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The 40th-floor lounge offers views of San Diego Bay and Coronado (see Hyatt Regency La Jolla).

Two high-rise towers hold 1,625 rooms, many with personal work areas and all with high-speed Internet. The lounge on the 40th floor is one of San Diego’s best.

Be quick to grab the strings of beads thrown off the floats at the Masquerade Parade. The parade begins in the afternoon at Fifth Avenue, but music and revelry carries on until the early morning. The food booths serve up New Orleans-style Cajun food.

Named after the park’s beloved “puppet lady” who delighted audiences with her magical skills, the Balboa Park Puppet Guild entertains kids and adults alike with a wonderful collection of marionettes and hand, rod, and shadow puppets. The Magic of Ventriloquism, Pinocchio, and Grimm’s fairytale classics are some of the shows presented. Guest puppeteers are often featured as well.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the quaint Spanish-Colonial buildings were designed by Bertram Goodhue, architect of several buildings for the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park (see Balboa Park). The Command Museum displays the history and traditions of the Marine Corps in Southern California and the wars in which they fought. Exhibits include photos, paintings, training films, weapons, and a World War II ambulance and jeep.

Gratify your nautical gift needs through a variety of model ships, T-shirts, posters, and prints inscribed with an image of the Star of India (see San Diego Maritime Museum).

Lush grounds with a few flamingos, a relaxed ambience, and a dedicated staff make this resort a top choice. A California and French styling decorates large, comfy rooms, with the best ones looking out across the bay to San Diego. The hotel runs a water taxi service.

Planner Max Schmidt used the idea of functional public art to create this 1/4-mile (0.4-km) promenade along Harbor Drive. Described as a “serape” of colors, textures, and water-works, the grassy promenade celebrates San Diego’s multi-cultural heritage. Granite stones in the sidewalk bear quotes by civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King.

You’ll find a martini to your taste among the 50 available. Head to the leopard-print loveseats upstairs or enjoy the hip-hop in the adjacent Shaker Room. There’s happy hour every weekday from 4–7pm, and on Fridays, “Manicures, Martinis & More” presents fashion, manicures, and drinks for the ladies.

Owned by an ex-Navy SEAL, the pub and its large outside patio are enormously popular with Coronado’s military. A pint of Guinness is a good choice to accompany traditional pub grub such as Mulligan stew and corned beef, and the occasional Mexican dish. Enjoy the live local entertainment.