San Diego Crew Classic
Regarded as the first major regatta of the year, the San Diego Crew Classic brings together thousands of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United...
From a signature burrito to world-class theater to icons of skateboarding and aviation, San Diego boasts fascinating characters, folklore and much more. Check out some fun and surprising facts about the region!
While San Diego is known the world over for great beaches, beautiful weather and such world-class attractions as the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego, the region also lays claim to a wealth of historic feats, intriguing personalities and surprising firsts. Check out this lineup of 20 fun facts about San Diego.
San Diego is one of only two places in the world where the Torrey pine tree grows. See them for yourself at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.
San Diego County is home to 7,000 small farms – the most of any U.S. county. It also produces the most avocados.
And speaking of avocados: The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz owns an organic farm near Oceanside (in San Diego’s North Coastal region) that producers and sells both avocados and coffee.
The California Burrito, a taco shop favorite stuffed with carne asada and fries, originated in San Diego. Taquitos, or rolled tacos, were also invented at El Indio restaurant near Mission Hills during World War II.
Fast-food megachain Jack in the Box started out in 1951 as a single drive-through hamburger stand on El Cajon Boulevard, near San Diego State University.
The Spirit of St. Louis, flown by Charles Lindbergh on the world’s first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in 1927, was built in San Diego by Ryan Airlines. You can see a flyable replica built by some of the original builders at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Belmont Park‘s Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster built in 1925, is one of only four roller coasters on the National Register of Historic Places.
Between the Old Globe Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse, scores of musicals and plays have debuted in San Diego and then gone on to Broadway in New York City, including “Into the Woods,” “Come From Away” and “Jersey Boys.”
The 1982 movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” was based on writer Cameron Crowe’s semi-fictional account of a year spent undercover at San Diego’s Clairemont High School. Crowe, who grew up in San Diego, was a rock-critic prodigy who later became an Oscar-winning screenwriter and director of such hit films as “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous.”
Wild West gunslinger Wyatt Earp lived in downtown’s Horton Grand Hotel for seven years.
Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was one of La Jolla‘s most prominent residents; so was Dr. Jonas Salk, who created the first successful polio vaccine in 1955.
The first modern triathlon was held in Mission Bay in 1974.
Then-governor Ronald Reagan was the first person to officially cross the San Diego-Coronado Bridge when it was completed in 1969.
Just 100 people attended the first San Diego comic convention in 1970. Today, more than 130,000 people attend Comic-Con International: San Diego every July.
The Travel Channel named The Whaley House Museum in San Diego’s Old Town the country’s most haunted house.
San Diego celebrates a local skateboarding legend on Tony Hawk Day, May 29. Hawk grew up in San Diego’s northern suburbs, as did skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White.
Pop-punk band Blink-182 launched in San Diego’s Poway community in the 1990s and went on to worldwide fame and massive record sales.
The world-famous San Diego Zoo was home to the first panda cub to survive in captivity, Hua Mei, in 1999. The Zoo has a long history of conservation partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Two new pandas came to live at the Zoo’s Panda Ridge in 2024.
San Diego has the most dog-friendly restaurants per capita in the country.
Check out the piano at Downtown San Diego’s Kansas City Barbecue. It’s where Maverick and Goose belted out “Great Balls of Fire” in the 1986 film Top Gun, filmed in San Diego, Coronado and Oceanside. The 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” was likely filmed in large part around San Diego.
Calling all convention attendees! Unleash your inner ghost hunter with Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours. Show your convention badge and unlock exclusive discounts on our spine-chilling adventures. ...
Love is in the air! Book your 3+ Hour Wedding on board the Adventuress Luxury Catamaran for this Winter and receive a 10% Discount on the charter rate. The Adventuress is a gorgeous 60' Luxury...
Save 50% on any kayak or SUP rental in Coronado weekdays and 20% on weekends. Valid before 10am and after 4pm only.
Regarded as the first major regatta of the year, the San Diego Crew Classic brings together thousands of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United...
A San Diego sport fishing tradition, The Port Of San Diego’s Day At The Docks is the West Coast’s largest public celebration of sport fishing. Signaling the official start of Southern...
The spirit, sounds and flavors of southwest Louisiana come alive at the largest and most-authentic Louisiana-themed music and food festival this side of the bayou. With everything from A to Zydeco,...
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