Visitor's Guide to San Diego: America's Finest City

When you live in San Diego, the self proclaimed 'America's Finest City' it hard to not be proud. When you come to visit San Diego you will never be at a loss for something to do, and with all the variety San Diego offers your worst problem will be deciding where to go, how long to stay, and when to come back.

Geographically San Diego is close to perfect. With a good plan, a car, and a map you can go from the beach, to the mountains, to the desert, make a quick trip to Mexico and make it back to the beach all in a day.

If you start out early on a spring morning you can drive through the mountains to Ramona and drop down into the the Borrego desert and if you are there the right 3-4 weeks and California was blessed with winter rain you will be treated to a wonderful array of exotic cactus sporting reds, yellow, purples, and oranges on a background of warn sand, rocks and mountains. Leave early enough and watch a sunrise you will not soon forget. 

Stop at a rest stop or make your way to Borrego State Park for the day and enjoy some of the trails and hikes. Make this same trip in the winter and maybe drive through the snow in the mountains. Be sure and stop for some hot apple cider and apple pie in Julian and maybe some Dudley's bread from the bakery on the way.

Just don't stay too long if you want to get to lots places in one day. Now head south through the Cuyamaca Mountains to Interstate 8 west to Interstate 5 south and on the way to Mexico for a lobster "Mexican style' lunch in Puerto Nuevo and maybe a little shopping in Rosirito Beach. 

Just be sure you get insurance for your car (insurance is about $15.00 and they have maps and other tourist info also), change for the small tolls (no need to exchange your money, in fact, I recommend not exchanging they like American dollars), and a valid form of ID (passports will be needed after 01-2008 to get back in the US) and your appetite.