San Diego Zoo Ritz gala

San Diego Zoo has many expenses and needs, plus many mouths to feed. That’s why the fund-raising efforts are so important to this valuable institution that helps all of us learn and grow in our understanding of our responsibility as citizens of the planet. R*I*T*Z: Rendezvous In The Zoo, billed as A Night in Paradise, invites you to help the zoo’s mission and its causes by attending the annual gala held at the zoo. Sure, it costs quite a bit ($450 general seating, $900 for preferred circle seats.)  It clearly is not for everyone, and certainly not an event you should attend if you can’t afford it. But for those who can, there’s no better cause and no better place to be on June 19, 2010 from 7 p.m. to midnight, than at the zoo.

The Zoo’s black-tie event, now in its 27th year,  will take place under the stars at the San Diego Zoo. Highlights include lavish hors d’oeuvres, hosted cocktails, a silent auction, a gourmet dinner, conservation ambassador Joan Embery and animal friends, and dancing to the music of Wayne Foster Entertainment.

More than 90 volunteers are planning a magical party where guests can escape to a relaxing, elegant, and colorful tropical paradise for the evening. A Night In Paradise will create an affair that will be an unforgettable evening of dining and dancing. To purchase tickets, please call R*I*T*Z reservation chair Marilyn Neumann at (619) 287-5435. See more about the zoo.

San Diego, Calif.–If pure vacation is your persuasion, San Diego is the spot on the map you definitely want to check out in California. Why? Its southernmost location on the U.S. West Coast makes for the best climate that some say only a minute fraction of the world is privileged to share. Weather is a big deal for travelers, and a good start for picking a destination. Once you visit San Diego as a tourist or on a business trip, you’ll discover that this is the place for pure enjoyment and fun. Get packing. It’s time to go see San Diego.

Glorious weather makes for a beautiful day. But there’s also a host of fantastic San Diego attractions that compel tourists to return.  beautiful bay with aquatic activities galore, nature-oriented theme parks that include one of the finest zoos and wild animal parks  in the world, SeaWorld, Legoland, and Balboa Park, along with miles of beaches.

The strand that connects Mission Beach and Pacific Beach is one of several popular San Diego beach hang-outs, and its 3 mile paved path makes for some great roller blading, bicycling and strolls. Just over the Coronado Bay Bridge, accessible by car, bus or ferry boat, San Diego’s Coronado Island offers more beaches with paved paths, luxury hotels on the beach such as the Hotel del Coronado, and Loews Coronado Bay Resort, and easy access to Tijuana, Mexico for shopping, dining, and more enjoyment.

Beaches within the city of San Diego include:

• Coronado
• La Jolla beaches
• Mission Beach
• Mission Bay
• Ocean Beach
• Pacific Beach
• Silver Strand State Beach

Theme parks in San Diego County include:

• Balboa Park (12 museums)
• Legoland
• Sea Life Aquarium
• San Diego Zoo
• San Diego Wild Animal Park
• SeaWorld San Diego

Places to stay in San Diego:

• Balboa Park
• Beaches
• Clairmont
• Convention Center
• Coronado
• Gaslamp Quarter
• Hotel Circle
• La Jolla
• Downtown
• Old Town Historic District
• Point Loma

Our favorite way to introduce our family & friends to San Diego’s unique and exciting attractions is through the GO San Diego Card. The all access attraction pass offers one, two, three, five, or seven day cards at a low, pre-paid price. Use the card to gain access to any and all of the 50 included attractions, saving up to 55% compared to full retail admissions.

See more information about the GO San Diego Card:

Major Parks
LEGOLAND California(once per the life of the card), San Diego Zoo Best Value Ticket, San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal, Belmont Park Unlimited Ride Wristband, Knott’s Berry Farm (once per the life of the card), Knott’s Soak City Water Park**, Wild Rivers Water Park (Irvine, California)**, and Boomers San Diego.

Tours & Excursions
San Diego Harbor Excursions (Your choice of one harbor tour per day: Full Bay Tour, North Bay Tour, and South Bay Tour), Whale Watching Excursions*, Tour to Tijuana, Mexico with Gray Line San Diego*, Coronado “Promenade through the Past” Walking Tour, Coronado Ferry, Petco Park Guided Tour, Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour, Brewery Tour at Rock Bottom Brewery, Go Car Navigational Tour, Little Italy Walking Tour, The New Children’s Museum, Ice Town La Jolla, Hotel Del Coronado Walking Tour and Old Town Trolley.

Excellent Attractions
Miramar Speed Circuit, San Diego Wine and Culinary Center Wine Tasting, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, La Jolla Bike and Kayak, Japanese Friendship Garden, Chula Vista Nature Center, Discovery Science Center, Wave House FlowRider and Sea Life Park @ Legoland

Museums
USS Midway Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Air and Space Museum, San Diego Museum of History, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, the Museum of Making Music, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, Serra Museum, Coronado Museum of History and Art, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – La Jolla, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – Downtown, Firehouse Museum, Museum of the Living Artist, Mingei International Museum, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Hall of Champions Sports Museum, and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.

Historic Sites
William Heath Davis House and the Whaley House Museum.

Day Trips to Los Angeles
Kodak Theatre: Guided Theatre Tours, Hollywood Museum, and Red Line Tours (Your choice of one Red Line Tour per day: Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour, Inside Historic Downtown Los Angeles Tour, and Inside Contemporary Los Angeles Tour).

If you’re looking for prices you can afford for an excellent San Diego vacation, check out “The Rock”, Hard Rock, that is. Located at the entrance to Gaslamp Quarter, the hotel features incredible rooms that offer comfort, cool and location. You can go down to the lobby for music and drinks, or head out the door for some great Gaslamp steaks and sizzling nightlife.

Check out prices at Hard Rock these days!

Nearby, enjoy a variety of family entertainment. Our favorites include San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, and shopping for silver jewelry, leather goods, and even pharmaceuticals at a fraction of U.S. prices just across the border in Tijuana.

Be sure to check out Hard Rock soon. There are some deals, but by summer, they’ll be gone.

Hard Rock Hotel

US Grant

The stately US Grant hotel in downtown in San Diego, an early 1900′s  brick building on the National Register of Historic Places, was built by Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., son of the 19th president of the United States. Opened in 1910 after delays because of the shortage of lumber as a result of th San Francisco 1909 earthquake, the building opened  with much fanfare. It was a beautiful hotel with marble and rich wood treatments, a 500 seat ballroom, and location across from Horton Plaza. Check out the great photos of the hotel.

Experiencing several massive renovations (one was over $80 million), the US Grant has hosted 14 presidents during its illustrious career as San Diego’s jewel of the downtown. Recent renovations occurred in 2006 and everything shines as a Starwood Hotel. Located in the center of the downtown area,  walking distance from Petco Park, Gaslamp Quarter with its wonderful Croce’s, many great restaurants and bars, and special street events, if you seek historic ambiance, and location, you will love it.

Guests arriving by Amtrak from Union Station can easily make the walk over to the hotel, or catch a cab a few short blocks it that makes more sense.

Se San Diego Hotel

Se San Diego Offers 45% OFF!

Se San Diego looks and feels like the finer hotels of the world. When you visit China and stay in a four or five diamond accommodation, you can expect firm, luxury bedding (often with silk sheets and comforters), and city lights views. Se San Diego carries similar color schemes, modern, clean lines, and new glass windows and door treatments that clearly outshine the finer properties in China.

As of this posting, Se is offering a discount for accommodations. While such offers are guaranteed to change, the main thing you should know is that it’s likely you’ll be getting a room on a lower flower rather than the penthouse and higher floor city lights views. But if you are looking for a truly quality room and don’t need to be on top of the world, this is a perfect time to book a room at Se, located at 5th and Broadway at the gateway to Gaslamp Quarter.  You can pay more and get better views, of course.

Be sure to enjoy the swimming pool, spa and dining when you make your next visit. Se is a self-contained hotel with alll the creature comforts. It also accepts pets, through there’s a $150 deposit. You got it…Se isn’t a cheap hotel. Se is a luxury hotel and for that, you must pay. But when they take 45

Hilton Hotel San Diego sailboats

Hilton San Diego Resort

Shown in the photo above are sailboats guests can rent. Are you looking for something to do in San Diego? The kid-friendly Mission Bay not only include a resort hotel that’s custom made for kids (Hilton Resort), but daytime activities such as the green park with lots of playground fun for youngsters. Families love to come on weekends and sit on the grassy hills that provide vantage points to watch your kids–and the bay where there’s ample recreation. Most any day you will notice  people exercising along the walk / jog / bike path. There are great restrooms, too. Mission Bay is a manmade oceanfront aquatic park with miles of sandy beaches, bike paths and playgrounds.

Just down the road is SeaWorld, well worth half a day t a full day’s entertainment. Shows, water rides, shopping, dining and simply watching are some of the more popular diversions perfect for all ages. For kid-themed vacations, you definitely won’t want to miss Legoland for the youngsters, or San Dieogo Zoo. Along with the exciting zoo and small train ride that circles on a track outside the park, be sure to check out Wild Animal Park.

• Legoland Tickets (buy one day, get one day free limited offer)

• Sea World Tickets

• San Diego Zoo

• Old Town Trolley

  - I recommend this one. The staff are are always nice.

Outdoor sports include surfing, bicycling if you rent a bike or bring your own and ride along the beach paths at Pacific Beach. Within the city limits is Torrey Pines State Reserve, with high bluffs overlooking the Pacific. The Glider Port is a launch pad based on those bluffs. Beginners can take the training course and get the breeze beneath their wings in a tandem ride provided on your first trip out.

Of course, the numero uno sports activities in San Diego are game watching. There are two ball parks hosting San Diego’s baseball and football teams. You can stay at the Hard Rock Hotel or over at the towering Hilton on the Bay and walk on over to Petco Park.

San Diego is a city on the run. There’s so much to see and do, you really can’t get board. From taking a guided tour cruise on the water, a city cruise on the Old Town Trolley, or exploring on foot, now’s a great time to get your feet wet, both figuratively speaking and in real time.

Hotel Occidental

Hotel Occidental

While some may disagree with my assessment, I like to think of Hotel Occidental and an upscale hostel. Some shared facilities and its simple accommodations are two reasons. I have read many reviews of the hotel and have found that those most satisfied with their visits are younger people seeking a hotel with a location near downtown, Balboa Park and schools.

Adult couples and seniors tend to be a bit disenchanted with what they discover upon arrival. Some have even asked why you would stay there when other nearby options can be had at a similar price. The answer is simple. If you are in town with friends attending a concert, ball game or party, you may seek an affordable, friendly hotel where young people like to stay. Amenities such as a shared kitchen, nice front lawn in a neighborhood setting and bicycle rentals somewhat suggest that you are in the wrong place if you’re looking for valet to take your car and park it underground during your stay.

Bright colored pillow accents and simple decor lend well to this hotel. Prices are often under $100, which isn’t too shabby for the great location.

Britt Scripps Inn

Britt Scripps (Victorian) Inn

By far the most elegant and romantic hotel in the Balboa Park / Hillcrest district of San Diego, the artfully restored 1887 inn with its Queen Anne turret and tricolor facade was built by attorney Eugene Britt. Refurbished in the past few years from an office building back into accommodations, the nine-room boutique hotel requires guests be 21 or older to stay there.  A mere block west of Balboa Park in Bankers Hill neighborhood filled with elegant homes that date back 100 years, Britt Scripps Inn has developed a reputation as a romantic place for couples seeking a getaway.

The prices have suprisingly gone down because of the economy and the huge inventory of hotel rooms opened in San Diego recently. The good news is that if you shop weekdays, you may find a room for a price lower than when the hotel first opened several years ago.

Ideal for a weekend trip or weekday visit and walking tours, you can wander over to Balboa Park approx. one block away and spend the entire day visiting museums with the the Passport to Balboa.

Each room is different but never bland. People are always amazed at the vivid original color palettes of Victorian homes, according to Gordon Hattersley III, who restored the property to its original flavor. Like a detective, he contracted a historical consultant and investigated old layers of paint, determining that the Victorians indulged in brilliant, rich color palettes. From his 2001 purchase of the property and 24 months of restoration, Hattersley added modern conveniences such as private bathrooms and insulation, injecting several million dollars in the renovation.

1000 count sheets and linens, high-speed, wireless Internet access, flat-screen televisions and multiline telephones don’t destroy the ambiance one bit, however. All have been added in a manner to blend tastefully with with the stand-out decor. Richard Gatling of Gatling Design in Solana Beach was contracted for the fine details that include modern touches in rooms named Renaissance, Governor and Gothic.  Furnishings are authentic to the period but are functional for guests to relax and enjoy.

A hand-carved white oak staircase that curves around an 1887 two-story stained-glass window is interior centerpiece that sets the stage for the rare 85-key Steinway Art Case piano dating to approx. 1883.

The house was officially designated Historic Site 52 by the city of San Diego in 1971 and though much of its original woodwork is gone, the giant camphor tree that shades the carriage house hotel room is believed to be one of the oldest in North America.

Complimentary breakfast in the morning and artisan cheese plates and wine at night are but two of the amenities that make this the right place to visit and optimum time stay at Britt Scripps Inn.

Sea Life Aquarium  in Carlsbad, California’s Legoland opened in August 2008 adjacent to LEGOLAND California. Exquisite deep-sea wonders include display tanks filled with more than 5,000 creatures ranging from shoreline marine life such as starfish and crabs to larger species such as sharks and rays. The Sea Life network is a renowned supporter of marine conservation, having campaigned successfully to improve protection for species ranging from endangered sea turtles to sharks.

Look at all the Legoland Admission Options!

Sharks Revealed – an interactive exhibit designed to introduce children to these mysterious and misunderstood creatures of the deep was introduced in 2009.  Examining the life cycle and evolution of sharks, guests discover how sharks eat, breathe and sleep.

Replacing the Kelp Forest exhibit which was on display at SEA LIFE since its opening in August of 2008, Sharks Revealed includes a graphic timeline showing the evolution of sharks from 350 million years ago to today; a live display of sharks showing their development from eggs to adults; local shark species found off the coast of Carlsbad; an interactive “shark lab” where guests can get a hands-on experience using microscopes; a large-scale model of a “mermaid’s purse” for a fun photo opportunity; plus crafts and artifacts.

The SEA LIFE Aquarium in Carlsbad already has more sharks than any of the other 29 SEA LIFE Centers world-wide including black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, zebra sharks, leopard sharks, epaulettes, Port Jackson sharks and the rare grey reef sharks. Several new species will be part of the “Sharks Revealed” exhibit including the brown banded bamboo shark, the white spotted bamboo shark and the coral catshark.

The company behind iconic brands such as LEGOLAND family theme parks, Madame Tussauds and The London Eye, UK-based Merlin is the world’s biggest aquarium operator and already has 31 other Sea Life attractions in Europe. Last year, Merlin also acquired the Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

The second biggest visitor attraction operator in the world and the fastest growing company in the sector, Merlin Entertainments is swiftly making a name for itself in the U.S.  In addition to the two aquariums, Merlin currently has seven other attractions in the U.S. with three more scheduled to open in 2010, including a Phoenix Sea Life Aquarium.

LEGOLAND California has been voted the Best Children’s Park for the last five years by Amusement Today; and Merlin is also the company behind Madame Tussauds attractions in New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Hollywood; and a LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Chicago.

Sea World penguins

One of the most compelling reas0ns that people flock to see San Diego is the variety of attractions ranging from boat tours and rides to city tours and theme park attractions.

The top theme parks in San Diego County are SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, and Belmont Park. Among these popular attractions are seasonal events, rotating shows, world-class exhibits and rides, restaurants and collections of amazing animals.

Other types of attractions in San Diego include museums. The best collection of museums on the West Coast can be found in Balboa Park. In addition to focus on the sciences, there’s Old Town, which is an historic place comprised of a collection of buildings dating back over 100 year.  One of the most haunted houses (Whaley) is located here.

Attractions such as boat tours range from bay excursions, fishing trips out in the ocean, ferry boat rides, tours of a several types of ships, cruise ships docked in port, gondola rides at Coronado Bay, and kayak rentals.

Museums, botanical gardens such as Quail Botanic Garden in Encinitas, and Del Mar, home to the annual fair, a drive-through holiday lights show, and thoroughbred racing all provide sports, flowers, arts and crafts that are entertaining throughout the seasons.