From San Diego with Love!. Review on California

As the sunrays caress the ocean, shimmering bright colors emerge. Its waves touch my rocks reciting an exquisite poem that gives rise to beautiful melody. One sensation leads to another escalating my curiosity and conjuring my dreams. It is awe-inspiring, yet not terrifying. Indeed it is the largest and the deepest ocean in our planet. It is my best friend and my companion for life - The Pacific Ocean.

Hello Everybody!! My name isSan Diego*. Over centuries, Pacific Ocean has always been there beside me through thick and thin, so much so that we are inseparable now. Today people from all over the world come and visit me. I am considered gorgeous and breathtakingly beautiful, but the truth is I owe a major part of my name, fame, beauty and glory to my best friend.

My dear readers, let me show you around and divulge a few secrets of my beauty, my past, and my present with you and hopefully some day you will make me a part of your future.

Today, I reside in the Southwestern tip of the State of California, in USA. In fact, I am proud to say, that I am considered the “birthplace of California” the Golden State.  But, I wasn’t always a part of the US. It was way back in 1769 when the Spanish missionaries came and lead the foundation of California’s colonization. Back then California was still a part of Mexico. But, then US was expanding at the time and wanted California (me included) to be part of them as well. This lead to a war with Mexico, between 1846-1848, and during that period, they won my heart along with the rest of Northern California and I gladly became a part of the United States. Even during those difficult times, my best friend was my strength and saw me through it all.

So, that was how I came into existence, but if you want to find out more and learn more about my history, you will have to pay me a visit personally at *Old Town San Diego & State Historic Park.  As the name suggests, Old Town takes you back in time. The park was established to preserve my rich heritage particularly, of the 1821-1872 period. It includes a main plaza, museums and the famous Bazaar Del Mundo*, where you can find quintessential Mexican ambience in the boutiques and the restaurants. There are also certain old Victorian houses in the area that have been designated as “Haunted Houses” and Tours are offered to some of the haunted locations, enlightening you with the garish tales of murder, and bloodlust of the days of yore.

O.K, now let me bring you back to the present.

I have always loved children. Their innocent smile and joy at little things, makes me want to smile with them and play with them. For them, for their parents and for one and all, I have set up some wonderful parks all around me. In particular I would like to mention Balboa Park,San Diego Zoo (Ahem! –Yeah the zoo is in my name too) and the Wild Animal Park.

 Balboa park is one of the largest urban parks of my country, and incorporates several museums, exhibitions, beautiful gardens, restaurants, and one of the world’s finest zoos. Seriously folks, I am not bragging, because the zoo is in my name, but it is truly one of its kind. One can span the entire globe in one day. It houses rare wildlife from almost every corner of the world, from giant pandas to koalas. It’s a treat to see the co-existence of such a marvelous array of flora and fauna. Believe me, its an experience that you will never forget.

Changing gears a little bit, lets talk about my accessories. La Jolla in Spanish means "The Jewel" and it is indeed the jewel in my crown. Located at about 15 minutes drive from downtown, it has some of the best beaches (courtesy my best friend again*), beautiful natural sceneries, finest restaurants, and art galleries.

La Jolla offers a superb amalgamation of southern European and Californian atmosphere. Some of the most affluent communities reside here. One of the top most research institutes the “Scripps Research Institute” is located here as well. La Jolla, is enticing and will surely mesmerize you.

If La Jolla is the Jewel in my crown, Coronado is the crown itself and is fondly calledthe"Crown City". Coronado Island is on a peninsula between me and my friend. It is connected to downtown by the Coronado Bridge.  It can be accessed by car, ferry or by public bus transportation from downtown. My Crown consists of miles of beautiful beaches with perfect sand, coves for tide pooling, as well as shops, restaurants and boutiques. The atmosphere here is very laid back. My crown will relax you and you will leave your worries far behind in no time. In addition, the classic Hotel Del Coronado where Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon filmed "Some Like it Hot, " adds to the starry shine on my crown. The hotel offers modern-day luxury in an enthralling Victorian atmosphere.

Coming back to downtown again, the Gaslamp Quarteris named after the gas lamps that used to line the streets in the olden days (and you thought there is more mystery to it!). This beautiful area includes several historic buildings, many of which are from the Victorian Era, built between 1873 and 1930.

Well, now to some of my deep, dark secrets (Shhhh!!!). In the early 1900s, The Gas Lamp Quarter was the town’s redlight area. From the 50s to the 70s, it became more of a pornographic venue. It was very painful for me at the time, but then eventually people started showing interest toward the preservation of some of the old buildings and things start looking up for me. Today it has been developed in to a charming national historic district with restaurants, shops and nightclubs, offering an wonderful mix of culture, food and fun.

Play with the dolphins and watch them do flips, shake hands with a seal, say hello to polar bears or whales and see penguins dancing on their happy feet. A one-day pass lets you have access to all these attractions and much more at Sea World.  If you don’t have time to visit Sea World here, you can also catch it at San Antonio, Texas or Orlando, Florida, but I’d much rather that you visit me!

If you want to spend a romantic evening, feel the wind whisper slowly, walk along the bay, or just gaze at the ocean from the water front, come visit me at Seaport Village and I’ll show what dreams are made of.  If you are a beach babe or a bay watch hunk, or just love windsurfing and snorkeling we would love to have you at the many beaches that we have here. Just take a pick between Blacks Beach, La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach, Mission Bay Beach or Pacific Beach. Finally, if you have time, you can also visit Birch Aquarium, Legoland, Miramir Air Show, Mission Bay park and Mount Soledad, where you can stand at a height of over 800 feet under a 43-foot cross, and enjoy mesmerizing views of the La Jolla Shores and secenaries as far as your can see.

If you are still game for more, you can always drive up to Los Angeles or Santa Barbara or Tijuana (Mexico) which are not too far away, but first, I hope I have convinced you to pay me a visit at your earliest convenience.Astalavista baby! I’ll be waiting