December 16-20, 2000
Local Attractions
BALBOA PARK, San Diego's famed city park. Home to the San Diego Zoo, the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center, the Old Globe Theatre and several smaller museums. Site of buildings from the 1915 Panama-California Exhibition. Most of the museums are free on Tuesday, but closed on Mondays. Stop by the Balboa Park Visitor's Center in the House of Hospitality for information on park attractions. Take trolley BLUE line south from Old Town to America Plaza station, walk one short block to Broadway at Kettner and then take bus #7/7A/7B getting off at Park Blvd. and Village Place. About 35 minutes.
BEACHES
MISSION BEACH/BELMONT PARK, wide sandy beach, surfing, amusement rides, boardwalk for strolling, skating and bicycling. Take bus #9 from Old Town. Approximately 20 minutes.
PACIFIC BEACH, adjacent to Mission Beach but nicer and not as crowded. Shops and restaurants, some for sunset dining. Take bus #9 from Old Town.
CABRILLO MONUMENT, named in honor of Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo, who landed here at the entrance of San Diego Bay in 1542. Popular spot for whale watching and spectacular views of downtown San Diego and outlying hills. Site of Pt. Loma Lighthouse. Take bus #26 from Old Town. About 30 minutes.
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO
GASLAMP QUARTER, restored area of Victorian buildings center of town at the turn of the last century. Attractive shops, galleries and fine restaurants. Take trolley BLUE line to the America Plaza station, then the ORANGE line to the Gaslamp Quarter station OR take trolley BLUE line to Fifth Avenue station and walk about 4 blocks down Fifth Avenue. Approximately 15-20 minutes. -
HARBOR EXCURSIONS/WHALE WATCHING TOURS leave from the Cruiseship Terminal on Harbor Drive near Broadway. The two companies offering such tours are Hornblower (visit "http://www.hornblower.com/sandiego/tours") and Harbor Excursions (visit "http://www.sdhe.com"). Take the trolley BLUE line from Old Town to the Santa Fe Depot stop (Amtrak station), then walk two blocks toward the harbor. Approximately 15-20 minutes.
HORTON PLAZA, downtown's acclaimed, open-air shopping center. Take trolley BLUE line from Old Town to Fifth Avenue station. About 10 minutes. -
SEAPORT VILLAGE, shopping and restaurant complex at San Diego's harbor front. Take trolley BLUE line from Old Town to America Plaza, then ORANGE line to Seaport Village station. Approximately 15 minutes.
LA JOLLA
DOWNTOWN LA JOLLA & COVE, upscale dining, art galleries, scenic cove and spectacular sunsets. Take bus #34 from Old Town; get off on Silverado. Approximately 45 minutes. -
BIRCH AQUARIUM, Admission $8.50 for adults. Take bus #34 from Old Town, getting off at La Jolla Shores at Horizon, walk south. About 50 minutes.
UCSD CAMPUS, Take bus #34 from Old Town, getting off at La Jolla Shores and N. Torrey Pines Rd. or at Gilman Drive and Myers Rd. About 50-55 minutes.
MISSION VALLEY
FASHION VALLEY CENTER, attractive, fashionable outdoor shopping mall and entertainment complex. Fast food eateries and restaurants. Take the trolley BLUE line from Old Town Transit Center. About 10 minutes. -
MISSION VALLEY CENTER, larger, outdoor shopping and entertainment complex. Fast food eateries and restaurants. Not as stylish as Fashion Valley Center. Take trolley BLUE line from Old Town to Mission Valley Center station. About 15 minutes. -
MISSION SAN DIEGO DE ALCALA, the first mission in the 21 mission chain in Alta California founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1769. Take trolley BLUE line from Old Town east to San Diego Mission station. About 20 minutes.
OLD TOWN, home of first European settlers to San Diego beneath a mission and fortress on Presidio Hill. The restored area bustles with tourist shops, hotels and restaurants, including the popular Bazaar del Mundo. Minutes walk from the conference hotels.
SAN DIEGO ZOO, the world-famous 100-acre zoo was founded in 1916. Today, the zoo cares for nearly 4000 animals of 800 different species and features over 6500 species of plants from around the world. The San Diego Zoo is open from 9 am to 4 pm (grounds close 5 pm) each day. Discounted, deluxe admission is available from the USD campus ticket office for $23 ($26 at the gate). For further information, visit the zoo's website at "www.sandiegozoo.org". From Old Town take trolley BLUE line south to America Plaza station, walk one short block to Broadway at Kettner and then take bus #7/7A/7B getting off at Park Blvd. and Zoo Place. Approximately, 35 minutes.
SEAWORLD, huge marine theme-park featuring Shamu, penguin and shark encounters, tidal pools and manatee reserve. Discounted admission is available from the USD campus ticket office for $33 ($40 at the gate). Take bus #9 from Old Town, getting off at Sea World. Approximately, 15 minutes.
GENERAL TRANSIT INFORMATION
TROLLEY fares range from $1.00 to $2.25, depending on the distance
traveled. If you are paying cash to ride the trolley, use the ticket
vending machine before you board to purchase your ticket. Do NOT board the
trolley without a validated ticket or you may be issued a fine. A map of the
trolley routes will be provided at conference check-in. BUS fares range from
$1.25 to $2.00, depending on the route traveled. Exact fare, please.
Drivers cannot make change. A TRANSFER is required when changing from a bus to
another bus or to the trolley. Ask the first bus driver for one when you
board. For the trolley, your validated ticket is also your transfer.
Transfers are valid for up to two hours (any direction, even round trips).
Most transfers are free, though you may be required to pay the difference when
transfering to a bus or trolley with a higher fare. Special DAY-TRIPPER passes
are available that allow unlimited rides for all bus and trolley routes for the
day or consecutive dates designated on the pass. One-day passes cost $5, two-day
$8, three-day $10 and four-day $12. On all bus and trolley routes, children five
years and under ride free with any paying adult passenger. Visit the website
"http://www.sdcommute.com" for further information.
SOME OUTLYING ATTRACTIONS (car may be necessary)
CORONADO, peninsula across San Diego Harbor from downtown. Home to a large Naval Air Station and the stately Hotel Del Coronado.
LEGOLAND,
entertainment theme-park featuring Lego's trademark structures and amusements.
Legoland is open daily during Fall from 10 am to 7 pm. General admission
is $34 for adults, $29 for children (3-16). For further information and
directions visit the website "http://www.legoland.com".
TIJUANA, MEXICO. Experience the ambiance of typical Mexico by strolling past arts and crafts shops along the famed Avenida Revolucion, or shop in the modern tree-lined Zona Rio. From Old Town, either drive south on I-5 to the last U.S. exit to find parking on the U.S. side* or take trolley BLUE line to its southern terminus, then walk across the USA-Mexico border, and walk or hail a cab to the city center. Approximately 35 minutes by car or 70 minutes by trolley. Be sure to carry proof of citizenship and the appropriate visa documents/greencard required for non-citizens of the USA.
TORREY PINES STATE RESERVE. Named for the rare pine trees that grow only here and on Santa Rosa Island, the reserve features many trails that wind upward to rocky bluffs overlooking the sea or wind downward to the sandy beach below. By car, take I-5 north from Old Town to the Genessee Avenue exit. Turn left on Genessee and proceed through to N. Torrey Pines Road for about 2 miles.
WILD ANIMAL PARK. This 1800-acre wildlife preserve allows visitors to view exotic animals here as they might have been seen in the wild. Opened to the public in 1972, the park has over 3500 animals representing 260 species, and is an accredited botanical garden. The Wild Animal Park is open daily during Fall from 9 am to 4 pm (grounds close 5 pm). General admission is $21.95. For more information and directions, visit the website "www.sandiegozoo.org".
WORD OF CAUTION:
While San Diego is a relatively safe and hospitable city, it would be prudent to mention some common-sense tips for your safety when traveling.
Never wear your badge away from the conference grounds. If you have valuables as carry-on luggage, keep them in view at all times.
At night travel with a companion, particularly when using public transport.
Don't travel with a lot of cash. Carry travelers' checks and credit cards.
Always carry the name, address and phone number of someone to contact in case of an emergency.
Use hotel lock boxes for valuables.
*While we discourage you from driving into Mexico, should you insist be sure to purchase Mexican auto insurance (regardless of what your auto insurance policy states) before you cross the border, and be prepared for a long wait crossing back into the USA.