Mentioned by Touropia
25 Top Tourist Attractions in San Diego
"Balboa Park, San Diego is known as one of the best things to do in San Diego with kids and has everything to suit all ages and your family’s preferences:. Even just wandering around and appreciating the stunning Spanish Renaissance and Southwest architecture and beautiful gardens is enjoyable. Balboa Park is America’s largest urban cultural park, is ranked as one of the best parks in the world, and is one of the best things to do in Southern California – you could spend a full day here!"
"Nothing had quite the same impact on our San Diego architecture as did the Spanish Colonial Style Confections in Balboa Park, which revived an enthusiastic interest in this type of Spanish-style architecture. Designed in 1915, this building is an exhilarating mélange of various architectural styles. While they may have been somewhat haphazardly thrown together, they still manage to attain striking visual harmony."
"Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban green space featuring natural vegetation zones, planted gardens and walking paths. It is one of the oldest public recreational areas in the country. The park’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the site of free weekly concerts."
"Enjoy the sights and sounds of beautiful San Diego Bay while browsing crafts and having delicious coffee & street food at Ruocco Park Market. With 15+ quality vendors there is something for everyone, from hand made jewelry, hats and clothing, to smoothies, Bao, Mexican, and artisanal coffee by @yipaocoffee. Enjoy the scenery & great vibe every Saturday from 10am to 5pm."
"A beautiful street food market located opposite the Bay in downtown San Diego. Showcasing 25+ of San Diego's best street food vendors, with delicious drinks, coffee, desserts and craft stalls. Relax in a beautiful outdoor environment and enjoy the sunshine and great vibe."
"A classic Mexican restaurant with delicious food.Barrio Eat Mexican might not look like anything special, but the food speaks for itself. Take a break from shopping in all the Carlsbad boutiques and sit on their nice patio, while sipping a delicious margarita!. Bringing your pup to Carlsbad?"
"Built in 1925 by sugar magnate John D. Spreckles, this amusement park reopened in the late 1980s and is the only beachside amusement park in Southern California. Perhaps the biggest draw is the Giant Dipper, the original wooden roller coaster. The Plunge, the largest indoor heated pool in California, has its fans, as does the Wavehouse, a huge fitness center that shares the same building."
"may remind you of Coney Island in New York, but it comes with a vibe that is ALL California!. Roller coasters, arcade games, carny food, and shopping for souvenirs to bring back home all add up to a day spent in paradise. The sun is always shining in Belmont Park and you will kick yourself if you miss out on this beachside theme park!"
"A Mission Beach linchpin, Belmont Park was opened by the sugar magnate John D. Spreckels back in 1925. This amusement park has 12 rides, three oceanfront eateries, an 18-hole Tiki-themed mini golf course and a host of smaller attractions. But the king of Belmont Park has to be the time-honoured Giant Dipper."
"If you want something simple, straightforward, and kid-friendly, this small Solana Beach spot sports a nice grassy area, and also has a playground for kids who get bored of swimming. Fletcher Cove also has picnic tables, bathroom facilities, and a beach wash station. This beach is best for walking, playing (there’s a basketball court, too) and boogie or body boarding, but if you’re looking to lounge on the sand all day, try somewhere else because the sand is limited here and sometimes completely swallowed by high tides."
"The main beach in Solana Beach is Fletcher Cove, aka “Pillbox” (because a WWII gunnery installation is there), located where Lomas Santa Fe Boulevard meets the coast and just across Highway 101 from the Solana Beach train station. There are public restrooms and showers, as well as picnic tables and a basketball court on the bluffs above the beach. Lifeguards are on duty from 8 a.m."
"Our famous chain of fish taco restaurants, Rubio’s, has a rather nice dine-in space here with beer and wine options. Ralph Rubio is a La Jollan. Local kids like the kids’ meal with a folded up quesadilla and churro."
"The buzz:Hot southern food and cool boozy ice cream served with a side of rock & roll.The food: The Gaslamp Quarter isn’t usually a hotspot for locals, but it got a teensy bit cooler with the arrival of Metl. Dig into comfort food like poutine, chicken fried steak, and burgers, but save room for the headliners—more than 40 rotating flavors of liquored-up ice creams like Birthday Bitch (rainbow cake flavored vodka, birthday cake, blue raspberry pop rocks in white chocolate) or Slam Diego (Templeton rye, peanuts, Cracker Jack, and pretzels) available in scoops, cones, and pints, along with ice cream sandwiches and cocktail lickers (push pops). There’s a number of vegan options as well as menus for kids and fur kids, a first-rate cocktail program, and an extensive array of agave-based spirits.The cost: Food runs $3.50-25, cocktails are $10-12, ice cream is $7-8 a scoop and $10 for a 12-oz carton, and cocktail lickers are $6."
"Gaslamp Quarter, North ParkBoth Metl locations boast 38 rotating flavors of liquored-up ice creams like Birthday Bitch (rainbow cake flavored vodka, birthday cake, and blue raspberry pop rocks in white chocolate) or Slam Diego (Templeton rye, peanuts, Cracker Jack, and pretzels) available in scoops, cones, and pints, along with ice cream sandwiches and cocktail lickers (push pops). Boozy scoops are 21+, but there are non-alcoholic options as well. How to: Gaslamp Quarter: seating is on a first-come basis."
"Soda and Swine is part of a dual-concept by Consortium Holdings that also includes Polite Provisions. The brings a renewed spirit of community to a bustling street corner of one of San Diego's most eclectic, burgeoning neighborhoods, Normal Heights. Soda and Swine features a straightforward menu consisting of two classic staples: meatballs and apple pie, keeping in line with the simplicity of Main Street America."
"Soda & Swine has two locations, Liberty Station and North Park. Although from their name you wouldn’t guess, they have some over-the-top desserts that will definitely sweeten up your date, from over-indulgent milkshakes to good ol’ fashioned apple pie a la mode."
"Casual dining with an order at the counter approach, this humble and cozy joint offers incredible build-your-own sliders. If you are looking for a casual night with really good food and a craft cocktail after (Polite Provisions), this is your place."
"San Diego is known for its large and rapidly growing craft brewing community, with Blind Lady Ale House being an outstanding highlight. Named one of ‘America’s 100 Best Beer Bars’ several years running, this simultaneously lively and laid-back venue features a custom designed direct draw system, which serves the 26 draft beers on tap, faster and fresher. BLAH also offers a menu of house-made sausages and other meat specialties, Neapolitan-style pizza and numerous other tasty edibles made with local seasonal products and special imported Italian ingredients."
"Its seasonal farm-to-table menu features creative full-sized pizzas, like the one with bacon and eggs. Quirky and down to earth with lots of craft beer—San Diego’s specialty—“BLAH” is a cool, casual, and family-friendly place to grab an affordable meal. For dessert, do a Batch root beer float."
"Hillcrest Brewing is more than just a great place to sample a wide variety of specialty beers, some far-above-average tavern food specialties, and a convivial atmosphere. Hillcrest can also lay claim to being the world’s first LGBTQ-owned-and-operated brewery in the world. So be sure to stop in to try a pint from among their deep range of tasty tappers and say hello to their “hunky brewsters."
"Bartender pouring a Death Before Dying beer at North Park in San Diego. Credit: Courtesy of North Park Beer. The first thing you should know about this company is that its tasting room is big, beautiful, and definitely a place where you’d want to spend an afternoon."
"The North Park tasting room is open for curbside pick-up delivery of cans, crowlers and growlers. Local same day delivery available Thursday - Saturday for orders placed by noon. along with shipping anywhere in California."
"The Miramar tasting room is now open for limited service Thursday - Sundays. The Gift Shop is open daily for pickup of their packaged beer, crowlers, growlers and kegs. They offer free delivery of order over $75 available through San Diego County."