I highly recommend coming to visit this USA Veterans Memorial Monument. This monument was…read moreestablished in the year 2000 and has been an icon in our community of San Diego for 26 years. It is run by an organization that values and appreciates the sacrifices of our USA veterans. Everything in the middle round monument is run by this organization and not by the City of San Diego. The monuments are so very well presented. Each of the walls of honored veterans have a wonderful photo and a brief summary of their service as well as who they were. This is a great educational opportunity for people to come visit and learn about the people who have sacrificed ultimately for our country. It was very nice to see that there were America 250 years flags flying. Also, I love that they have the POW MIA flag flying. at the top of the monument there is a big bench that says "Papa Doug" Manchester engraved on it. I try to come visit this location every other year if not once a year. It's a wonderful reminder about our veterans and how they've sacrificed for our country and for us to have the freedoms that we have today.

Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial is a significant tribute to our nation's veterans. The…read moresite offers incredible 360 degree views of San Diego County and the Pacific Ocean. The pinnacle of the Memorial is a massive white cross at the summit of the hill. Granite plaques, highlighting 3000 sponsored veterans, encircle the cross. Accessible walkways allow viewing of each of the highlighted veterans. U.S. flags and white rose bushes adorn the site. Panels around the monument describe the site, donors and controversy regarding the cross on public lands. The artistic cross was added in 1996 after court battles. Veterans can be added to the granite wall for fees around $3000 each for engraving. Information pamphlets are available at the site. Several benches are available for relaxing. Parking is somewhat limiting, but we were able to find a space. There are no restroom or other facilities at the site. Admission is free, but donations are requested.

I'm so happy we were visiting during King tide because we saw so many cool creatures!! We got…read moredropped off at the pier and walked a little to find these tide pools. The cliffs were breathtaking. We got to see starfish, lobster, sea anemone, and more. Was hoping to see an octopus but didn't this time. San Diego had such beautiful nature, make sure to not touch anything and be good to our sea friends!

Beautiful landmark of San Diego. Love coming here for sunset photos. I would love to share my…read moresunset photos I took on 12/29/2025

Step back a century ago. The "troll bridges" are two old stone bridges that were built in the…read morehills of Mt. Soledad in the late 1920s and early 1930s They have become part of La Jolla lore. The classic, arched look is similar to that of the larger Cabrillo Bridge that passes through Balboa Park and takes visitors from 6th Avenue to the Prado. We lived not far from these bridges when we had our home in La Jolla Village ... and did not know about them until we saw an article on LaJolla com. It still took some driving and searching to find them. From Torrey Pines Road, take Exchange Place southeast (away from the ocean) onto Soledad Road and make a right on Al Bahr Drive for the first one For the second one, take Hillside Drive south to a right on Castellana Road for the second bridge

This is a world-class contemporary museum. If you're in the area, don't miss it!…read more Important details: -The entrance is not on the ocean side, you have to walk around the block to Prospect Street. -The museum is closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! They are also closed on many holidays, check the hours of operation before visiting. -They participate in Bank of America Museums on Us. Thanks to the friendly person at the front desk who mentioned this. -This museum is near La Jolla Cove which if you like birds, is not to be missed! The museum has three floors and nice outdoor areas including a restaurant. The museum overlooks an absolutely stunning coastline. They go a little overboard with recordings and staff asking patrons to stay away from the art (I get it, but geez!). Be ready for that, especially if you have kids. The Nick Cave fringy art is just too tempting for kids. I went to look out a window and was told to stay back, I mean really. They have a "calm room", and you might need to use that to calm down from being told to stay away from the art so much! Haha. I saw the Giants Alicia Keys exhibit which was great. The movie I could barely hear. They have tons of merch in the store for the exhibit, however I really wanted a t-shirt that was for the museum and not the specific exhibit, but they didn't have any.

This was a great surprise for an art visit. A Free day and…read morea wonderful exhibit. i suggest you see the Video first to understand the scope and intent of the donors. About two hours to stroll thru.

Crystal Pier is one of the most beautiful spots in San Diego! The ocean views are incredible,…read moreespecially at sunset. Walking along the pier and seeing the cottages over the water makes for a unique experience. A must-visit when you're in Pacific Beach. Please check out my video : https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8sEBT8t/

On a little weekender, on the first day, I told my baby I wanted to walk out to the end of a pier…read moreand do some sunset, beach, drinks type stuff at some point over the weekend. We lucked up on Crystal Pier. My sweet baby's selection. More of a locals hangout. Parking is competitive and paid parking is a grip, but we had a beautiful time! The common theme among every person there was the pause to take it all in. Great vibe! Lots of restaurants. Great walking path up and down the beach. All kids of people. Dog walkers, surfers, people in the sand laying, playing volleyball, all kings of things. By the time the sun was ready to slip away, we were in the perfect spot at the end of the pier. We lucked out of the best weather imaginable. The lightest cool breeze, not overly humid and clear. What a special time!! Holding hands. Sweet kisses. I loved it. Romantic. Refreshing. Relaxing. All the things I love and a fantastic way to start our evening.

There is paid parking, but there's also plenty of free street parking around if you search for it…read moreand keep in mind for the signs that are posted around. It's a must stop if you're in San Diego and it's worth a visit too, even if you're not planning on paying for any of the tours or the tourist spots. Lots of historical architecture, including authentic adobe buildings, statues, signs, and themed shops and such. Each time I've gone here it's been lively, especially so during the holiday season with the decor and the live music playing in the main central square. Lots of photo opportunities and shops and such to peruse and look around. Easy to grab souvenirs here as well and depending on what you're looking for, there may be more than one shop offering it (cultural souvenirs and pieces). Great to shop for outdoor garden decor (little statues and wind chimes) too. There's also toy stores, a hot sauce store, a "Chinese" themed store which is quite funny to visit, and lots of spots to grab food too, sit down and dine in or casual take out. I personally like the churro and champurrado place when it's open. There's a couple restrooms here too, but can get crowded and a bit gross with the large volume of people visiting. Free house museums for self tours where you just walk through and read the little signs that they have, and sometimes there's historical actors as well, which is always a treat.

I went around this place before heading back to Los Angeles. So many historical buildings…read more Unfortunately, most of them were closed. I only was able to get inside the cigar shop. I've seen some employees wearing costumes from this era. I wanted a picture with them but they were walking in a hurry so I wasn't able to stop any of them. I'd like to visit again and see the other buildings. Hopefully, they'll be open the next time I visit.

Being a tourist in San Diego…read more.. Alana, Yuri, and I didn't know anything about this landmark at the San Diego Tech Center Building, so Yuri Googled it and gave us some information... The artist is Alexander Liberman. He was born in Russia in 1912, moved to the New York in 1941, and died in Miami, Florida, at the age of 87. He had created many red sculptures made out of steel in over 40 cites across the world... including one in Honolulu... It's on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa! "The Gate of Hope" is near Holmes Hall - The College of Engineering. I didn't know that these two sculptures were made by the same artist! Wow! What a coincidence! Anyway, this Stargazer sculpture in San Diego is just one of 40 created by this talented photographer, painter, publisher, and magazine editor. It's majestic and amazing... go check it out if you're in the area!

A historic city park with panoramic views that make the perfect backdrop for all your park needs…read more Perched on a hill above Old Town, Presidio Park stretches across 4 acres and offers some of the most peaceful, scenic spots in the city. My go‑to area is around the Presidio building -- I love wandering through the Spanish‑style architecture and catching the many views of San Diego from the top. I suggest parking in the small lot right next to the building. Once you're done exploring that area, you can drive up to the top and park along the street if you want to continue your stroll through the grassy parts of the park. This park is perfect for photoshoots, picnics, hiking, casual hangs, and even special events (with proper city permitting). We love bringing our pup Enzo here for a relaxing walk. A quiet, scenic gem in the middle of the city.

Tons of hiking trails, gorgeous views of the bay, and super chill vibe. Perfect spot for a picnic…read moreor a solo hike. Watch out for the hills, though - get some cardio. 4.5/5 stars, def coming back!

Ok so I will split this into two reviews:…read more 1: the ships and actual adventure 2: the reservation process and customer service 1: booked a trip for the Spanish replica ship adventure the San Salvador and really loved it. The ticket also got you access to the other ships to walk around which was cool. But the coolest part was that San Salvador was sailed like they would have sailed it waaay back when. We got to see real rigging masts sails steering all being done by a crew and it was a totally amazing experience and such a perfect day. Bonus: we saw dolphins and it was a perfect day. Drawback: the gentlemen speaking throughout didn't talk into his mic often so missed a lot but oh well - who's really going for history?! such a good time!!. 2. I had a good with my tickets and called and tried to talk to folks in person and could never get someone. The tickets were cancelled but not refunded which was a bummer and staff in the kiosk even said they phone lines were messed up. A bummer. :(

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is honestly one of the most impressive history museums I've…read morevisited because the artifacts are the museum. You aren't just looking at history -- you're surrounded by ships that actually survived it. The Star of India, launched in 1863, survived mutiny, violent storms, collisions at sea, and decades carrying immigrants across dangerous oceans. Some sailors believed the ship was cursed after captains died during early voyages, yet somehow she survived long enough to become the oldest active sailing ship in the world. HMS Surprise shows the brutal reality of naval warfare during the Age of Sail. Ships like this once carried enough cannon firepower to destroy enemy vessels while sailors lived packed below deck surrounded by gunpowder, disease, and fear of battle. The Berkeley steam ferry even helped evacuate survivors during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake while much of the city burned. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the Soviet B-39 submarine from the Cold War. The inside is unbelievably cramped and gives you a real sense of what life was like beneath the ocean during one of the most dangerous periods in modern history. The USS Dolphin may have been my favorite. This experimental deep-diving U.S. Navy submarine helped test advanced underwater technology and launched the deepest-fired torpedo in naval history. The museum also includes the San Salvador, recreating the ship that explored California's coastline in 1542 -- long before America existed as a country. What makes this place incredible is the timeline it creates: 1500s exploration... 1800s global sailing... steam-powered industry... world wars... Cold War submarines... All sitting together in one harbor. This place doesn't just teach maritime history -- it shows how ships shaped exploration, immigration, trade, warfare, and entire empires.