Surprisingly, surfing is fairly popular in Southern California. You can surf at any of the major beaches-- Coronado, Ocean Beach (localspeak="OB"), Mission Beach, Pacific Beach ("PB") or La Jolla shores. To learn how to surf, you can either make friends with someone who surfs or you can take a class. A lot of SDSU students take classes at Mission Bay Aquatics Center.
Here are some helpful surfing in San Diego links:
The options abound for outdoor recreation in San Diego! Whether it's hiking up Cowles Mountain near campus or kayaking in La Jolla Cove, there is virtually no limit to the ways you can enjoy the outdoors.
Links for outdoor adventures:
Balboa Park is located next to downtown and Hillcrest. Take the 163 South almost to the end. Take the I-5 South exit to Park Blvd. (stay to the right). Turn left onto Park Blvd. and follow the signs.
There are several museums, entertainment venues and gardens in the Park. The popular restaurant The Prado is located in the middle of the park.
For more info on Balboa Park and what is located inside the park:
The Harbor is located in downtown along Harbor Drive. You can spend a day at the harbor alone. From boat cruises to ship tours to good seafood, there is a lot packed into less than a mile.
What to do at the harbor:
Sea World and Shamu are huge tourist attractions in San Diego. The tower in the middle of the park is visible from both the 8 and the 5 and can be accessed by taking either interstate. From campus take the 8 West until the Mission Bay Drive exit and turn right. Cross over the bridge and then follow the signs. OR take the 8 West to the 5 North and exit at (what else) Sea World Drive. Turn left, cross over the bridge and follow the signs to the entrance.
You can easily spend a whole day at Sea World and not see everything, especially if you go during a crowded summer day. The best time to go is a weekend in September; the weather is still nice and there are hardly any tourists. Parking costs $10/car and admission is $40/person. The best deal is to pay $46 for a "Fun Pass", it is basically an annual pass with only three days during the year blacked out.
By now you have surely heard about the World Famous San Diego Zoo, but there is also a Wild Animal Park in North County that is worth visiting. The zoo is located next to Balboa Park and you can get there from campus by taking the 8 West to the 163 South and taking the Park Blvd exit. The Wild Animal Park is approximately 35 miles north of San Diego and to get there from campus you should take the 15 North to the Via Rancho Parkway exit. Follow the signs east to the Park.
There are definitely a day's worth of attractions and exhibits at both, and if you are looking for a good deal, buy an annual membership. The membership will get you into both and will also get you two guest passes and a variety of coupons.
A not so well-known but impressive site to see in San Diego is the Torrey Pines Gliderport. The Gliderport is located north of La Jolla, close to the campus of UCSD. From campus, take the 8 West to the 805 North and get off at the La Jolla Village Dr exit. From La Jolla Village Dr turn right on to Genesee Ave. After a little of two miles turn left onto N Torrey Pines Rd and then right onto Torrey Pines Scenic Dr.
Many people go just to sit and watch the paragliders walk off the edge of the cliffs and fly around the shore. OR you can pay $150 for a tandem jump or pay ten times that to become certified. While you are in the area you can stop by the Birch Aquarium.
Temecula is located 90 miles to the northeast of San Diego. Take the I-15 North and take the Rancho California Road exit.
Temecula is a popular destination for people in Southern California because of its wine valley that is home to 20 wineries. Every winery has tastings daily. The cost of tastings vary by winery, but typically runs $5-10 for 4-5 samples of wine.
To learn more about Temecula and what you can do there, click on the following links:
Even if you never go to Mexico you will become very familiar with "TJ", which is how the students refer to Tijuana. No more than 20 miles from SDSU, TJ is readily accessible. There are several ways to get to TJ. You (and the students) can either take the trolley, drive to the border and park (for $5-10) and then walk across, take your vehicle across the border or take a party bus to the border. Students like to go to TJ for the bars and pharmacies along Revolucion, but there are other things to see in Baja.
To learn more about Tijuana and Baja:
Below is a list of some of the favorite places of current and former staff members. It's a good way to get some local flavor!
