Weather

Keep in mind that California has a Mediterranean-type climate tempered by our cold ocean current, so while I hope it is sunny and in the 70s (Fahrenheit) in late March, please remember to check the forecast before you pack and bring a light jacket – evenings are cool especially if the fog rolls in, and we will be right on the coast. I use a wetsuit for swimming in the ocean even in summer (but I am a wimp). It will be easy to rent a wetsuit, boogie board, surfboard, etc., here. In fact you can do so at three-four places within a block of the hotel.

The Beaches

The conference will be held in the Bahia Resort Hotel on Mission Bay, steps from Mission Beach. It is a “boardwalk” atmosphere - -think Coney Island – with easy access to beach and bay, walking paths, bicycle and roller blade rentals, kayak and sailboat rentals, and so forth, but a notable lack of fining dining within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel has really nice food but some people do like to occasionally leave the hotel when they go to a conference. There is no shortage of pizza, sushi, burritos, fast food, and tropical-theme drinking establishments with names like The Sand Bar within a few blocks. Also, if you are interested in body piercing, a tattoo or smoking accessories, you are in luck.

The Dana Inn and Marina is about half a mile east (inland) of the Bahia on West Mission Bay Drive and I know you can rent boats there – my dad rented a Boston Whaler once. Mission Bay Aquatic Center (http://www.missionbayaquaticcenter.com/) is about a mile north of the hotel on the Bay, and it is a great place to rent kayaks, sailboats and whatever you need for water sports.

The hotel is on West Mission Bay Drive. Follow it west, past Belmont Park (complete with the Big Dipper roller coaster, bumper card, an arcade) and you end up at the Pacific Ocean. To the left Canes is a large eating and drinking establishment on the bike path with a kids menu – if you like your burgers and chicken quesadillas with an ocean view it is not too bad. I did find one coffee house and internet café that serve breakfast and lunch a short walk from the hotel. Turn right on Mission Blvd. – it was called The Drip Drop but is changing its name to Tropicana Café. I did not try it but they serve espresso drinks.

Continuing north on Mission Blvd parallel to the coast you pass through a residential area before you reach the heart of the next beach town, Pacific Beach, in about 1.5 miles. If you are walking, take the bike path on either the bay or the ocean side, or walk along the beach! Here you will find all the trappings of civilization – Starbucks, Tony Roma, Hooters, IHOP. There is a nice Thai restaurant on Garnet Ave just inland from Mission Blvd called Karinya Thai (4475 Mission Boulevard (SeaCoast Square), Pacific Beach, 858-270-5050). I noticed another Asian place called Kafe Yen – when did sushi get so big at The Beaches? This Web site reviews some of the Beach area restaurants: http://www.sdreader.com/php/rrglist.php?area=09

Things I Really Like To Do in San Diego

San Diego is home to the famous Sea World – in fact the hotel is less that 1.5 miles from it and the concierge can arrange for tickets and so forth. Sea World is fabulous if you like marine-life theme parks – it was the first and is one of the best. But it is a theme park owned by a for-profit corporation and it is expensive (think Disneyland). They have been adding a lot of thrill rides. But I do love the belugas, and the manatees.

I love the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/). I go even when we don’t have out of town visitors. It is one of the best zoos in the world. You’ll probably want to see the pandas but I love the aviaries, the polar bears, the Skyfari, the new monkey walk. It is run by a non-profit zoological society who also supports a internationally known research center for captive breeding and conservation of endangered species (http://cres.sandiegozoo.org/index.html). The Zoo is located in Balboa Park near downtown, about 5 miles from the hotel, where many museums (art, science, anthropology, photography, trains, aerospace) are also located, including the San Diego Natural History Museum (destination of one of our field trips – but I also recommend visiting Balboa Park on your own). Again, the hotel could arrange for tickets and transportation. The Wild Animal Park is about 40 minutes drive north of San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley so you would need transportation. It is lovely, and you can get package deals on the tickets if you plan to visit both (actually you can get a three-in-one package if you also plan to visit Sea World).

I also love the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography (http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/), located below the UC San Diego campus in La Jolla, and above La Jolla Shores (a great beach) and the Scripps Pier. The aquarium and science museum is small, but hteir exhibits are wonderful and they offer organized tide pooling, snorkeling, and whale watching trips lead by naturalists that are reasonably priced. Check their Web site before you come. Our conference occurs on the very last weekend of the whale-watching season (end of the gray whale migration) and if you want to take a whale watching boat trip you may need to book in advance.

Within two hours drive of San Diego you could visit pine forests, deserts, chaparral-clothed foothills. The best way to see it would be on the field trip we are offering on Saturday (“Beach Sands to Desert Sands”) but if it fills up and you want to plan your own drive, talk to the concierge, and consider a loop that would include Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (recently burned in the 2003 Cedar Fire) and Julian – a historic gold mining town and contemporary tourist magnet famous for its apple pie. If you are up for a very long day or an overnight excursion, also include the Banner Grade route to Anza Borrego Desert State Park. There are motels (in Borrego Springs) and camping available. The hike up the main canyon by the Visitors Center is popular and busy but still very nice. There are lots of places to get off the beaten track in the park if you have some time to explore.

The hotel is located right by Mission Bay Park, which I believe is the largest municipal park anywhere in the country (or something like that). Another big park administered by the City is Mission Trails Regional Park (http://www.mtrp.org/), located about 12 miles inland from Mission Bay, with a great visitors center and lots of hiking and biking trails -- a good place for birdwatching (along the San Diego River), as is Tijuana Estuary (http://www.tijuanaestuary.com/visitors_center.asp, which is actually on the US side of the border) if you are interested in shore birds.

Local Dining

If you are an urbanite (admittedly I am not) and want to enjoy a fine meal, you may want to share a cab with friends if you do not have a car and head for one of the following great restaurant areas:

• The Gas Lamp District (5th Ave), downtown near the Convention Center – too many restaurants to even begin to list – many choices! Lots of Italian, but other choices as well. Blue Point Coastal Cuisine is elegant. A large shopping mall, Horton Plaza, has a movie theatre and interesting architecture.
  
• Little Italy, near downtown – a smaller restaurant district, home to the traditional family style Fillipi’s Pizza Grotto (local landmark) and a number of newer and trendier but very yummy places



• La Jolla – tends to be on the pricey side but lots of wonderful options including Indian, Mediterranean, sea food, and so forth.



• Hillcrest, east of downtown, north of Balboa Park – lots of great Thai, Spanish, and many other eclectic restaurants (Kemo Sabe is a local fusion favorite).



• Old Town, a national historical park, very touristy and lots of Mexican fare, but a fun place to walk around with the family. A couple of my favorite restaurants are Blue Agave and Berta’s.

The local newspaper sponsors the following web site that has a pretty comprehensive restaurant guide: http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/section/restaurants/