SAN DIEGO - AMERICA'S FINEST CITY

San Diego bills itself as America's Finest City, and we were looking forward to finding out if such a strong boast was true. And we are happy to say - it is, at least so far. San Diego is certainly the cleanest, sunniest, and best city that we have been to on our trip. 

Located just two hours south of Los Angeles, San Diego is known as the first city in California, home of the first of 21 Spanish Missions built in the late 1700s. Blessed with stunning scenery, great weather, and a number of interesting places to see, San Diego has managed to be a tourist destination without becoming flashy. The city has mostly avoided the evils of urban sprawl, which has allowed its downtown to remain vibrant, especially the Gaslamp Quarter.

The mission

Home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo as well as Sea World, the city is great for families, but for those without kids, there is a lot to do as well.

San Diego is home to a number of military bases, primarily due to its location. In 1941, after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. established the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet in San Diego, and the city is now home to the largest air naval station on the west coast. 

Unlike many cities, San Diego's airport is right next to downtown, increasing its convenience even more. It is hard to believe that San Diego is the nation's 6th-largest city, it just retains a small town feel.

Home to the Chargers of the NFL and the Gulls of the IHL as well as a couple of universities, San Diego is a fairly good sports town as well. Although neither pro team has ever won a world championship, residents still enjoy supporting their teams.   

Our impressions: San Diego is a great city to walk around in, but has its problems for drivers - particularly a lack of good road signs. Many times we weren't sure where we should be going and missed turns - of course, this is not a problem for those who live there, but make sure to have a good map if you are driving.

Weather in San Diego seems perfect - someone told me that there is a rainy season, but I found it hard to believe. There are lots of recreational opportunities, both on land and in the water that keep most citizens fit and tanned.

San Diego Bay

The trolley system is great. You can go all the way to Tijuana on public transit and just walk across to Mexico. Public transit seemed easy to understand and was used by many people.

Overall, San Diego is the first city that I thought would be worth living in. We only spent two days here, and we wish the Padres would make the playoffs so we could return, but I found everything (except the poor signage) to my liking. I am really looking forward to the new ballpark in 2004, so that I can make a return visit to the city and stay for a much longer time. If you have never been, go! You may just end up moving there.