DK Travel : San Diego : Places of interest

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Martin Luther King Promenade

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.
Mission Beach

The California beach scene struts in full glory along a narrow strip of land filled with vacation rentals and beachwear shops. Skaters, cyclists, and joggers whiz along the Strand, while surfers, volleyball devotees, and sun worshippers pack the sand. Sometimes the streets become so crowded on the Fourth of July weekend that the police have to shut the area down. A block away, Belmont Park (see Belmont Park) is an old-fashioned fun zone with bumper car rides and a vintage roller coaster (see Mission Beach).
Mission Hills

One of San Diego’s most charming and romantic neighborhoods is tucked in the hills overlooking Old Town and San Diego Bay. Tree-lined streets run past architectural jewels built in Craftsman, Mission Revival, Italian Renaissance, and Victorian style. Dating from the early 20th-century, homes had to cost at least $3,500, and could not keep any male farm animals. Commercial development was restricted, and only those of Caucasian descent could hold property. Still here is Kate Sessions’ 1910 nursery (see The Mother of Balboa Park).
Mission San Diego de Alcalá

A peaceful enclave among the nondescript strip malls of Mission Valley, the mission’s original spirit still lingers in the church and its lovely gardens. The first of California’s 21 missions was moved to this permanent site only a few years after its founding. Over the years, the structure was reconstructed to suit the needs of the time, transforming it from a simple mission to a fortress with 5- to 7-ft (1.5-to 2-m) thick adobe brick walls. Its famous façade and bell tower have inspired architects to copy the “Mission Style” throughout San Diego (see Mission San Diego de Alcalá).
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Named after canonized French king Louis IX, this mission was the last to be established in Southern California. Franciscan padres oversaw enormous tracts of land devoted to cattle, sheep, and horses, and a Native American population of 2,800. Relations between the missionaries and the indigenous population were so successful that when Father Peyri was ordered by the Mexican government to return to Spain in 1832, the Native Americans followed him to San Diego Harbor. Today’s restored mission offers displays on life and artifacts of the mission era. Still administered by Franciscan Friars, the mission offers popular retreats.
Mormon Battalion Memorial Visitor’s Center

In July 1846, 500 men, 32 women, and 51 children set out from Council Bluffs, Iowa, on what would be considered one of the longest military marches in history. Six months and 2,000 miles (3,218 km) later, they arrived in San Diego to offer support to the American military garrison during the Mexican-American War. At the Visitor’s Center, a volunteer from the Church of Latter-Day Saints will discuss the historic march and Mormon contributions to San Diego and California.
Museum of Contemporary Art

A satellite location of the museum in La Jolla (see La Jolla), galleries here present rotating exhibits from emerging and established contemporary artists, as well as selected pieces from the museum’s permanent collection. Marking the entrance is the 18-ft (5.4-m) Hammering Man at 3,110,527 , a steel and aluminum sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky. The museum also hosts lectures, workshops, and family activities, including the popular “Thursday Night Thing,” where the public can meet and mingle with local artists.
Ocean Beach

Unconventional and laid back, OB, as it’s locally known, still has a somewhat hippie-like feel from the 1970s. On Newport Avenue, its main thoroughfare, you can still find a few original head shops. But OB is mainly about the beach: on any day of the year, surfers are next to the pier waiting for the next swell; volleyball players are spiking balls over the net; and dogs and their owners are running freely on Dog Beach (see Dog Beach).
Oceanside

Town fortunes are tied inevitably with adjoining Camp Pendleton. The California Surf Museum presents a history of the sport.
Old Town State Historic Park

San Diego’s first commercial settlement has been either preserved or re-created in this pedestrian-only park. Although much of the town was destroyed in a fire in 1872, prompting the development of a new town center closer to the water, several of the original structures still remain. You can wander into any of Old Town’s houses and find museums or concession shops inside, or enjoy one of the park’s many Mexican restaurants (see Old Town State Historic Park).