I'm going to San Diego for the next two weeks. The company pays for my rental car and fuel, so...
Any roads, transportation sites/places of interest?
Amazingly beautiful and jaw-dropping spots to gawk at?
Must-eat-at places?
Weird and obscure places to see and drive on/to?
( Oddball local custom I need to be aware of? :-P )
Interstate 15 is very widest freeway between CA-78 to CA-163- Newly done Express Lanes staging done between Sept 2008 to Jan 2012. You could see the movable barrier in middle of I-15 freeway.
Old Town San Diego is quite interesting historical place to walk around. It have a good mexican resturant at Old Town area. I not remember the name of mexican resturant at there.
Downtown San Diego is okay as the best spot is Gaslamp Quarter area, which is near Petco Park (baseball stadium for San Diego Padres). San Diego Central Library is good one as you could find the old mapbooks of San Diego area in back in 1951, I-5 freeway for Downtown section forming around early 1960s such as 1961 to 1963, they have 1961 and 1963 mapbooks for that. If you want look more different years mapbook, which is fine, you could seeing more freeways forming over the time.
Coronado is quite nice place to stop by, oldest known building in Coronado is Hotel Del Coronado, 1888.
Lowest gas price company names are: either ARCO or Costco. Other general gas stations names are: Shell, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, and Conoco-Phillip.
I-805 and 43rd Street area is strange spot cuz CA-252 freeway was supposed built between I-5 to I-805, it killed the CA-252 proposed freeway in around 1994. Palomar Observatory is good place to stop by, while you driving down the curvy road, you could probably see the ocean. It have nice small resturant and gift shop at next door to resturant at Palomar Mtn at 10 to 15 minutes away south of Palomar Observatory.
Peterson's Donut Corner in Escondido is very good sweet treat as it have donuts, cookies, coffee, and milk. It is located at Escondido Blvd and 9th Ave. It is my favorite donut shop since when I was little boy. It have a large cinnamon roll with raisin, closely to similar size to soccer size cake size. Seasonal sprinkled frosted donut is good one too.
Five Guys burger is good one...it have good burgers at there, some locations have Coca Cola Freestyle touch screen drink selection. It is NOT Old School thingy lol.
Enjoy your San Diego trip!
Mmm...donuts. Will give that one a try.
Forgot to mention I'll also be in Carlsbad, which appears to be 30 minutes to the north.
Also, any plethora of button copy, like the L.A. area?
watch out for Arco: they do not take credit cards!
Gaslamp and Old Town are okay for tourist traps, but the really fun neighborhoods are places like Hillcrest and North Park!
Still was plenty of button copy on EVERY freeway when I was there. Not sure what may have been replaced in the meantime. Head over to Cabrillo Monument, I thought it was well worth the price. Balboa Park has some old architecture, including bridges/arches. Drive through it from all angles.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 29, 2012, 06:05:03 PM
watch out for Arco: they do not take credit cards!
And if you do use a debit card at Arco, it comes with a transaction fee ($0.45 currently in Nevada). The fee can offset the savings from the lower price...
Having gone to San Diego once, I must recommend the San Diego Zoo. You can't drive through it, but there is a bus tour that drives through it. :cool:
For something transportation-related, there is a freeway under construction, but it's all the way near the Mexican border: CA-905 (and future I-905, if the cards fall correctly). If you like massive interchanges, drive I-8 from its terminus to El Cajon. Actually, if you have the time, go all the way over the mountains to the desert (about 100 miles); it is a fantastic drive. There's also a section of CA-54 where opposing directions are on opposite sides of a river.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 29, 2012, 06:05:03 PM
watch out for Arco: they do not take credit cards!
Gaslamp and Old Town are okay for tourist traps, but the really fun neighborhoods are places like Hillcrest and North Park!
Second this, and I'd also add Normal Heights and University Heights.
In Old Town, there's at least one "Historical US 101" sign.
Friars Road (arterial north of I-8) is an interesting "almost freeway" with a few interchanges.
Fun interchanges: 5/52, 805/163, 8/805, 8/125, 805/252 (reminds me of one of I-84's dead freeway stubs, but larger)
Semi-abandoned freeway: Kearny Villa Road, at 15/163: http://www.scvresources.com/highways/kearny_villa_road.htm
In Carlsbad, we were pleasantly surprised by Bistro West for dinner, enough to go grab lunch there the next day.
Also drive historic US-101 along the coast and see all the beaches
SR 52 between I-5 and I-805 is good if you're looking for an older-style freeway with button copy galore. SR 163 between I-8 and I-5 goes through Balboa Park and is quite dramatic too.
SR 52 between SR 125 and SR 67 was recently completed.
Route 15 between I-805 and I-8 is another recently completed freeway worth checking out - cut-and-cover design that kept some of the neighborhoods tied together (after locals delayed the project for many decades).
Quote from: kurumi on February 29, 2012, 11:44:55 PM
Fun interchanges: 5/52, 805/163, 8/805, 8/125, 805/252 (reminds me of one of I-84's dead freeway stubs, but larger)
252 is a tough find, as it is unsigned and partly abandoned.
http://www.cahighways.org/249-256.html#252
8/163 is a fun interchange too... come in on 163 southbound and loop back to 163 northbound as a default! I am not sure what set of intermediate upgrades resulted in this situation.
QuoteSemi-abandoned freeway: Kearny Villa Road, at 15/163: http://www.scvresources.com/highways/kearny_villa_road.htm
take that between Miramar Rd. and 15/163 - it features some old porcelain signs that never were retrofitted for buttons. for another example of that, see Morena Blvd. southbound at I-8. then turn around, drive Morena northbound, and look at the center-of-the-road trailblazer sign for Sherman St.
Surprised nobody's mentioned the old US 101 freeway, Pacific Highway, from I-5 northwest along the north perimeter of Lindbergh Field/San Diego International Airport...that road dates back to World War II if I'm not mistaken.
Quote from: TheStranger on March 01, 2012, 11:45:51 AM
Surprised nobody's mentioned the old US 101 freeway, Pacific Highway, from I-5 northwest along the north perimeter of Lindbergh Field/San Diego International Airport...that road dates back to World War II if I'm not mistaken.
indeed, there are some underpasses that date to 1942. on the 163 freeway, I believe the Washington St. bridge is 1940.
the 'Roadside Business' sign northbound on old 101 covers up a black 1957 sign of the same configuration - the back is visible and may be inspected by climbing the berm.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 01, 2012, 11:14:44 AM
Quote from: kurumi on February 29, 2012, 11:44:55 PM
Fun interchanges: 5/52, 805/163, 8/805, 8/125, 805/252 (reminds me of one of I-84's dead freeway stubs, but larger)
252 is a tough find, as it is unsigned and partly abandoned.
http://www.cahighways.org/249-256.html#252
There's no 252 signage, but AFAIK the exit is signed "To 43rd St." In any case, it's hard to miss that (now) seriously overbuilt interchange south of CA 94.
Ridiculously old one-way sign exiting the airport and leaving Pac Hwy. I want to say Grape at California.
Quote from: Steve on March 01, 2012, 06:35:26 PM
Ridiculously old one-way sign exiting the airport and leaving Pac Hwy. I want to say Grape at California.
there's at least 100 of those left. check University at 4th, 5th, etc. there's one on Normal in front of the DMV that even says C-62 on the back.
If you like big freeway interchanges don't miss driving thru the I-8/I-805 exchange in Mission Valley. Also visit the Dave & Buster's- the parking lot sits directly under it; Google street view link here:
http://www.google.com/maps?q=&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=32.773191,-117.131835&cid=7875652136052668712&cbp=13,152.2,-5.1,0,0&panoid=j3PU9XmNtS7n2KMjInLKyQ&q=dave+and+busters+san+diego&ei=qxFRT-3ZLaamiQLe0Pm0Bg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=streetview-image-link&cd=1&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CBYQnwIoADAD
As others have said here, plenty of old button-copy signs on all the major freeways except for I-15 which has been modernized with carpool lanes and new sinage in recent years.
Other things of interest:
Visit Mt Soledad for a 360 degree view of the city.
Torrey Pines Glider Port atop the cliffs at Black's Beach.
La Jolla Cove
For the quintessential Southern CA beach experinece head to Pacific Beach but get there early on the weekends or you'll spend the afternoon looking for a parking spot.
In-N-Out-Burger
Gaslamp Quarter on a Friday or Saturday night.
Few of my favorite restaurants:
Lotus Thai
Mimi's Cafe
Sammy's Woodfired Pizza
Have fun on your trip!
Quote from: roadfro on February 29, 2012, 08:50:19 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 29, 2012, 06:05:03 PM
watch out for Arco: they do not take credit cards!
And if you do use a debit card at Arco, it comes with a transaction fee ($0.45 currently in Nevada). The fee can offset the savings from the lower price...
And I was never able to make a Wells Fargo debit card work at Arco or any other debit card-only station.
Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on March 02, 2012, 07:14:26 PM
Quote from: roadfro on February 29, 2012, 08:50:19 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 29, 2012, 06:05:03 PM
watch out for Arco: they do not take credit cards!
And if you do use a debit card at Arco, it comes with a transaction fee ($0.45 currently in Nevada). The fee can offset the savings from the lower price...
And I was never able to make a Wells Fargo debit card work at Arco or any other debit card-only station.
I used to do it all the time...since Wells Fargo started charging fees for using cards, I pull out cash before going to Arco stations.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 01, 2012, 11:52:36 AM
Quote from: TheStranger on March 01, 2012, 11:45:51 AM
Surprised nobody's mentioned the old US 101 freeway, Pacific Highway, from I-5 northwest along the north perimeter of Lindbergh Field/San Diego International Airport...that road dates back to World War II if I'm not mistaken.
indeed, there are some underpasses that date to 1942. on the 163 freeway, I believe the Washington St. bridge is 1940.
This was back when the terminal was on the north side of Lindbergh, IIRC. The 1970s reconfiguration (moving the terminal to the south side along Harbor Drive) might be one of the few examples where a terminal was moved AWAY from direct freeway access!
^ Heh...I wondered how an airport of that magnitude in a city as big as San Diego could have so many (well, nit that many) traffic lights before you get to a freeway.
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2012, 11:25:59 PM
^ Heh...I wondered how an airport of that magnitude in a city as big as San Diego could have so many (well, nit that many) traffic lights before you get to a freeway.
I think one of the expansion/renovation proposals for Lindbergh Field restores the north-side primary access point along Pacific Highway:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.san.org%2Fdocuments%2Famp%2Fadopted_amp%2F08_00__SANMP_PreliminaryConceptDev_V04-21-08_LR.pdf&h=DAQEgOXL_
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2012, 11:25:59 PM
^ Heh...I wondered how an airport of that magnitude in a city as big as San Diego could have so many (well, nit that many) traffic lights before you get to a freeway.
For the longest time, Lindbergh Field was considered rather temporary, with ambitions to move it to a more spacious location (like Miramar air base, or Brown Field near the Mexican border). That probably discouraged major improvements to make Lindbergh more accessible.
When I watched the movie "Top Gun," my first thought was that it was yet another ploy to keep Miramar in Navy hands and resist its conversion to a civilian airport. Of course, the Top Gun program later moved to Nevada.
Quote from: oscar on March 06, 2012, 03:00:40 AM
Quote from: formulanone on March 05, 2012, 11:25:59 PM
^ Heh...I wondered how an airport of that magnitude in a city as big as San Diego could have so many (well, nit that many) traffic lights before you get to a freeway.
For the longest time, Lindbergh Field was considered rather temporary, with ambitions to move it to a more spacious location (like Miramar air base, or Brown Field near the Mexican border). That probably discouraged major improvements to make Lindbergh more accessible.
I've always been under the impression Lindbergh was considered permanent for its first few decades, and that the idea of moving out to Miramar or Brown only came about in the 1980s, after the 1960s/1970s terminal relocation from Pacific Highway to Harbor Drive.
The Miramar proposal came up again a few years ago and was voted down by San Diego residents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_Field#Relocation_proposals
QuoteIt have a good mexican resturant at Old Town area. I not remember the name of mexican resturant at there.
Agreed! There is a place there called Viva el Cafe, IIRC. Handmade tortillas that are incredible!
I'd also say it's a really cool drive on CA-163 through Balboa Park (which is worth a stop, for sure)
For a great burger, check out a place called Hodad's! 5010 Newport Avenue, San Diego, CA. So good! My wife and I always hit it up when we're down there.
Have fun!
Quote from: OCGuy81 on March 07, 2012, 10:06:48 AM
QuoteIt have a good mexican resturant at Old Town area. I not remember the name of mexican resturant at there.
Agreed! There is a place there called Viva el Cafe, IIRC. Handmade tortillas that are incredible!
I'd also say it's a really cool drive on CA-163 through Balboa Park (which is worth a stop, for sure)
For a great burger, check out a place called Hodad's! 5010 Newport Avenue, San Diego, CA. So good! My wife and I always hit it up when we're down there.
Have fun!
Casa Guadalajara in Old Town serves excellent Mexican food at reasonable prices. Great margaritas too.
Another travel tip: never buy gas near Lindbergh Field or anywhere on Pacific Highway or in the hotel circle area in Mission Valley- it's usually .20/gal higher than in other parts of town. Most expensive gas: Chevron & Shell. Cheapest: Arco & Thrifty.
Another vote for the San Diego Zoo (if you like things that fly), nearby is the San Diego Aerospace Museum (I think that's what it's called; been years since I've been there). Also, Cabrillo National Monument out on Point Loma; that's my favorite part of San Diego.
Quote from: Biff858 on March 07, 2012, 12:24:43 PM
Quote from: OCGuy81 on March 07, 2012, 10:06:48 AM
QuoteIt have a good mexican resturant at Old Town area. I not remember the name of mexican resturant at there.
Agreed! There is a place there called Viva el Cafe, IIRC. Handmade tortillas that are incredible!
I'd also say it's a really cool drive on CA-163 through Balboa Park (which is worth a stop, for sure)
For a great burger, check out a place called Hodad's! 5010 Newport Avenue, San Diego, CA. So good! My wife and I always hit it up when we're down there.
Have fun!
Casa Guadalajara in Old Town serves excellent Mexican food at reasonable prices. Great margaritas too.
Another travel tip: never buy gas near Lindbergh Field or anywhere on Pacific Highway or in the hotel circle area in Mission Valley- it's usually .20/gal higher than in other parts of town. Most expensive gas: Chevron & Shell. Cheapest: Arco & Thrifty.
La Jolla's fairly bad too.
Thanks for the gas-buying tips, but I typically make the company pay for it. In fact, more than half the time, I have to get gas right by an airport, which is never a bargain.
Quote from: formulanone on March 07, 2012, 09:57:16 PM
Thanks for the gas-buying tips, but I typically make the company pay for it. In fact, more than half the time, I have to get gas right by an airport, which is never a bargain.
Are you still there? Do you like craft beer? I spend a lot of time in Carlsbad for work and San Diego has some of the best breweries in the world IMO. Some must-see:
Stone Brewery, in Escondito (near where the 78 and the 15 meet)
Pizza Port, on Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad
Lost Abby/Port Brewing, just off the 78 in Vista (not too far from Stone)
Karl Strauss on Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad (great food)
If you don't mind driving down a few miles to the Mira Mesa area, Green Flash and Alesmith are both down there. Green Flash in particular is one of my favorite breweries ever.
As for food in the Carlsbad area:
Karl Strauss, as mentioned above
Casa de Bandini has the best Mexican in the area according to my coworkers out there
O'Sullivans Irish pub in Carlsbad Village is good
Teri Cafe in Oceanside (two locations) has great teriyaki and noodle bowls if you're looking for something more informal
Coyote's in Carlsbad Village - I want to hate this place so much, but I always have a good meal here
I actually passed through suburban San Diego recently and something to check out that's brand new is the 52/67 interchange north of El Cajon - don't think that was there last year or the year before! It had been planned for decades before finally getting built.
Quote from: TheStranger on March 14, 2012, 11:20:36 AM
I actually passed through suburban San Diego recently and something to check out that's brand new is the 52/67 interchange north of El Cajon - don't think that was there last year or the year before! It had been planned for decades before finally getting built.
it's a very good high-speed interchange. I take that as part of my commute every day, and I can do the 52eb to 67nb ramp at 78mph in a Taurus.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 14, 2012, 12:33:22 PM
Quote from: TheStranger on March 14, 2012, 11:20:36 AM
I actually passed through suburban San Diego recently and something to check out that's brand new is the 52/67 interchange north of El Cajon - don't think that was there last year or the year before! It had been planned for decades before finally getting built.
it's a very good high-speed interchange. I take that as part of my commute every day, and I can do the 52eb to 67nb ramp at 78mph in a Taurus.
It really helps with bypassing the heart of both the tourist areas and downtown, that's for sure. Was the right-of-way cleared for years, or was it in limbo the way the Route 15 corridor had been prior to that being finished?
Met up at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, tried some of the more unusual microbrews. Still in town for two more days.
Drove on CA 78 and 79, and Sunrise Highway, because there's no mountain roads in Florida. Took some shots of button copy along I-5 and 15. Walked along an abandoned alignment of former US 80.
Wished I had more time...work project was a bit of a grind, both short-handed and long hours.
Quote from: formulanone on March 14, 2012, 01:45:01 PM
Met up at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, tried some of the more unusual microbrews. Still in town for two more days.
Drove on CA 78 and 79, and Sunrise Highway, because there's no mountain roads in Florida. Took some shots of button copy along I-5 and 15. Walked along an abandoned alignment of former US 80.
Wished I had more time...work project was a bit of a grind, both short-handed and long hours.
Another cool drive is this one down Elfin Forest Road and Del Dios Highway:
http://g.co/maps/79e75
There's nothing particularly road geeky about it (other than having some of the only true mile markers in California), but it's still scenic.
With the time-zone change flying out there, I'm usually up really early my first morning or two there and like to drive around and explore before work.
Another favorite is the drive up to the Palomar Observatory. It's not too and you go from essentially sea level in Carlsbad to almost 6,000 feet at the entrance to the observatory, much of it with switchbacks. It's especially fun if you have a nimble rental car with a manumatic mode on the transmission.
Quote from: formulanone on March 14, 2012, 01:45:01 PM
Met up at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, tried some of the more unusual microbrews. Still in town for two more days.
Drove on CA 78 and 79, and Sunrise Highway, because there's no mountain roads in Florida. Took some shots of button copy along I-5 and 15. Walked along an abandoned alignment of former US 80.
Wished I had more time...work project was a bit of a grind, both short-handed and long hours.
which 80 alignment?
I need to go to Pizza Port; it's right down from where my girlfriend works and she keeps speaking of it favorably!
Oh, I forgot to mention that Wednesday evenings, a bunch of high-end food trucks all park at the Lost Abby brewery in Vista. You can't go wrong with good beer and good, inexpensive food.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on March 14, 2012, 02:48:49 PM
which 80 alignment?
I need to go to Pizza Port; it's right down from where my girlfriend works and she keeps speaking of it favorably!
Just about a mile north of I-8, at CA 79...at least, Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=32.837806,-116.617845&spn=0.004029,0.006899&sll=33.431441,-109.775391&t=h&z=17) calls it "Old Hwy 80".
I had a Pizza Solana at Pizza Port, which is the first time I think I've ever had seafood as a pizza topping. If you're into microbrews, they're apparently medal winners time and time again.
Quote from: realjdAnother favorite is the drive up to the Palomar Observatory. It's not too and you go from essentially sea level in Carlsbad to almost 6,000 feet at the entrance to the observatory, much of it with switchbacks. It's especially fun if you have a nimble rental car with a manumatic mode on the transmission.
Yeah, as a bit of a stargeek, I was thinking about that one. Can you use the telescope on a pay-per-view basis? Or do you just bum rush the scientist who's hard at work discovering things that would blow our minds?
While 300 horsepower certainly helps going up the mountain, the bouncy-jouncy suspension and squishy T-rated, 65-series tires of the V6 Mustang kind of forces me to drive at "three-tenths" around places with minimal run-off. It's no Boss 302, although a bare-bones version of the Boss with a V6 model at roughly 2800-3000 pounds and some decent shoes would tick off the
moar-V8! purists (although that was originally what a pony car was all about, before they attempted to rise up as one and try to slay the Corvette). [/sorry, OT]
Quote from: formulanone on March 14, 2012, 04:58:09 PM
Just about a mile north of I-8, at CA 79...at least, Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=32.837806,-116.617845&spn=0.004029,0.006899&sll=33.431441,-109.775391&t=h&z=17) calls it "Old Hwy 80".
very cool. there are a lot of 80 segments out there. to me the best ones are cut off by I-8 through the Devil's Gate pass area between San Diego and Imperial counties. they are very tough to access, though, unless you want to park beside a freeway with traffic coming down the hill at 80mph.
Quote from: formulanone on March 14, 2012, 04:58:09 PM
Quote from: realjdAnother favorite is the drive up to the Palomar Observatory. It's not too and you go from essentially sea level in Carlsbad to almost 6,000 feet at the entrance to the observatory, much of it with switchbacks. It's especially fun if you have a nimble rental car with a manumatic mode on the transmission.
Yeah, as a bit of a stargeek, I was thinking about that one. Can you use the telescope on a pay-per-view basis? Or do you just bum rush the scientist who's hard at work discovering things that would blow our minds?
While 300 horsepower certainly helps going up the mountain, the bouncy-jouncy suspension and squishy T-rated, 65-series tires of the V6 Mustang kind of forces me to drive at "three-tenths" around places with minimal run-off. It's no Boss 302, although a bare-bones version of the Boss with a V6 model at roughly 2800-3000 pounds and some decent shoes would tick off the moar-V8! purists (although that was originally what a pony car was all about, before they attempted to rise up as one and try to slay the Corvette). [/sorry, OT]
Nope, sorry. It's only open outside of stargazing hours, so it usually closes fairly early at like 4PM or something. It is a VERY impressive telescope though! I tried to get some pictures but it's extremely dark in there and I didn't have a tripod with me.
If you're into historical stuff, the mission at San Juan Capistrano is also pretty cool and is only a half our north in Orange County. I don't remember if they're open in the evening or not.
I definetley agree on going thru the I-8/I-805 interchange. I would go thru it on I-805 first, then go back thru it on I-8, so you can look at what you just went over. Also, Pacific Highway is a must drive! Not only does it pass San Diego Airport, but it also passes MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) San Diego. If you are a military buff, there is a Meuseum on the base, and the base itself is a historical monument, I should know, I was there, and not as a tourist!
I'll have pics up soon, although I took some of the mountain routes.
Quote from: CenVlyDave on April 14, 2012, 01:07:48 AM
I definetley agree on going thru the I-8/I-805 interchange. I would go thru it on I-805 first, then go back thru it on I-8, so you can look at what you just went over. Also, Pacific Highway is a must drive! Not only does it pass San Diego Airport, but it also passes MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) San Diego. If you are a military buff, there is a Meuseum on the base, and the base itself is a historical monument, I should know, I was there, and not as a tourist!
Speaking of cool military stuff, the views from the military cemetery at Point Loma are absolutely amazing on a clear day.