San Diego | The Beachside Resident

L. Paul Mann

Article Category: Get Out Of Town 1 Comment

San Diego
• L. Paul Mann •

Tourists have long known that San Diego is a great vacation destination comprised of iconic surfing beaches and a vast array of theme parks like Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, and Legoland. But what few vacationers realize is that the city also offers a vast network of world-renowned museums, little-known historical points of interest, and a thriving live music scene.

Just across the Point Loma area that lies to the west of the city proper, a spectacular drive along the cliffs leads to Cabrillo National Monument. This sprawling Park includes the monument to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s discovery of San Diego bay in 1542, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and museum, and an old radio shack museum, which highlights the military history of this strategic peninsular point. The 360-degree view of San Diego Bay and the open Pacific Ocean is unparalleled and well worth the drive.

If museums are your thing, there are two locations less than five miles away that are must-see destinations for curious visitors. Old Town San Diego State Park lies just down the road about four miles from Shelter Island at the intersection of the Interstate 5. The original site of the City of San Diego, established in 1769, the park is a unique mix of historic buildings, the original graveyard, museums relating to the history of the area, and modern day shops and restaurants, mostly with a Mexican and Spanish theme. Most exhibits are free, and by day the region is a popular tourist destination. But at night it becomes a lively dinner destination, with music blaring from outdoor dining areas and bars filling with college-aged partygoers. Although relatively quiet during the week, it can turn into a rowdy crowd scene on late night weekends.

The ultimate museum destination for any visitor to San Diego, however, has to be Balboa Park. The nation’s largest urban cultural park, it is made up of no less than 15 major museums, several performing arts venues, spectacular gardens, incredible architecture, and a beautiful artist village. There is a museum for almost any taste in the park, including ones dedicated to sports, the automotive industry, and art and history, both ancient and contemporary.

The world-renowned San Diego Natural History Museum, founded in 1874, is the second oldest scientific institute in Southern California. The spectacular structure houses a variety of exhibits including a current popular dinosaur display. The Mingei Museum, dedicated to the art of world cultures, is one of the most unique museums in the world. Employing multi-media technology like photography, video, and sound to illuminate traditional artistic materials of world cultures, the museum creates a vivid storytelling technique unlike any other museum. The nearby Museum of Photography currently offers an exhibit on the history of rock, with many intimate photos of some of the biggest rock stars of the last 50 years.

Balboa Park also boasts an array of shops and restaurants for almost any budget. For those looking for an artistic, upscale dining experience without busting their budget, The Prado is my recommendation. Within its beautiful garden setting, this award-winning eatery offers a wide array of sumptuous, artistically prepared dining treats. The lunch menu offers a choice of small or large portions; the smaller items are very affordable and more than enough for the average diner. The restaurant and its impressive full bar have destinations unto themselves for many generations of San Diegans. Also worth noting is the beautifully designed artist’s village, where you can watch local artists at work, painting, sculpting, and glass blowing. Balboa Park offers several passes designed to make a day at the park affordable for families and lone sightseers alike.

From Chula Vista, just south of the city near the Mexican border, to Oceanside, 40 miles to the North, a large municipal swath offers a wide range of live music venues. Ranging from small intimate clubs, to an array of arena-sized venues, the metropolitan area of San Diego could soon become the newest live music capital of the world. Although Austin, Texas has long claimed this title and could no doubt strongly dispute other claimants, San Diego is certainly poised to give it a run for its money.

Lo Cal Music, a website that lists San Diego music spots, includes information on over 150 venues. Among them: Anthology, in San Diego’s Little Italy district, is patterned after a classic 1940′s supper club, but with a modern twist. The venue boasts an eclectic line up of jazz, rock, blues, and roots music. The Casbah, also in Little Italy, is the unofficial home of indie rock in San Diego. A steady stream of the genre’s most exciting bands keeps the place rocking. In the historic downtown Gaslamp Quarter, Croce’s restaurant and bar hosts some of the best live jazz bands from across the globe. Ingrid Croce established the restaurant as a tribute to her late husband, the iconic pop star Jim Croce. The restaurant is praised for its fine dining, and Croce’s now boasts three separate cafe, bar, and live music venues. The Belly Up Tavern, up the coast in Solana Beach, is one of the best places to catch live world beat, hip-hop, and reggae music. The Belly Up has been consistently voted “San Diego’s Best Live Music Venue” by the Sand Diego Union Tribune and other local publications.

But one of the most interesting and unique venues has to be Humphrey’s on the Bay, on Shelter Island. Originally just a sand spit in the bay of San Diego, Shelter Island was constructed in the 1950s to create marinas and space for hotels and public park lands. Hotels built on the island adopted a Hawaiian/Polynesian tiki theme early on, an aesthetic that still dominates the area today. Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn is a beautiful hotel and restaurant built right on the edge of the bay and a marina. Throughout the rooms and hotel grounds, the kitsch tiki them echoes back to the ’60s, but with an elegantly updated and modern feel. The concert venue within, one of the most unique anywhere, is bordered by hotel suites on one side and the marina in the bay on the other. In fact, many locals launch their kayaks from the dock and float in the bay to listen to the live music shows for free. The venue itself is small, with less than a thousand seats available. But from May through October the venue offers a world-class lineup of some of the biggest names in pop music today.

Humphrey’s also offers special package deals for most shows, including a dinner package with seats in the first 10 rows and a hotel package with seats in the first four. But even if you’re staying at the hotel without tickets, you can lounge just behind the stage by the beautiful poolside. You can order tiki drinks (with 20-year old Jamaican rum, if you like) from the poolside bar. With just a glimpse of the stage through the palm trees you can relax and listen to a free show, like one by Lyle Lovett, who played a lively set on the second night of our stay.

Just a short walk from Humphrey’s is the Bali Hai Restaurant, a favorite with both locals and tourists for over 50 years. The vast round dining room built on the edge of the bay has an unsurpassed view of the San Diego skyline sparkling on the water. The upscale dining room offers a delicious Polynesian-themed menu and full bar.

During my recent visit I learned that there’s much more to San Diego than just zoos, aquariums, and surfing. There’s certainly even more I didn’t discover, but one of San Diego’s strongest charms is its ability to keep you guessing — and yearning for more.