SwingDiego 2013 – COUNTDOWN 6 DAYS!
SwingDiego is almost here! Our favorite event of the year!
Some folks have already arrived … Europeans, Australians, Asians and Americans coming in early to see San Diego! The beach! The gorgeous weather!
Getting in before Thursday morning? Want to try golfing? Check out the SwingDiego Annual Golf Scramble 2013
Or maybe you want to try wine-tasting? And mimosas, bellinis and hors d’oeuvres in a limo? Check out the Annual SwingDiego Wine Tour
Want to site-see? Wikipedia calls San Diego “America’s largest urban cultural park” with more than 25 museums and attractions, from the astronomical to the zoological. And you don’t have to rent a car! The “Hop On Hop Off Trolley” located just behind the hotel is a great way to get around to see the sites.
San Diego hosted two World’s Fairs, the Panama-California Exposition in 1915-1916, and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935-1936. The expositions left a lasting legacy in the form of Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, and by popularizing Mission Revival Style and Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture locally and in Southern California as a regional aesthetic and nationwide design influence.
Are you a photography buff like me? Balboa Park is CRAZY for beautiful pictures of architecture and gardens. Are you a theater buff? In Balboa Park you can catch a Tony Award-winning play most evenings!
And the zoo! The San Diego Zoo is top-rated everywhere, consistently included on various top zoo lists and active in animal conservation. The San Diego Zoo put its first animal on display in 1916, a Kodiak bear named Caesar. But the zoo’s most popular inhabitants by far are the Giant Pandas. Basi and Yuan Yuan arrived on loan from China in 1987, the first breeding pair taking up residence nine years later. Since then, several panda cubs have been born to female Bai Yun, each of the adorable little black-and-white creatures becoming an instant hit, drawing huge crowds and celebrating their birthdays with “cakes” made of ice. You’ll also see California Condors, koalas, an albino boa constrictor and over 4,000 rare and endangered animals, in addition to a botanical collection of 700,000 exotic plants.
Military buff? Try the USS Midway! A 972-foot-long aircraft carrier turned into a tourist attraction, consistently ranked by Tripadvisor as the #1 attraction in San Diego, its appeal seeming to span all ages and genders. The longest-serving U.S. Navy carrier of the 20th century, the USS Midway was the largest ship in the world from 1945 to 1955, carrying over 4,000 people. In addition to the enormous ship itself you’ll also find more than 25 other aircrafts on display.
Or visit Sea World and the famous Shamu, the killer whale! Shows all day long, and opportunities to see marine creatures up close and even touch and feed them!
Or you might just want to stroll downtown to enjoy the restaurants and unique culture of this historic town full of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries, and recently heralded as one of the most LGBT-friendly cities in the United States. “As a port city San Diego has always had a gay and lesbian community, but it was largely closeted. Beginning in the 1960s the neighborhood of Hillcrest began to attract large numbers of gay and lesbian residents, drawn by low rents, high density, and the possibility of an urban dynamic. In the 1970s gay men founded a Center for Social Services in Hillcrest which became a social and political focus for the gay community. In June 1974 they launched the first Gay Pride Parade, which has been held every year since, and Hillcrest is well recognized as the focal point of the LGBT community. Also in the 1970s several churches, especially The independent Metropolitan Community Church, as well as movements within established denominations like Dignity (Roman Catholic), Integrity (Episcopalian), and Lutherans Concerned, formed a coalition that helped gays reinterpret biblical passages condemning homosexuality, and reconcile their sexual orientation with their religious faith.” (wikipedia)
Or my favorite “site-seeing” spot in all San Diego – “Fashion Mall!” Located, fortunately or unfortunately, DIRECTLY BEHIND the hotel. 200 stores! 18 restaurants! Trouble!
All of this in addition to SwingDiego itself, the awesomest event on the planet. This year? More awesome than ever before because of … new surprises ….
AUGHGHGHGH!!!!