San Diego is known for its beautiful coastline and weather. Today, I will break down many of the landmarks that I highly recommend visiting in San Diego.
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo was founded in 1915, when the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego ended, and animals were left over. These were transferred into the newly founded zoo. It is located in the large and expansive Balboa Park, which has many other landmarks in it that I will mention later.
While almost every major city has a zoo, the San Diego Zoo is particularly large and famous. People from all over the world come to see the vast collection of animals, including giant pandas. When I went to the San Diego Zoo, I heard eight different languages spoken: English, Spanish, Mandarin, German, French, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Hindi. The zoo is very large, and I recommend two days to fully explore, but one day of exploration is also okay.
“The San Diego Zoo is a very nice place to chill and explore for a day,” said ERHS freshman Alexander Vang when asked about the experience he had visiting the San Diego Zoo.
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego is located in Mission Bay Park, which in itself is a beauty to see. If you like roller coaster rides, SeaWorld has many intense rides, like Electric Eel and Emperor. You can also see dolphin and/or orca shows, and the orca show involves splashing large amounts of water on the audience.
SeaWorld has many other smaller attractions, with lots of marine life to see. You can even see penguins in a cold-weather indoor exhibit. Similar to the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego is a particularly famous animal theme park compared to many alternatives in other cities.
San Diego Air & Space Museum
The San Diego Air & Space Museum is a Smithsonian-affiliated aviation museum that covers the history of aviation and advancements in aviation technology. The museum is located in Balboa Park, along with the San Diego Zoo and many other landmarks.
Avgeeks and military enthusiasts will love going to the San Diego Air & Space Museum, with its giant collection of unique aircraft and interesting exhibits. Even someone who does not appreciate aviation as much will still find going to this museum interesting. Notable artifacts include the Apollo 9 Command Module, Lockheed A-12, the Japanese A6M7 Zero, the Supermarine Spitfire, the F/A-18 Hornet, and the P-51 Mustang.
Botanical Building
Like the San Diego Zoo, the Botanical Building was built for the Panama-California Exposition that was hosted in San Diego. After the exposition ended, the building underwent renovations, and it is one of the largest wood-lath structures in the entire world. Although the building is not the largest, it is full of greenery.
In front of the Botanical Building, you can find a large reflecting pool that makes for beautiful images with the Botanical Building and the areas surrounding it. The pool looks clean and healthy, with ducks and other wildlife in it.
Traveling to San Diego
In Southern California, the easiest way to get to San Diego is via the Interstate 5 (I-5). It is the primary highway that goes from the Greater Los Angeles area to the San Diego metro area.
Outside of specific landmarks, I asked ERHS student Robert Gutierrez about his experience in San Diego as a whole.
“It is an extremely diverse city with lots of cultures, but it is predominantly Hispanic,” Gutierrez said. “San Diego is sunny and has nice, beautiful beaches.”
San Diego is a place that anyone can enjoy, and I hope this article can help guide tourists around San Diego!
