What's New in San Diego for Canadians
What's New in San Diego for Canadians
With its desirable combination of pleasantly warm weather - averaging 19°C during December through February - 70 miles of beaches, world-class attractions, hot dining and craft brewery scene, flourishing arts and culture and more, San Diego is a perfect winter getaway for Canadian visitors.
The following are the newest offerings around San Diego sure to appeal to our friends to the north.
Major Attractions
In summer 2015, the Southern California CityPASS admission card added LEGOLAND California to its roster of family-friendly theme parks available when purchasing the discount card. Each Southern California CityPASS saves travelers $120 off admission to California's top attractions including SeaWorld San Diego in Mission Bay, Disneyland and now LEGOLAND California Resort.
In fall 2015, a sprawling food hall will open in Liberty Station, a historic collection of buildings that once housed the Naval Training Center and have been restored into a thriving arts, culture, dining and shopping area that includes parks and hotels. The Liberty Public Market follows a path paved by iconic markets such as Seattle's Pike Place and Vancouver's Granville Island. The $3 million Point Loma project transforms a 1920s-era, warehouse-style building into an indoor-outdoor marketplace that will feature select purveyors of cheeses and salumi, butchered meats, baked goods, seasonal produce and locally caught seafood.
New Hotels
In February 2016, a new Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego Mission Valley/Zoo will open in Mission Valley. Centrally located near Hotel Circle, one of San Diego's most affordable areas for overnight stays, this Homewood Suites will offer all-suite accommodations, contemporary furnishings and deluxe amenities. Spacious and well appointed, the 118 guest suites offer studio, one king or two queen beds, free Wi-Fi, a microwave and refrigerator. Of these rooms, the 75 one-bedroom suites offer the perfect choice for families on winter vacation, or business travelers on an extended stay looking for a home-like experience.
Hotel Renovations
In September 2015, Empress Hotel of La Jolla completed $1.9 million in extensive renovations on their property, located one block from the beach. Highlights of the work include new furniture, wallpaper, carpeting, window shutters and lighting in all guest rooms and suites as well as specialty in-room amenities to match the beach inspired décor. The property added 360 photos of La Jolla beaches taken by San Diego photographer Aaron Goulding. Infrastructure improvements include updated elevators with "smart control systems" as well as upgraded heating and air conditioning systems. Breakfast is available on a renovated second floor patio that now serves as additional outdoor event space.
In October 2015, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, located atop the Torrey Pines mesa in La Jolla, nears completion of an extensive meeting and event space renovation. More than 20,000 sq. ft., including the 12,000-sq-ft. pillar-free Grande Ballroom, have been renovated with a coastal modern design reflecting the hotel's location in La Jolla. Warm wood hues and bright floral accents with contemporary finishes will rejuvenate the walls and flooring.
Restaurants
Just opened in October 2015, Duke's La Jolla features two bars, two ocean view patios, a main dining room that seats 225 and a casual upstairs dining room with 125 seats. Celebrating surf legend Duke Kahanamoku, the La Jolla restaurant is the sixth in the Duke's chain. Located in an iconic space long-occupied by Top of the Cove restaurant, the modern facade features a sweeping roofline reminiscent of a wave and a cutout to accommodate a towering fig tree branch. Executive Chef Anthony Sinsay's menu celebrates the melting pot of cultures and cooking techniques of Hawaii and California, featuring wood-grilled Tahitian octopus with smoked papaya, lime and coconut milk, passion fruit ceviche, roasted firecracker fish, and kalbi (Korean-style) short ribs.
The Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley named chef Paul McCabe (L'Auberge Del Mar, Delicias) as the resort's food and beverage director to refresh its food offerings in conjunction with the resort's new $80 million reinvention scheduled for completion in 2018. Newly appointed chef de cuisine, Matt Hobbs, has revamped Town and Country's sports bar and eatery, Charlie's, which reopened with a makeover and a new barbecue-based menu serving on-site wood-smoked dry-rubbed chicken wings, baby back ribs, pulled pork and Texas-style brisket.
Arts and Culture
Now through Jan. 10, 2016, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla presents San Diego Collects, featuring works from private collections from around San Diego County. This exhibition aims to recognize that the cultural resources of San Diego are thriving not only within the walls of museum, but also through the efforts of many committed individuals. With a glimpse into private collections, San Diego Collects showcases the diversity of art the region has to offer. Works by established and emerging as well as international and local artists attest to the fullness of San Diego's collecting spirit.
San Diego's only national park, Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma commemorates the site where Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego and the West Coast of the United States on September 28, 1542. An impressive new, full-size working replica of Cabrillo's ship, the San Salvador, is now on display at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and will sail the California coast as San Diego's ambassador in 2016.
San Diego's Tony® Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse continues to offer groundbreaking theater.Running Nov. 13-Dec. 10, 2015, Indecent is a world-premiere play with music, inspired by the true events surrounding the controversial 1922 Broadway debut of God of Vengeance - a work considered by many to be a seminal work of Jewish culture and a work of traitorous libel by others. Alive with popular songs of the era, this deeply-moving piece charts the history of an incendiary work.
THE LOT-La Jolla, an intimate new, seven-screen luxury cinema and dining complex, premiered to rave reviews in September 2015. Guests can watch Hollywood blockbusters from comfy leather recliners while sipping craft cocktails. The theater features an upscale restaurant, bar and cafe for pre- and post-movie dining and libations. There is also chic outdoor seating for alfresco tastings and mingling with moviegoers.
Tours and Transportation
San Diego is an easy gateway to Mexico. Opening in late 2015, the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) will connect the Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) directly to a new facility in San Diego via a secure pedestrian bridge border crossing for ticketed airline passengers. The CBX is designed to meet U.S. and international security standards and will offer fully bilingual customer service, convenient parking, passenger amenities including food, beverage and retail services, as well as comfortable indoor and outdoor guest waiting areas. TIJ is a 24-hour airport that offers a wide range of flights to more than 30 destinations in Mexico, and the CBX will make the connection to San Diego more convenient for airline travelers. The project is under construction in the U.S. with the capacity to serve more than two million passengers per year.
Bespoke Experiences is a new premier service specializing in custom, private luxury travel itineraries for groups of all sizes. The Bespoke team creates and curates luxury travel experiences for international clientele designed to enhance private tours by delving deeper into San Diego culture in order to tell a richly inspiring travel story personalized to visitors' exacting needs and specific locale. Itineraries are individualized and can include themes such as influential history (e.g. San Diego's discovery in 1542), eclectic architecture, authentic lifestyle, natural landscapes, unforgettable excursions or delectable dining.
Craft Breweries
San Diego is America's craft beer capital with more than 100 breweries, many of them award-winning. In October 2015, San Diego breweries took home 19 medals at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. San Diego County brewers brought home six gold medals-including New English Brewing Co. in Sorrento Valley, Societe Brewing Co. in Kearny Mesa and Green Flash Brewing Co. in Mira Mesa-two silvers and 11 bronze, with 10 of the awards going to breweries located within the City of San Diego while the other nine medals were awarded to breweries located within San Diego County.
Happiness is calling in San Diego. For more information on San Diego's new offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org.
SportsPetco Park is the place for great baseball — and so much more
Check out our essential guide to America’s best ballpark, home of the San Diego Padres"It's really difficult to imagine any stadium topping Petco Park — it's simply the best."
Those could well be the words of any fan who's had the pleasure of taking in a Padres game — or a pop concert, or a fireworks show, or college football's Holiday Bowl — at San Diego's beautiful downtown ballpark. But the quote happens to be from a sportswriter with USA Today, which has named Petco Park the nation's best MLB ballpark more times than any other stadium.
It's easy to see why: With stunning skyline views, proximity to the city's sparkling waterfront, awesome food and beverage options, inviting event spaces and much more, Petco is (as USA Today describes it) "the perfect ballpark."
Whether you've made the pilgrimage to the home of the Padres many times or are looking forward to your first visit, here's your complete guide to the Petco Park experience.
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