San Diego
Earlier this year I visited San Diego, as I was attending the Social Media Marketing World Conference which was held at the San Diego Convention Centre. I arrived a few days before the conference so I could do some touristy things and get on top of the jet lag before the fun really began. Come explore San Diego with me.
Seaport Village
On arrival and after checking into my hotel I headed along to Seaport Village for a walk in the sun and try to stave off the jet lag. Seaport Village is a gorgeous spot right on the waterfront with shops, cafes and restaurant with a very summery feel to it. After that I walked along to Midway Museum, a historical naval aircraft carrier museum.
From there, I kept wandering until I came to the statue named “unconditional surrender” which is a 25ft tall statue recreated from a photo taken in Times Square at the end of WW2. Then it was on to the Bob Hope Memorial where I found 15 bronze statues created as if we were in the Bob Hope Show.
Op Shopping
Of course no trip is complete without checking the op shops or thrift shops as its called in the USA. I headed to a Goodwill to see what they are like since we dont have Goodwill NZ. I did find some fabric to purchase and I was tempted by some clothing but left it behind as I had to be mindful of luggage space. Next I headed off to the Salvation Army store where I didnt purchase anything as the items I was interested in were all too big to bring home.
Then I arrived in heaven at San Diego’s largest Vintage and Antique Mall. So I’m not exactly sure how the Mall is run but a vendor has a booth that they maybe pay rent for but they dont need to be in attendance. If you are wanting to purchase some items you take them up to a central check out and pay for all your goods. We used to have a place like this in Waihi, I’m not sure if it is still around, or if there are any others in New Zealand, it was quite a different experience!
Old Town State Historic Park
The historic park, was created in 1968, and it contains a mix of authentic restored structures and reproductions providing a sense of what life was like in early San Diego. To find out more about the park and its original inhabitants make sure to read this
Balboa Park
Balboa Park is made up of over a 1,000 acres of land and has 15 museums, gardens, an arts village, and other art installations as well as the San Diego Zoo. To find out more about the history of the park and what is on offer check out these links here and here
I spent quite a bit of time at the Spanish Village Art Centre, a collective of over 200 local artists, I explored all the different works offered by the artists and had conversations with a few. It was interesting to find out peoples backgrounds and how they got started with their art. Some were self taught, some came to it at an older age and others had a qualification.
Then it was off to visit some of the many museums though the rain did have an effect on how many I managed to visit.
The San Diego Museum of Art – A fine arts museum in Balboa Park that houses a broad collection with particular strength in Spanish art. There are also European, Asian and American paintings and sculptures, as well as a dynamic program of international temporary exhibitions and a beautiful sculpture court and garden.
Mingel International Museum – A public museum that collects, conserves and exhibits folk art, craft and design. The museum was opened in 1978.
Museum of Photographic Arts – Their mission is to inspire, educate and engage through the collection and preservation of photography.
Coronado Island
I also managed to find time to take the Ferry to Coronado island, a kind of “resort city”. It’s not really an “island”, more of a peninsula. A short ferry ride and it’s like you are somewhere else entirely, as you look back towards San Diego. On the other side of Coronado Island are surf beaches and hotels, and there are a few shops, cafes and restaurants as well.
On a previous visit to San Diego back in 2020 I had visited Coronado Island on the hop on hop of tour which took you over the bridge and deposited you at the main shopping centre.
Last Word(s)
Now of course you might be thinking that had explored enough of San Diego but I also managed to check out a few markets and also got to see the pier at Ocean Beach though it was temporarily closed you could still see it from afar.
This was not to mention all the people I got to meet at SMMW, the meetups at cafes and restaurants and visiting with friends made in 2020 and also listening to the speakers at the conference It was a fun filled 10 days.
I stayed in the Gas Lamp District and didnt have a vehicle so all exploring was either done on foot or Uber for those places a bit further out.
