworld.com) debuted Journey to Atlantis, a water-coaster with a mythological theme, taking guests on a splash-filled ride. At the San Diego Zoo, 2920 Zoo Dr. (tel. 619/234-3153; www.sandiegozoo.org), the $28 million Heart of the Zoo project will be completed in 2005, offering bioclimatically correct (and multispecies) exhibits; a shared domicile for the Borneo and Sumatran orangutans opened in 2003. And at the zoo's sibling, the Wild Animal Park, San Pasqual Valley Rd. in Escondido (tel. 760/747-8702), a crew of 7 young African elephants were imported from Swaziland, rescuing them from probable culling.
After Dark
The San Diego Symphony was beneficiary of a giant bequest and new resident conductor, Jahja Ling. Tickets and schedules: tel. 619/235-0804; www.sandiegosymphony.com.
Side Trips
The agricultural community of Escondido, 32 miles north of San Diego, is becoming an enticing daytrip. The wonderful Mingei Museum of Balboa Park has opened a sister facility in an abandoned JCPenney building to showcase "art of the people;" it's at 155 W. Grand Ave. (tel. 760/735-3355; www.mingei.org). And art-lovers and families alike will want to head to Queen Califia's Magic Circle, a site-specific, world-class, kid-friendly sculpture by late great artist Niki de Saint Phalle, a close friend of the Mingei (which can provide directions). Downtown Escondido's Grand Avenue has become a top stop for antique lovers -- there are more than a dozen storefronts representing hundreds of dealers.
And when you're ready for a meal of authentic Mexican food, Hacienda de Vega, 2608 S. Escondido Blvd., (tel. 760/738-9805; www.haciendadevega.com) offers an oasis-like setting around a pond and terrific tamarind magaritas; Sunday brunch is a highlight. Or, try brand new Asia Vous, 417 W. Grand Ave. (tel. 760/747-5000; www.asiavousrestaurant.com), where chef/proprietor Riko Bartolome merges classical European techniques, Asian sensibilities, and San Diego's bounty of delicious local produce to create a winningly fresh menu.