atualização em Janeiro de 2012 (originalmente publicado em Jan 2, 2008)
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SAN DIEGO
San Diego está dividida na vertical por ruas numéricas, sendo a 1 para o Oeste. E horizontalmente por ruas alfabéticas.
Mapa de San Diego (clique para ver maior)
ATRAÇÕES EM SAN DIEGO
DOWNTOWN / CENTRO
Para viagens curtas, de até dois dias, sugere-se um roteiro básico na Gaslamp Quarter, no centro, local para passear de dia ou à noite. Os quarteirões centrais em lojas, restaurantes e está bem cuidada. Opções de almoço e jantar mais econômicos podem ser encontrados no shopping local (Westifield Horton) ou ao Sul da Market.
Direções: Para seguir ao centro de San Diego pela Cabrillo, seguir a rua 10 e virar a Broadway, ou virar na Avenida B e pegar a Rua 4 (o miolo de Gaslamp fica entre a 4e 6). Se estiver de carro, no centro escolha parking (estacionamentos) no Westfield (grátis se validado).
Uma opção de ir até o centro e não se preocupar com o carro é pegar o Trolley.
Serviço de trolley circula pelas principais vias da cidade. Trolley Day Pass $5
Trolley map only 
A linha vermelha indica a direção entre a Mission Valley Center (há um shopping na região) ao norte da cidade, até o Centro da cidade (inclui o Seaport Village, Gaslamp), que funciona em eventos especiais. Fora dos eventos, pode-se fazer a transição entre as linhas.
SUL: SEAPORT VILLAGE, CORONADO
Outra atração popular é o Seaport Village, com botiques e lojas de lembranças. Um local diferente bem no centro da cidade, que não dá a impressão de estar em uma grande cidade.
Há estacionamento no local (pago).
Na região do Embarcadoro, fica o Aicraft Carrier Museum, http://www.midway.org/
$18 adults.10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (ingressos apenas até as 16 horas)
Coronado Island é acessível de carro (ou ônibus 901 na Broadway) e a atração principal da cidade é a praia e o Hotel del Coronado (diárias a partir de $300 dólares). Direção: seguir toda a rota 5, haverá indicação para saída para Coronado.
Estacionar: utilize as travessas da orla da praia, onde não é necessário parquímetro.
NORTE DO CENTRO: BALBOA PARK
Outras atrações são o Zoológico de San Diego, um dos principais do país, com espécies raras como o panda gigante.
Dá ainda para conhecer mais do grande Balboa Park, com inúmeros museus (15 no total), o zoológico que foi mencionado antes e muitas áreas de lazer. Linha 7 de ônibus.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/tickets/index.html
$42. Includes unlimited use of Guided Bus Tour, Express Bus, and Skyfari Aerial Tram.
Estacionamento: $9 for no-nmembers. Normal Hours (through June 19): 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
OUTRAS ATRAÇÕES
Old Town, que concentrava o antigo centro de San Diego até 1872. E a missão de San Diego de Alcalá, a primeira do país. Direção: pela Camino Del Rio, ou pela interstate 8, direção a Mission Gorge (há placas sinalizadoras), virar na Twain (Jack in the Box), que chegará até a Missão.
Point Loma, no extremo oeste da cidade (passando pelo Aeroporto), onde tem um Yatch club o Cabrilli National Monument (basicamente um farol antigo, de 1854, e umas casinhas). Se tiver sorte, terá boa vista da cidade do farol e até vista de Baleias… O inverno é a época em que as Baleias estão passando pela região. Acesso difícil por transporte público. Cabrillo National Monument
SOMA (for South of Market) – região da rua Market para baixo, tem comércio e restaurantes. ônibus 3 (na 4th St) e 11 (na Front St).
Pacific Beach, mais ao sul de La Jolla (ônibus 8 ou 9 saindo de Old Town Transit Center).
SeaWorld www.seaworld.com/san... SeaWorld is located on San Diego’s Mission Bay, close to hotels in the Mission Valley, downtown, and beach areas. From Mission Valley, take I-8 west to I-5 north, and exit at SeaWorld Drive. From downtown, take I-5 north and exit at SeaWorld Drive. (ônibus 8 ou 9 saindo de Old Town Transit Center).
Legoland – www.legoland.com/california.htm – parque temáticos dos blocos de montar da Lego, fica em Carlsbad. Acesso pelo Coaster atéCarlsbad Village, pegar taxi até Legoland ou ônibus (verificar o horário do Coaster, pois é mais comum no meio da semana, pois é usado de transporte para os trabalhadores)
Por carro para Legoland: 30 minutes north of San Diego and one hour south of Anaheim. From San Diego North County:Take Interstate 5 South to Cannon Road East, and follow signs to LEGOLAND
From Los Angeles and Orange County: Take the 405 South / Interstate 5 South to Cannon Road East, then follow signs to LEGOLAND
Cruise ship terminal (Broadway and Harbor Drive). http://www.portofsandiego.org/sand…
MUSEUS
San Diego Air & Space Museum. www.aerospacemuseum.org/collections/. Open daily 10:00am – 4:00pm
Summer hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm (Memorial Day to Labor Day).Tickets: $15 or $8 (CHILD)
San Diego$%s Museum of Contemporary Art www.mcasd.org
Timken Museum of Art
Maritime Museum of San Diego: www.sdmaritime.com. Tickets: $12 (or $10 by internet).
COMIC CON
San Diego Comic Con www.comic–con.org Concorrida feira de comics (animação, desenho animado, quadrinhos, hentai), umas das mais famosas dos EUA. Ocorre no verão em datas específicas a cada ano, na San Diego Convention Center, bem no centro da cidade.
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ONDE FICAR:
A preferência seria em Downtown, mais próximo ao Gaslamp Quarter, mas os valores dos hoteis não são baixos e muitos esgotam-se mais rapidamente (recomenda-se reserrva antecipadas). Estão acima da média de outras cidades californianas (na época de atualização desse post, a maioria acima de $200 por dia), pois a região de Downtown é muito procurada por turistas e visitantes a negócios. Atenção na hora de fazer a reserva (especialmente em sites de terceiros, como o Booking), pois os hotéis possuem imposto de serviço de 12,6%, além de eventuais taxas extras.
Atenção: a região do Hotel Circle e Mission Valley, que possui muitos hotéis de grandes redes com bons preços, tem o pormenor de ser mais longe da cidade, necessitando deslocamento diário. Para quem estiver de carro, necessitará pagar estacionamento ou utilizar parquímetro. No Centro de San Diego, há hotéis com estacionamento.
Ferramenta de Pesquisa de Hotéis: MUNDI (faz pesquisa em vários sites para obter o melhor valor)
Boas opções custo benefício no Gaslamp Quarter (pesquisa em fevereiro 2012, quartos duplos) aparecem para a baixa temporada com promoções para quem faz a reserva antecipada. Por exemplo, o Hotel Indigo Gaslamp Quarter (site oficial – $150 em fevereiro de 2012, tarifa não reembolsável. #10 no Tripadvisor, 9.1Booking), Gaslamp Plaza Suites (#64 no Tripadvisor, Booking8.5), Ramada Gaslamp e Comfort Inn Gaslamp (site oficial).
Em Donwtown San Diego (um pouco acima do Gaslamp) estão o Sophia Hotel (site oficial #54 no Tripadvisor, em torno de $150 para baixa temporada, Booking 8.3) , Holiday Inn Express Downtown – site oficial (#76 no Tripadvisor, 9.0 no Booking, $170 em fevereiro de 2012) e o Park Manor – site oficial ($170 em fevereiro de 2012).
FAMILIARES:Bristol – site oficial (#29 no Tripadvisor e 8.7 no Booking) tem ótimas tarifas quando feito com antecedência de 2 a 3 meses ou mais, e tem ótima localização, em Gaslamp. Há possibilidade de baixa tarifa no Days Inn Downtown (site oficial – abaixo dos $150), que aceita até 4 pessoas no quarto. Outros que aceitam são o Best Western Seven Seas (Hotel Circle), Days Hotel, La Quinta Inn, todos da rede Travelodge e Vagabond
ECONOMICOS: E para quem estiver de carro, tem hotéis econômicos em Mission Valley (Hotel Circle), como o Vagabond Inn Hotel Circle – site oficial (#58 no Tripadvisor), DoubleTree Club (#147 Tripadvisor, 8.4 no Booking), Days Hotel (#101 tripadvisor e 7.9 Booking), Kings Inn (#133 tripavisor e 7.9 Booking), Best Western Seven Seas (#135 tripavisor e 7.8 Booking) e o supereconômico Americas Best Value Padre Trail (site oficial #118 tripavisor e 7.7 Booking), dentre outros.
E o Old Town Inn (site Mundi) na Old Town.
Listagem de hoteis por classificação de hóspedes: Tripadvisor
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TRANSPORTE:
Serviço de trolley circula pelas principais vias da cidade. Se estiver de carro, no centro escolha parking (estacionamentos) no Westfield (grátis se validado). Em Coronado, utilize as travessas da orla da praia, onde não é necessário parquímetro.
O aeroporto fica próximo da cidade, pode ser acessado por serviços de shuttle de hotéis (verificar antes sobre a disponibilidade), taxi ou de carro.
Para quem não está com carro, pode-se usar as linhas de ônibus.
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ONDE COMER
1. Truluck$%s Seafood La Jolla & UTC
2. Baci Ristorante Italian Mission Valley & Clairemont
3. Donovan$%s of La Jolla Steak La Jolla & UTC
4. Bertrand at Mister A$%s American Downtown
5. Tapenade Continental La Jolla & UTC
6. Mille Fleurs California North County Inland
7. Donovan$%s of Downtown Steak Downtown
8. George$%s California Modern California La Jolla & UTC
9. The Melting Pot American Downtown
10. Island Prime Steak Point Loma & Ocean Beach
Del Mar Rendezvous Chinese North County Coastal
Hexagone French Downtown
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LINKS
* San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau – www.sandiego.org
* Visit San Diego http://www.visitsandiego.com
* Things To Do In San Diego – San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau
* ótimo site em inglês: http://tourguidetim.com/
San Diego Magazine – Best of 2012 – http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/August-2012/Best-of-San-Diego-2012/
http://www.san-diego-attractions.10-best.info
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Go San diego Card www.gosandiegocard.com
1 dia: $74 | 2 dias: $104 | 3 dias: $192 (em JANEIRO DE 2012)
INCLUI os destaques
* San Diego Zoo Best Value Ticket
* SeaWorld (a partir de 3 dias)
* Knott’s Soak City Water Park*
* LEGOLAND California
* Whale Watching Excursion *
* Coronado Ferry
* San Diego Aerospace Museum
(ver abaixo os detalhes de todas atrações inclusas).
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JANEIRO 2012 – GOCARD ATTRACTIONS:
+Air and Space Museum
From the first hot air balloon ride in 1783 to ongoing space shuttles, people never tire of going up, up and away. This top museum$%s collection showcases all types of excursions — and don$%t miss the unique 3D/4D Zable Theater, where you feel like you$%re flying, too.
Science, space and aviation history all become real at the San Diego Air & Space Museum—California’s official air and space museum! This venue is a dynamic monument built to celebrate aviation and space flight, to educate the public about aviation’s social and historical significance, and to inspire students to excel in technology, mathematics and the sciences. As San Diego is one of the great American aviation hubs, it’s only natural to pay a visit to this unique museum when you are in the area.
Your journey through the history of flight at the San Diego Air & Space Museum begins as you stand beneath a model of the Montgolfier brothers’ hot air balloon of 1783 — the first manned vehicle in recorded history to break the bonds of gravity and lift humans above the Earth. Get a sense of the excitement and danger of air combat in the and marvel at the entertaining and risky antics of the barnstormers of the 1920s in the Golden Age of Flight Gallery.
+Belmont Park Unlimited Ride Wristband
Get ready for an ocean view from atop a roller coaster. This beachfront amusement park features excitement galore, including bumper cars, arcade games, thrill rides and the famous Giant Dipper roller coaster. Pair with a cold slushy for a perfect day.
Unlimited rides on roller coasters and thrill rides that overlook the Pacific…need we say more? Belmont Park is an action-packed, palm tree-lined amusement park right on the coast in San Diego, and it is the place to soak up those Southern California rays while enjoying the hustle and bustle of that truly American phenomenon—the amusement park! Roller coasters, bumper cars, carousels, arcades, a cold slushy, and a wonderful breeze coming off the water. What more could you need on a hot summer day? Just an unlimited wristband that lets you ride as many times as you want AND gives you access to the Giant Dipper ride…yup, you got it!
+Birch Aquarium at Scripps
From its unforgettable view of the Pacific Ocean to its memorable marine life exhibits, this aquarium is a must-see for every landlubber. Learn about living coral reefs, watch baby seahorses play and listen to whale song. You can even pet some starfish!
Discover a stunning variety of marine habitats, along with an unforgettable view overlooking La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean! Enter the world of sharks, seahorses, living coral reefs and more, and dive into exhibits that showcase the mysteries of ocean, air, and life, through interactive displays and multimedia. Birch Aquarium is the public exploration center for world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego. For more than a century, this aquarium-museum has delighted San Diego$%s residents and visitors with the wonders of the ocean.
Each of the exhibits at Birch Aquarium brings to life a unique aspect of ocean life.
+Boomers! San Diego Unlimited Pass
Board a bumper boat for a leisurely cruise — then launch a sneak attack with a built-in water cannon. Later, take in the view from the giant Ferris wheel or rev your engine on the Go Karts. With an unlimited ride wristband, you can drive, bat, putt and play.
Enjoy all-day access and an unlimited ride wristband to enjoy every thrilling moment you’re at Boomers! San Diego. Board one of the Bumper Boats for a family pleasure cruise, then launch a sneak attack using the built-in water cannon. Next, practice sinking putts on the lush yet hazardous greens of the miniature golf course.
Getting hungry? Take a break for a delicious hamburger and soft drink at the snack bar.
+Chinese Historical Museum
Uncover a hidden piece of local history at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum in downtown San Diego — rated the best museum in the city by local residents in 2010! Situated in a district that was once home to a small but lively Chinatown, the museum is a testament to the experience of Chinese American settlers in San Diego and a tribute to Chinese culture and history at large.
Within a historic mission building that served as the first church and school for Chinese immigrants to San Diego, visitors find a collection of historical photographs, calligraphy, costumes, artifacts, furniture, and art. Take a break to find your center at the museum’s tranquil Asian garden. The garden path begins with a magnificent gate memorializing Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, followed by a small waterfall and a quiet stream, and culminates in a fishpond. A serpentine stone path leads to the courtyard and is adorned by a bronze statue of Confucius.
Next, peruse the ongoing exhibits of Chinese art and cultural objects in the brand-new extension building. Afterward, your museum experience may serve as a natural inspiration for exploring the surrounding neighborhood, with its lingering influence from the scores of Chinese immigrants and markets it once boasted.
+Chula Vista Nature Center
Discover Chula Vista Nature Center, San Diego Bay’s native wildlife center. A zooquarium that focuses on the importance of coastal resource conservation, Chula Vista Nature Center features a number diverse and fascinating exhibits set just steps from the pristine coastline of San Diego Bay.
Enjoy the new Wergeland Family Discovery Center, which features giant green sea turtles and rainbow trout, as well as a variety of other sea life. In Turtle Lagoon, get up-close-and-personal with the Nature Center’s own endangered Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles. The David A. Wergeland Shark & Ray Experience is a state-of-the-art, 21,000-gallon aquarium that includes a shallow-water touch tank where you can touch the resident rays. Step into the walk-through Shorebird Aviary and enter the home of native water and shorebirds — including egrets, ducks, and herons. At Eagle Mesa, you will be face-to-face with the majestic national symbols of the United States and Mexico: the Bald eagle and Golden eagle. Take a walk down Raptor Row and meet the Nature Center’s native birds of prey, including hawks, owls, osprey, and even the Turkey vulture. As you’re exploring, take notice of the beautiful gardens featuring San Diego’s rich mosaic of plant species. Take a stroll on the Nature Center’s 1.5 miles of walking trails leading to the shoreline, where you may catch a glimpse of a soaring harrier, shorebirds, rabbits, and maybe even an Osprey diving down for lunch.
Free guided nature walks are available on weekends and some weekdays. Call for times and reservations (619) 409-5900 or visit them on the web at ChulaVistaNatureCenter.org.
+City Tour by Gray Line
Beautiful beaches. Historic, vibrant neighborhoods. Charming streets off the beaten path. You$%ll see them all from the comfort of a sightseeing bus designed to tour the best of the area. Let someone else do the driving as you take in the sights!
San Diego is one of the most beautiful beachside cities in the country, and is referred to as “America’s Finest City” for its prime Southern California location astride the magnificent Pacific Ocean, and its rich cultural history. Indeed, the beaches are phenomenal, but there is a lot more to this city than boardwalks and beach bums. Gray Line San Diego lets you avoid the hassle of renting a car to see the city, and instead offers you a trip around the city in the capable hands of one of the tour company’s knowledgeable tour guides. Gray Line boasts a reputation as the most trusted sightseeing company in the United States, and has been showing visitors the sights of San Diego for over 25 years!
+Coronado Ferry
The Coronado Ferry is the way to get to beautiful Coronoado Island, and your San Diego pass includes a round-trip ticket! Take a scenic, 15-minute ride to Coronado on a ferry that$%s miles away from everyday life. Departing downtown San Diego from both the Broadway Pier and the Convention Center, the Coronado Ferry drops you off at Ferry Landing Marketplace — simply put, a shopper’s paradise. The Marketplace offers a charming collection of shops, art galleries, fine restaurants and fun eateries surrounded by swaying palms and a beautiful view of downtown San Diego. The Marketplace’s architecture recalls the gingerbread architecture of the iconic Hotel del Coronado just a mile southeast.
Note: Departures may occur later, but your San Diego pass is only accepted until 5:30 pm.
+Discovery Science Center
Imaginations turn, twist, and fly through 120 exciting hands-on science exhibits at Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. Recognized by its landmark 10-story solar cube, the Center features two floors of exciting areas to explore including Dynamic Earth, Dino Quest, Science of Hockey, Space Exploration, Boeing Rocket Lab and new Environmental Exhibits opening Summer 2011.
Guests can play a game of Virtual Volleyball, make music on a Laser Beam Harp, climb a Rock Wall, watch an indoor Geyser erupt, ride out an earthquake in the Shake Shack, participate in fun science experiments, and more. There$%s always something new to see! Visit in Spring 2011 for Sesame Street Presents: The Body and Bubblefest, Summer 2011 for The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head and WaterWorks, Fall 2011 for Bug Invasion II and Winter 2011 for Science of Gingerbread.
Grab a bite from the on-site Taco Bell or Pizza Hut Express and head out to the patio for a relaxing lunch break. And don’t forget to browse the Science Store and possibly take a piece of the science fun home with you.
+Firehouse Museum
Come in out of the heat … experience fire and firefighting in a completely new way at the Firehouse Museum!
The San Diego Firehouse Museum in historic Little Italy proudly displays over 150 years of firefighting history from around the world. Set in San Diego$%s old Fire Station 6 (built in 1906), the museum showcases firefighting equipment, memorabilia, and photographs spanning generations of the fire service — from fire buckets to early firefighting apparatus.
Learn what it took to save lives and property and how the fire service has evolved while maintaining many of the same traditions. Feel the anticipation of the next alarm and learn about the equipment and events that have transformed ordinary men and women into heroes.
+Flagship Cruises: One Hour Harbor Cruise OR Whale Watch
Enjoy the best sightseeing on the bay with San Diego’s longest running harbor cruise company. Choose a 1 hour professionally narrated tour of San Diego Bay. Tours run daily, year ‘round. Comfortable indoor and outdoor seating is available. Snacks, beer, wine and sodas are available for purchase. No reservations required. Join us today!
+Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour
See San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter – the first area settled of what is considered modern San Diego — on a guided, behind-the-scenes, informative walking tour.
Led by a trained guide each Saturday at 11 a.m., the Gaslamp Walking Tour vividly recreates the late 1800s when the city near the waterfront fell into disrepair and the Stingaree district flourished. Learn about the marketing secrets of the naughty ladies of the Stingaree and discover the haunts of infamous former resident Wyatt Earp. The tour also highlights many of the best Victorian style commercial buildings constructed in San Diego during the years between the Civil War and World War I.
In telling the stories of the land, the buildings, and the people, we gain insight into an ever-evolving city where the past and the future come together to create San Diego, “America$%s Finest City.”
+GoCar Tours; 30 minute navigational tour
30 minute navigational tour; 2 Go Cardholders required per reservation. GoCar is the first-ever GPS guided tour car that launched in San Francisco in April 2004. Today, it’s the most exhilarating, entertaining and enlightening way to tour San Diego. GoCar is the world’s first computer guided storytelling car. The clever talking car navigates for you, but that’s not all. As you drive, it points out the sights and tells you the stories that bring San Diego to life. You go at your own pace, not the pace set by a tour bus operator. As you go, you’re choosing the attractions you want to stop and see. You can make it a leisurely day trip if you’d rather, stopping to explore attractions or museums along the way. It’s totally your choice. If you’re having the time of your life, keep exploring! It’s a fantastic city and there is plenty to see.
+Guided Tijuana Tour by Grayline San Diego
Travel into the heart of Tijuana, a lively Mexican city with plenty of shopping opportunities. Best of all, someone else will be doing the driving. On this comfy sightseeing bus excursion, a guide narrates along the way as ou prepare your shopping bags for action.
9am departures only: reservations required! Leave San Diego behind you to cross one of the most amazing international borders in the world for an extensive cultural and historical sightseeing tour of Tijuana which blends the new with the old. It$%s only a short drive from San Diego, but you$%ll feel that you$%ve entered another world when you leave the United States behind and enter Mexico.
+Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes Tour by Red Line
Explore Hollywood$%s hidden secrets with Red Line Tours” Hollywood Behind-the-Scenes™. Expert guides will lead you through 100 years of Hollywood history using our groundbreaking “Live Audio” technology. Our guides will escort you behind the velvet ropes and inside restored historic movie palaces where the stars still walk the red carpet for their movie premieres including Grauman’s 1922 Egyptian Theatre. Experience the glamour of Hollywood’s most important night, the Oscars™ night as we walk in the footsteps of the stars on “Awards Walk” (the Oscar™ red carpet venue). Stand in the footprints of the stars at world famous Grauman$%s Chinese Theatre. Let us help you discover where your favorite stars are immortalized