Up for a little Las Vegas-style excitement? Drive 45 minutes east of San Diego to find it all without ever leaving California. Off-track wagering, cards, video machines, and Bingo are all found here. Hob-nob with the high rollers, join the masses at the slot machines, try your luck at the Blackjack 21 tables or just enjoy fine dining and glitzy entertainment.
Located right along the Navy Pier in downtown San Diego, the USS Midway Museum lends deep insights into naval aviation and one of the important chapters of American history. The museum is home to the iconic USS Midway, which has been one of the country's oldest aircraft carriers. A famed naval museum in the United States, it also shelters an arsenal of other significant carriers, most of which were crafted in Southern California. The museum is complete with simulators, myriad deck exhibits and the stirring Battle of Midway theater. The museum has also been a host to an array of private, media and sporting events.
Fun for adults and kids, this museum-on-water is the focal point of San Diego's historic Embarcadero Promenade. Comprised of several painstakingly restored historic ships, it is a tribute to the sea-faring age. One of the ships showcased at Maritime Museum of San Diego is the Star of India (1863), a stunning vision that graces the coastline as the world's oldest actively-sailed, square-rigged ship.
One of the most important ballparks of Major League Baseball (MLB), Petco Park is a baseball fan's haven and the base of the San Diego Padres. Its unique architectural layout is an ode to the region's geography and its natural allure. The framework of the stadium resonates of the surrounding peaks while the steel edifice and enclosing structures are designed like canyons. Landscaped with indigenous plants and featuring a lush area picnic hill, this magnificent stadium boasts to have the best seats for not only sports lovers but also concert goers.
This bar is housed in the oldest building in the Gaslamp Quarter. Come and mingle with beautiful people and groove to either live music or a DJ with tunes from the 1970s through the 1990s. Hardwood floors, soaring ceilings and a 40-foot long mahogany bar give a touch of elegance and class. There are three levels, all offering a large number of beers and delicious cocktails.
The San Diego Natural History Museum is the second oldest scientific institution in California. A bi-national museum, its mission is to interpret the natural world through research, education and exhibits. The museum strives to promote understanding of the evolution and diversity of southern California and the peninsula of Baja California to inspire in all a respect for nature and the environment. Between exhibits on dinosaurs and the Arctic to mammoths and the Titanic, this museum is sure to interest the old, young and everything in between.
Locomotives are highlighted at this museum where you may view a collection of vintage railroad artifacts and a fully restored boxcar and caboose. Tours of this museum are free but are offered on weekends only. The museum, located in southern San Diego County, is small, yet innovative and enjoyable for a weekend outing. Scenic train trips to Campo sometimes depart from this station on vintage locomotives.
Lamplighters Community Theatre has been instrumental in encouraging talents in the field of performing arts since 1937, then the theater was called The La Mesa Little Theatre. Today this community theater is responsible for bringing out several productions that are very well directed and complemented with impeccable technical support. Shows range from dramas, musicals to even solo performances, all which are at their memorable best and the prices are friendly enough for patrons to keep coming back.
Moxie Theatre is a women-centric performing arts venue operational in San Diego. Dedicated to breaking stereotypes and creating thought-provoking theatrical performances, this non-profit establishment carves a niche for itself among its contemporaries. The place can seat up to 99 guests.
The Hubert H. Bancroft Ranchhouse is a historic ranch house, distinguished for being the first Anglo-American structure in Spring Valley. Said to be built out of timber recovered from a shipwreck in the nearby bay by Augustus Ensworth in 1856, the property has also been the residence of historian Hubert Howe Bancroft. This California Historical Landmark and National Historic Landmark is now operated as a local history museum.
Located on a pristine setting of Mount Helix Nature Park, Mount Helix Amphitheater is an outdoor amphitheater that hosts various cultural events. Equipped with comfortable stadium seats, the theater has a seating capacity for 1000 spectators and is considered to be one of the most recognized landmarks in the San Diego county. Built in the early 1900, the Mount Helix Amphitheater is a perfect place to enjoy an evening of entertaining performances. Call or visit their website to know more.