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California's first city and its second-largest, San Diego is like a quiet southern neighbor to big-time Los Angeles. Blessed with plenty of beautiful beaches and recreational areas, plus attractions like SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, the city maintains a laid-back attitude even as it houses the largest naval fleet in the world and several military installations. Meanwhile, the technology industry - particularly in the field of bio tech - has helped San Diego diversify its economy and continues to foster growth throughout the area.

Driving as a means to get around San Diego doesn't present any serious problems, but the city is solid in the way of public transportation, as well. The local transit system (MTS) operates buses ($1.75 for local routes) and the San Diego Trolley ($1.25 to $3, depending on distance), with service to the majority of the top destinations - including Tijuana.

San Diego International Airport, or Lindbergh Field, is just a few miles away, and cab fares to the downtown area will only be in the $10 range. There is also an MTS bus stop on Route 992 ($2.25).

See Where Old Meets New at PETCO
The Padres' spectacular PETCO Park, opened in 2004 but didn't precisely follow the retro trend like so many other stadiums. The natural sand and stucco exterior is meant to fit with the San Diego scenery, while the old Western Metal & Supply Company warehouse has been incorporated into the architecture, renovated and turned into the team store.

Watch Football in the Sun
Most teams in the NFL struggle with winter chill for at least part of their season. Not so in San Diego. Fans can head out in shorts and T-shirts to tailgate and see the Chargers play Sunday afternoons at Qualcomm Stadium.

Play a Round at Torrey Pines
Featuring stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and serving as the site of the PGA Tour's Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines is one of the best public golf courses in the country. Getting a game isn't cheap, however, with tee times for the South Course on weekends sometimes eclipsing $200.

Check Out the Performing Horses
One of the nation's most prestigious equestrian events, the Del Mar National Horse Show hits San Diego every spring, featuring the Grand Prix Del Mar and including three disciplines - draft horse, dressage and western hunter-jumper competitions.

Snorkel or Dive an Underwater Park
All the sea life in the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Ecological Park is protected, and snorkelers and divers can find lobster, large fish and even the occasional (harmless) leopard sharks.

Skate the YMCA Skatepark in Encinatas
SoCal is the heart and soul of skateboarding. And San Diego is where many of the top pros call home including Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Burnquist and Shaun White. Your best chance of running into them (literally and figuratively) is at the YMCA skatepark in Encintas. Older kids can drop in with you, younger kids can be checked into day-care while Daddy and/or Mommy rip it up.

San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Dr., San Diego, CA 92101, 619-231-1515
Arguably the nation's best zoo, it houses more than 4,000 animals, many in approximations of their natural habitat. Among the zoo's primary missions is to educate visitors about threatened or endangered species, and as such it is home to a number of rare animals seldom seen. It is one of only four U.S. zoos to house giant pandas. Don't miss the Monkey Trails and Forest Tales habitat, featuring endangered animals such as the clouded leopard and mandrill monkey. There's more to look at than the animals - the zoo was designed as an elaborate botanical garden. The zoo is located two miles north of downtown San Diego. There is ample parking or take a cab or public transportation.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Museum of Photographic Arts
1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101, 619-238-7559
One of the few (and best) museums in the U.S. dedicated entirely to the photographic arts, it traces, through exhibits and prints the history of photography. The 7,000 photographs on display - by artists such as Alfred Stieglitz, Dorothea Lange, Weegee, Ansel Adams and Irving Penn - trace photography both as art and documentary journalism, up to and including digital photography. The museum is located one mile north of downtown San Diego. There is ample parking or take a taxi or public transportation.
http://www.mopa.org/

San Diego Wild Animal Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92027, 760-747-8702
The 3,500 animals here roam a vast, 1,800-acre habitat. They mix with one another, as they would in the wild. Visitors get to see them in an environment unlike any zoo. Watch cheetahs race like the wind across a plain, chasing a mechanical rabbit. Bring a sleeping bag and stay overnight on a lookout point above the park, from where you can see the animals' nocturnal roaming. Go on a photo caravan that puts you up close and personal to giraffes and rhinos. The animal park is located 32 miles north of downtown San Diego. There is ample parking.
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla
700 Prospect St., La Jolla, CA 92037, 858-454-3541
MoCASD has two locations. The original, the La Jolla museum, is among the world's finest and most exquisite. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it is a beautiful setting for the more than 3,000 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture and video works housed here. California art is strongly represented. The outdoor sculpture was specifically designed for this space. The museum is located 14 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. There is ample parking or share a cab.
http://www.mcasd.org/

Sea World
500 Sea World Dr., Mission Bay, CA 92109
There's a reason so many San Diego visitors come here. The rides, the shows, the animals are captivating. You can touch the dolphins, get near enough to sharks to count their teeth. The rides are the equal of any you'll find in a water park. Dine on a patio while Shamu does his tricks in an adjoining pool or in an underground restaurant while sharks swim by in their aquarium home. SeaWorld is located seven miles northwest of downtown San Diego. There is ample parking or share a cab.
http://4adventure.com/seaworld/ca/default.aspx