These are fantastic walking tours of San Diego…read more The fact of the matter is, San Diego DOES have history ... you just have to look for it. And there are few people better than Patty (Ms. Urban Safari herself) to show it to you. Urban Safaris offers guided walking tours of different San Diego neighborhoods, ranging from urban centers like the Gaslamp Quarter and La Jolla to Balboa Park and the open canyons around town. Patty, a long-time San Diego resident, teacher and historian, knows more about the city than anyone I know. And she has a knack for noticing fascinating things that most of us pass every day without even a second's notice. Usually, there's a tour every weekend, leaving on Saturday at 10am and lasting about two hours. The specific location depends upon the neighborhood of the week, but you can find out by making a reservation with Patty on the website, by sending her an email, or even by calling the number. Space is usually limited to about 15, so it's good to make your reservations early. On the other hand, San Diegans are notorious un-curious about their city, and so the tours often (and unfortunately) have plenty of space. The best way to find out about the tours is through the website, although they are occasionally advertised in the San Diego Reader (under 'Local Events') and Patty can give you a paper schedule when you go on your first tour. They don't happen every weekend (because Patty travels and spends a lot of her time researching new tours); but there are 'seasons', and when a new schedule comes out it will usually list tours for weeks and even months in advance. Really, I can't say enough about these tours. I've learned a ton. Most of all, I've found a great, new way to appreciate the wonderful city we share. PS - The tours don't necessarily leave from Horton Plaza. I just put that there because Yelp required that I put a specific location. Really, this isn't the kind of thing that has a specific location -- it changes each week with the particular tour. Just go to the website to find out where the next tour is leaving from.

Think you know San Diego?…read more If you don't, definitely come on one of these walking tours. And even if you think you do, still come, because there may be a thing or three that you may very well learn and give you a greater appreciation for the community. Like Ethan said, these tours take you to various neighborhoods in San Diego: North Park, Hillcrest, Gaslamp, South Park, East Village, Mission Hills, etc. Each last between 1.5-2 hours. Along the way, Patty points you to various landmarks and oddities in each neighborhood and provides the history and background of each. In addition, she also shows some historical pictures in context to today's landscape. In addition to researching herself, many people have donated their knowledge and information that have gone on the walks themselves, adding even more rich history from people who actually have grown up and seen the changes in San Diego. Go!

I wanted to pay homage to a Civil Rights Hero on Juneteenth. I didn't want to go to any large…read moreJuneteenth Festivals nor block parties on this day. There will be plenty of those on the weekend, but on this Juneteenth Holiday Thursday, we visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Promenade in San Diego. There are works of art in so many forms along the promenade. It runs parallel to the Convention Center. There are Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes along the walkway of the promenade and it is inspiring. The weather was perfect and beautiful.

With the many parks and the memorial areas there is one place that is along the Bayside and the…read moremany people that walk the stretch of the special sidewalk has been one that has a special lesson for the many histories and the history majors that have studied the times of the 50s 60s and the 70s. The times that were difficult and the years between the many people that had afflicted the many states and the many countries, yet one man stood for the freedom to bring both races together and to unite them from the racial and bigotry of the past generations that had stemmed through the many years. In the United States we celebrate and give thanks in many ways to have created such a nice memorial and the many wonderful thoughts from Martin Luther King. From the stretch of sidewalk takes you down past many trolley6 stations and the many hand statues that spell out the many letters that show the many that are deaf the meaning of sign language there are ones that have such profound meaning and the ones to stop and read. The many sayings that are in stone that are along the sidewalk behind the polo towers from the Gaslamp Quarter to the Seaport Village Trolley stop the length it takes its like walking in his shoes. The many stone inlays along the walk have so many great meanings and the ones that can get right to your heart the promenade is one of the most inspirational. The Gaslamp and the Bayside area have been torn up so many times with so many great things there are ones that have such great meaning the Martin Luther King promenade has so many great things. The walk past the Children's Museum where a child can learn and grow, and the outside has so much more there is some of the meanings that have religious meanings and the ones that have great lesson to us all. The Martin Luther King Prominade is one that inspires and teaches such great lessons that as you read the many saying along the walk it will touch and warm your hearts to know what a great man had said to such great multitudes of people. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer, I have found the walk to be very spiritual and the many great sayings to be one of the greatest walks of the history and the great learnings of one many that has made such a great difference in the world for the many of the things such a great spiritual message. For many that would love the walk to take the trolley and get off at the Gaslamp Quater and head on the walk towards the Seaport Village Trolley stop. There is much to read along the way and one point there is a monument that is dedicated to the Martin Luther King Promenade have a great time.

With all of the San Diego tour companies available, we were skeptical on which on to choose. Let…read moreme tell you right now, we made the right choice. If you don't want to settle for the rest, choose the best...Roxane and SDRT!!! Roxane was funny and accommodating throughout the trip. She provided all aspects that you would want to know about in a city that you're visiting for the first time. Not only that, Roxane went above and beyond to help my wife and I choose a romantic spot for our wedding anniversary dinner. After speaking with Roxane, and all she knew about the city, we ended up changing our hotel reservations!!! The new hotel we stayed at based on her recommendations was above and beyond! Thank you so much Roxane for making our trip to San Diego an unforgettable experience! XOXO ~ Mike and Michelle

I visited San Diego for the first time at the end of March with my boyfriend. Since we just had a…read morelong weekend scheduled there, we wanted to maximize our time to sightsee as much as possible. I found the scenic tour through San Diego Ride & Tours on TripAdvisor and booked it for Friday, March 27, about a month in advance. The cost at the time was roughly $80pp. The meeting spot was about a 10-minute walk from our hotel, which was convenient. Our mini van was full and the group was a great mix of friendly folks from around the country. Jim was our tour guide, and my boyfriend was so pleased that he bought his book online when we got home. He was genuinely interesting to listen to and is definitely in the right field. The tour took us through Little Italy, past expensive homes on a hill, to La Jolla's Children Pool where we saw seals. We spent about 12 minutes there before heading to Mt. Soledad for some pretty views. We spent about 12 minutes there as well. From there, we traveled to Old Town San Diego for a quick visit - again less than 15 minutes, which permitted time to do some light shopping and that was all. We drove past allegedly the most haunted home in America as well as Heritage Park's Victorians. After that, we headed to Balboa Park. I think we had maybe 15 minutes there, which was just long enough to know I wanted to return on my own (which we did - multiple times). From there, we went to Coronado Island. I think we had 20 minutes tops there, which provided time to see the Hotel Del quickly as well as the beach and some famous folks' homes. We passed by the Gaslamp Quarter and some cool murals on the way back to the meeting spot. Traffic did impede our times at each spot. On TripAdvisor, it said the stops would be longer - La Jolla - 20 mins, Old Town and Balboa - 25 mins each, Coronado - 30 minutes. Since all of us on the tour mentioned not having set plans afterward, I wish we could've gotten slightly closer to those times as it did feel rushed to me. I think they should add a disclaimer on TripAdvisor explaining that times at each location will be cut if there's traffic. Another reason why I docked a star is that the tour was advertised as having waters and snacks included. One bottle of water was provided once the others on the tour asked about it. In terms of snacks, Jim plucked some fruit off a tree for us in Old Town. It was tasty but I guess I was expecting more in way of snacks. All in all, I had a really good time and was able to see more in a couple of hours than I would've been able to see on my own. For that, the tour was worth it.

The San Diego Beach & Bay Half Marathon was first held a decade ago, and it has been known as a…read moreflat and fast loop course. The route is beautiful, taking participants through Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, and SeaWorld. However, the overall logistics are terrible and not sufficient to accommodate thousands of visitors, parking conditions are bad and ride shares are extremely difficult as well. The route wasn't completely protected, and runners often encounter people walking from the opposite traffic.

My sister came to visit and stumbled on this as she was trying to help us decide what to do during…read moreher stay. We love donuts and love informational tours, so it seemed like the perfect combination for us! Wade was our tour guide - he was super nice and we just got to talking like we'd known each other for years. We had 4 donut stops Devil's Dozen, Frost Me, Donut Bar, and Miracle Potion. He started the tour at Devil's Dozen, which was *THE* perfect start to the tour. Their second floor has a fabulous view and comfy furniture, which is where he introduces you to the concept of the tour and you get your first set of treats! The tour did NOT disappoint. Each of the shops was welcoming and had lots of yumminess. Did I have a favorite? Yes, but I'm not going to tell you because I want you to experience it for yourself. I neglected to take a picture of the donuts at the fourth place, but we got a cinnamon roll at the Devil's Dozen that looked FABulous! (I cannot eat egg, so did not partake) Speaking of my not eating eggs, if you have special needs, food or otherwise, be sure to let them know. I cannot eat egg and Wade made sure that I was able to still partake in some of the goodies (as a consumer, you know what the 'regular' ingredients in donuts and pastries are, if you have an allergy or intolerance please be considerate and let them know up front so that they can talk to the shop owners and make sure there are options for you). I highly suggest this tour!

Great, fun tour. What made it better was our tour guide Wade. Thank you for a fun two hours…read more And the donuts were yummy.

Parking is always a hassle so if you can take other means of transportation is definitely…read morerecommended. My friend paid an extra $35 on top of the $25 regular parking fee to get upfront VIP parking. You can get the best bang for your bucks on Wednesdays and Thursdays with their Unlimited ride wristbands for $55 between the hours of 11:00 and 8:00 p.m. Downfall with the rides is that there are super long wait lines. From the time we arrived at 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., we were able to ride five rides. Easy to find bathrooms all throughout the fairgrounds. However, every single one I went to always had a really long line out the door. Bathrooms were fairly clean for the amount of people there. Fair food is definitely expected to be expensive but for some reason I felt like they were a lot higher this year but the quality was not there. My son went to go get a drink and was charge $18 for a large soda. My daughter got a bacon cheesy mountain of fries for $20 and a Double Patty Smashburger for $22 from the Juicy booth. Smashburger was perfectly cooked with the patties being medium rare however the fries were well done and super crunchy. Definitely recommend wearing shoes. I made the mistake of wearing sandals and had to take them off on some of the rides and walk barefoot.

I love the Del Mar Fair . I go every year. It's always been amazing to go with family and enjoy the…read moregames and food and entertainment. You have to go .

Mira Mesa Scavenger hunt organized the treasure hunt in the Mira Mesa area. This is the best…read moreorganized, socially distanced, kids friendly and entertaining treasure hunt i have been participated. It was very well directed and the hosts were very accommodating. They considered our last minute requests as well. There gifts were very thoughtful and kids loved the whole treasure part and gifts. Thanks Mira Mesa Scavenger hunters. Can't wait to participate in your next event.

The scavenger hunt was great! Amidst the pandemic going on the scavenger hunt made that day a fun…read moreone with my child. Easy to follow directions and clues were on point. My daughter loved going around our neighborhood looking for the stickers. I definitely appreciate the time you have spent on this activity that can be done with your family and children. I'm sure anyone else who does this hunt will have just as much fun as we did!

I LOVE this section of Balboa Park. Not many people come over here, so it feels like a hidden place…read moreto explore nature, and it's right next to the main road. You will find so many cool types of cacti, trees, plants, flowers, spiders, and squirrels. PLEASE DO NOT CARVE WITH A KNIFE OR ANY OBJECT INTO THE CACTI AND TREES!!!!! I am so tired of seeing people destroy nature, and it hurts/can kill the plants! RESPECT NATURE, PLEASE.

If ever at balboa park. Check this place out. It right next to the rose garden. Two for one and…read moresuch a different environment with less then 100 meter walk. Just be careful your don't fall into these prickly beauties.