What to see in sunny SoCal?
 

Hello fellow Ford fans :-wink, I usually hang out in the superduty forums but figured this would be the place to post my question. I'm coming out to San Diego this weekend through Wednesday and am looking for stuff to do. My wife has a conference so I'm tagging along, got the weekend covered but I've got 2 1/2 more days to kill. Any suggestions? I enjoy beer, history, agriculture, automotive, and did I mention beer? :) Saw you had a couple microbreweries so I was going to check those out, and the Midway Museum is on my list, but are there any other "can't miss" attractions?

Howdy Mav - you're welcome in our little corner of FTE anytime :-wink

Stone Brewing Co if you like beer...I think you said you do :D Stone Brewing Co. : Brewery Tours

The Zoo is great, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego isn't far from The Midway Museum: Maritime Museum of San Diego

I'm sure others will add to the list. Shouldn't be too tough to fill a couple days :)

All of your requirements could be fulfilled in Tijuana.

BEER- CHECK!
HISTORY- CHECK!
AGRICULTURE- CHECK!
Anything your heart desires is only a few pesos away!
hehehe

Yep, that brewery was at the top of my list! You can see how far I got w/ my research. ;)

I looked at the zoo, but i'm not enthralled enough w/ animals for the $40 entry fee!!

I'll checkout the Maritime Museum - looks interesting.

I actually looked at that! I saw there's cheap bus trips down there, but alas I started my research much too late to have a prayer of getting a passport in time w/out having to pay the huge expeditor fees. :-banghead

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming!

Road trip:

Cove at La Jolla if you like to snorkel, might be a pita with parking.

La Jolla Cove

Dudley's Bakery, Santa Ysabel, for bread to go with the beer. Scenic drive, connecting to Lake Cuamaca for some fish to go on the bread and lots more scenery.

Dudley's Famous Bakery: San Diego's Original Since 1963!

Lake Cuyamaca Home Page

From there you can go back north and head east to the desert for some sand or if you just like desert. Or keep going south to I8 for a speed run home.

Ocean beach, mountains, deserts, cold to hot, pretty much all 4 seasons in a day or two if you like.

Anyone know of any good offroading areas? I'm not talking about mud or crazy terrain, just nice areas for a pleasant drive off the beaten path.

You might want to check out San Diego Brewing Company if you can. A nice San Diego Amber and a Bavarian Beer Sausage sandwich and you are set.

Old Town San Diego is not too bad, although in my opinion since it changed ownership a few years ago it is just not the same. While in Old Town I would eat/drink at Casa Guadalajara ... that place can get bumping on a weekend so be prepared to have a drink or two at the bar while ya wait for a table ( I know, I know, how terrible is that ... maybe one of the giant margaritas )

Google these: Seaport village, USS Midway, Star of India, Balboa Park, Morley Field for disc golf, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Drive from La Jolla on Hwy 1 through North SD County to Carlsbad many places to wander or stop and look at the beaches (no more sand though:-arrgh). 10 yrs ago I'd say run down to TJ and see the Beaches south of the border and some cheap lobster, but not now.

Trey, a nice offroad trip is from Ranchita, CA on Hwy S22 down Grapevine canyon road to Hwy 78 through the Anza Borrego park. Nothing crazy, but a few scratchy spots (you know me...):-X22 A nice relaxing drive down the hill, lots of photo ops.

Mud in the winter if a storm comes through, sand all year, dust mostly:

Ocotillo Wells SVRA

Keep in mind this is about 2 or 3 hours east of SD, depending on how you go. The way the map sites tell you is pretty much through the area in my previous post, fairly scenic.

Not sure about anything closer, but there has to be something.

Or are you talking closer to home?

Hungry Valley SVRA

I've been to hungry valley, looking for something a little less... brown. A tall order, I know. Nothing too exciting at Hungry Valley.

Never had an issue there, I ride there a lot. I just stay away from the tracks and don't go there on holiday weekends.

Couple more desert ideas:
Ghosts in the Desert - DesertUSA
The Real Marshal South - DesertUSA

Way to hijack my thread Trey! :-hijacked Just kidding bro - it's all good. But you owe me a beer now! :-drink

But back to the thread - thanks for all the suggestions guys - I'll try to research them a bit yet this evening. Couple questions though - made it in today and rented a car (Kia = pos) and drove up to Tustin to visit a brewery there.

Couple observations and a question - I've never been here before but it's not nearly as bad as it's portrayed on tv! ;) Drove up I5 and expected to see mostly priuses (prii??) and while I did see several, I also saw quite a few Ford Trucks! Maybe that changes in a less military heavy part of the state? Traffic wasn't as bad as i feared, I'm sure that's not the case on a weekday though. Also, there's the best street name in Tustin, "Myford Rd" I'm sure that's someone's name, but still, have you ever seen a "Mychevy rd??" I tried a couple time's to get a pic but couldn't ever catch a red light.

Now the question - what are those uh...shall we call them the grand tetons? :-X04 between Camp Pendleton and San Onofre? Is that a nuclear power plant??

Hey it was sorta on topic! But thats cool.. I'll buy you a beer. Remind me in about 2 years when I turn 21 :-X04