It always surprises me how many visitors to America fail to make it down to San Diego. I always hear about travels to New York, Florida or San Francisco, but never to San Diego.
If California is on their itinerary, then they are most likely visiting Los Angeles. LA does get more exposure due its famous attractions (and people!), but what most people don’t realise, is that San Diego has so much more to offer and see.
I will be the first to admit that it’s not the best place for solo female travel, or to visit as a budget traveler; however, there are steps that you can take to make your visit more affordable and more solo travel friendly:
- Stay in a Hostel – The hostels in San Diego are of high quality and well-run. They are also a great place to meet other travelers.
- Utilise public transportation rather than hiring a vehicle.
- Choose to eat at one of the excellent fast food establishments rather than restaurants (and I’m not talking about burger bars! You can get a scrumptious rice and meat dishes for not alot more than $5)
So, why San Diego?
The perfect year round climate! You can pretty much guarantee and forecast the weather:
- October to April:
Mild weather, few rain showers but mostly sunny days.
- May to June:
“May Grey” & “June Gloom” meaning, cloudy mornings brightening up in the afternoon.
- July to September:
Hot & Sunny – Puurrfect!
If you do see a sprinkle of rain, be sure to turn on the news where you will get round-the-clock coverage of the sprinkles (sorry rain) with broadcasters stationed in different parts of San Diego. They will provide regular updates on puddles turning into, …well, larger puddles. It seriously is quite comical.
Other reasons to visit San Diego?
“Awesome” beaches, world-class attractions and an abundance of outdoor activities.
The beaches are just typically Californian. They are large and sandy, and usually have great surfing. The San Diego beaches are wonderful for people watching, whether its watching the eccentrics or the beautiful people!
World-Class attractions in San Diego include: SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. Whilst the first two are quite expensive, they are worth splurging on. Furthermore, lets not forget that you can get to the Mexican border in less than 30 minutes!
So when you next plan your visit to America, save a few more pennies and take some time out in San Diego: “America’s Finest City.”
Further information and advice on Life in San Diego can be obtained from the San Diego Living Guide:
What are your thoughts on San Diego?
May 29, 2012 at 8:14 pm
I agree – it is an amazing city!
You bring back many happy memories.
June 4, 2012 at 4:47 am
I didn`t really think much of San Diego in that I never thought about it at all. Then one of my friends said it was his dream city to live in and now I hear about it all the time.
Ayngelina recently posted..The island that surprised me
June 4, 2012 at 11:55 am
It certainly is a dream city to live in – although, not the cheapest!
June 13, 2012 at 5:27 am
I always get so excited when people say positive things about my city! I tell people, “San Diego is everything LA wishes it could be.” I tried living in LA for a few years and quickly ran back to San Diego.
Oh….and I love what you said about the sprinkles….it’s so very true!
For good cheap food if you are on a budget…Mexican food! We have some of the best Mexican food without having to actually go to Mexico.
CeCe recently posted..Visit Gaudí’s Work In Spain
July 13, 2012 at 12:53 am
I agree, CeCe. I am a San Diego Native.
June 14, 2012 at 5:55 pm
@CeCe “San Diego is everything LA wishes it could be.”…I like that! Yes, San Diego is certainly paradise and is a great place to live. I enjoyed visiting LA, but for living – San Diego beat LA hands down! San Diego is not only great for Mexican food – but for sushi too!
January 4, 2013 at 7:16 am
I love San Diego. They had a free organ concert in Balboa Park on a Sunday. Pacific Beach was also fun to hang out at.
April 3, 2013 at 5:22 pm
I’ve lived in San Diego (SD) a couple of times…actually finished school there. SD is probably my favorite big city in the country…it has everything! As you indicated, it is however very expensive to live and to visit. There is however so much to see and do, and, the weather is next to perfect year-round. I would go to SD over L.A. in a heartbeat. If your readers are interested, I too have a post on San Diego that includes a list of things to do, as well as a video highlighting many of the places on my list. http://www.MikesRoadTrip.com/san-diego
April 5, 2013 at 7:29 pm
Yes! I lived there too – amazing city with soo much to offer! You could be at the beach AND mountains in the same day. An outdoor lovers paradise for sure. Thanks for the link!
April 20, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Agreed! What part of the county did you reside? I was downtown near Gaslamp the last time I lived there.
Mike’s Road Trip recently posted..Why you need to come to Arizona right now!
April 20, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Hi Mike, I spent most of my time in Fashion Valley – Great place to live especially seeing that it was close to mission bay. I must admit I always wanted to live in the Gaslamp area – cannot get anymore central!