A picture of the beautiful San Diego Night is one of the reasons San Diego Vacation comes with an enriching travel experience.

TRAVEL DESTINATION

Ready for a vacation? These 13 amazing San Diego vacation ideas will make your experience unforgettable.

BY ARTCENTRON

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA– For vacationers, 2018 is full of endless possibilities and adventures. As the vacation planning continues, it is important not to forget to put San Diego on the list. Known by locals as America’s Finest City, San Diego is the second-largest city in California and the eighth-largest city in the United States.  It offers up extensive beaches, a spectacular coast, scenic communities, and hundreds of attractions for the entire family. San Diego vacation provides endless possibilities to take in a Padres game, go on a zoo safari, tour craft breweries, track down ghosts and explore more than 70 miles of white, sandy beaches on a vacation that is sure to create memories to last a lifetime.

San Diego Weather in Summer

During the summer, temperatures in San Diego typically range between 72 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it is sometimes humid, it is often not enough to make exploration impossible. In fact, the weather gets better over the course of the day when the sun is at its peak.  There is no need to be afraid that it will rain because San Diego does not get a lot of rain. Even if it rains, there won’t be anything a raincoat or rain gear won’t handle.  This means vacationers will get the opportunity to explore and enjoy all the fun activities San Diego has to offer.

San Diego Vacation: 13 Essential Experiences for Travelers

Enjoy Comic-Con

Touted as the largest pop culture event in the United States, Comic-Con International is an opportunity for vacationers to celebrate their inner geek. The annual event attracts thousands of artists, celebrities, and fans of comic books and movie memorabilia. This year, it runs from July 19 through 22 at the San Diego Convention Center. Events include film screenings, autograph areas, comic-book dealers, and other merchants. There are also gaming displays, a costume contest, awards ceremonies, and Artists’ Alley, where comic artists gather to greet fans.

San Diego Zoo  

Easily one of the most famous zoological parks in the world. San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park houses over 3,500 animals, more than 650 species, and subspecies. The botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants.  While on your San Diego vacation, be sure to visit the zoo.  Founded in 1916 by Harry M. Wegeforth, M.D., San Diego Zoo Global boasts a membership representing more than a half million people. Many are passionate about the zoo’s residents including Arctic Foxes, Polar Bears, Amur Leopards, King Cobras, and Tasmanian Devils.

San Diego Beaches: San Diego Vacation Experience 

Seals, Surfers, and Sandy Beaches are important fun aspects of vacationing in San Diego.  With more than 70 miles of beautiful beaches and year-round mild temperatures, San Diego provides a gorgeous experience for tourists. One of the ways to explore San Diego is aboard an Old Town Trolley La Jolla & San Diego Beaches Day Tripper Tour.  The Trolley travels to the top of Mount Soledad, providing panoramic views of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the tour, vacationers get to see rocky cliffs, reefs and tide pools, seals, surfers, and sandy beaches. Other points of interest include the Children’s Pool, Sunny Jim Cave, Coast Walk Trail, Ellen Browning Scripps Park, and more.

Arts & Culture Celebration

From excellent music and standup comedy to eclectic cuisine, craft libations, and moving contemporary art, Kaaboo Del Mar Festival is sure to wow this year. This three-day arts and culture festival happens from September 14 through16 at Del Mar Fairgrounds. It is touted as an “adult escape, uniquely curated to appeal to all five of your senses.” With a diverse 2017 musical lineup that included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, and Kesha, there is no telling what next year has in store.

Sporting Events

From die-hard sports enthusiasts to fair-weather fans, San Diego vacation offers a wide range of sporting events for the entire family. A visit to Petco Park, where the San Diego Padres play provides endless possibilities to root for the home team. Located downtown on San Diego Bay and adjacent to Gaslamp Quarter, baseball fans will find a ton of local eateries and craft brews at the park for a one-of-a-kind experience. The city is also home to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for horse racing. There are also San Diego Sockers for indoor soccer and San Diego Gulls for ice hockey.

Enjoy Craft Beer

With over 150 craft breweries in San Diego County, it is no surprise that the coastal community takes their award-winning beers seriously. Since 2007, Brewery Tours of San Diego has offered up public and private tours to visit breweries like Ballast Point, Mission Brewery, Green Flash Brewing Co., and Saint Archer Brewing Company. The tour provides San Diego vacationers the opportunity to learn about the region’s signature beer style, West Coast-Style IPA, which is known for its massive flavor and as many hops as can be stuffed into a pint glass.

Great Meals During San Diego Vacation 

With eateries, cafes, bistros, and coastal seafood hangouts, vacationers there is much to eat.  Many of the eateries offer lunch, dinner, and prix-fixe menu options. The eateries span across the county from the South Bay to East County and to the borders of Oceanside and Fallbrook to the north. For those on a San Diego vacation this summer, there are great offerings at many of the restaurants.

Floating City at Sea

The USS Midway is a great way to experience life at sea without leaving port. At the USS Midway Museum, vacationers get the opportunity to take in more than 60 exhibits and a collection of 29 restored aircraft. With a 50-year history as the longest-serving Navy aircraft carrier of the 20^th century. Vacationers get to see how 225,000 sailors lived and served our country while touring the crew’s sleeping quarters, engine room, ship’s jail, post office, and bridge high on the island over the flight deck.

More Things to Do in San Diago

Entertainment & Nightlife

Explore 16 blocks dotted with Victorian-style buildings in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, a lively downtown neighborhood known for its entertainment and nightlife. With a history dating back to the 1850s, Gaslamp Quarter is now home to world-class boutiques, art galleries, and an eclectic array of restaurants such as Parq Restaurant, modeled after Central Park in New York City, and Sevilla Restaurant & Tapas Bar.

Experience Ghost and Gravestones

While enjoying your San Diego vacation, it is important to take some time off the beaches and explore the darker side of Southern California.  The Old Town Trolley’s Ghosts & Gravestones Tour provides the opportunity to learn about the gunslingers, gamblers, and ladies of the night who lived and died in San Diego. The trip takes visitors through Old Town and walks the winding path through El Campo Santo Cemetery onto the Whaley House, which Travel Channel called “the most haunted house in the United States.” This frightfully fun, 90-minute trolley tour runs most nights.

San Diego Vacation: Home Away from Home 

Petco Park, Pendry San Diego strikes a balance between modern and traditional lodging. It is located in the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter and is just a few blocks from the San Diego Convention Center.  With more than three hundred guestrooms and suites, The Pendry pairs classic Southern California influence with modern luxuries and amenities such as a rooftop pool, a half-dozen restaurants and bars, a spa, and a 24-hour fitness center.

A Park Honoring Heritage

Home to more than 17 museums, multiple performing arts venues, lush gardens, trails, and more, Balboa Park is a main cultural hub for San Diego. The park was renamed after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in honor of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and later declared a National Historic Landmark and National Historic Landmark District in 1977. Balboa Park encompasses everything from the San Diego Automotive Museum and the San Diego Art Institute to Moreton Bay Fig Tree and Sefton Plaza.

Historic Lodging

There are great places to stay while on a San Diego vacation. Just minutes from downtown, San Diego is Hotel del Coronado, an iconic destination at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Relaxed beauty and seaside charm encapsulate the quintessential Southern California coastal lifestyle at this historic hotel. Built in 1888 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977, Hotel del Coronado is regularly visited by celebrities, dignitaries, and U.S. presidents. From historic architecture and modern touches, The Del (as it is known by locals) is a perfect destination whether you are staying for a night or a week.

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These San Diego Vacation Ideas provide amazing opportunities to experience enjoy summer. Are you going on a vacation this summer? Tell us about your experience. Share your story and pictures.