What’s New in San Diego
San Diego boasts great weather year-round, but this spring and summer could be the best time ever for a visit, thanks to a slew of new attractions, hotels and restaurants plus new air service. A theatrical new dolphin show, a new LEGO-themed water park, and a new polar bear exhibit are just a few the kid-friendly attractions.
New Attractions
SeaWorld San Diego’s new dolphin show, Blue Horizons opened on May 29 to rave reviews. The new show features energetic bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, an array of exotic birds and acrobatic performers. Along with the show came a new stage, sound system, high-tech water features and seating for 700 additional guest seats. (www.seaworld.com)
LEGOLAND California now boasts the world’s first LEGO-themed water park. Geared towards families with children ages two to 12, the 5.5-acre LEGOLAND Water Park features wet-and-wild climbing structures, a six-person raft slide, tube slides, body slides, a lazy river, hands-on toddler areas and an area where kids can customize their own soft LEGO rafts. LEGOLAND Water Park will require an additional park admission, though guests can upgrade their standard LEGOLAND California tickets to include Water Park admission for $10. (www.legolandwaterpark.com)
In March, the San Diego Zoo opened the new Conrad Prebys Polar Bear Plunge. The interactive exhibit provides guests with the opportunity to come within feet of polar bears as keepers tend to them through a protective fence. Other features within the area include an arctic research helicopter for kids to board; a “How You Measure Up” station where guests can see how they compare to polar bears in height, weight and food consumption, 300-square foot den for an interactive view into the living area of a mother bear and her cubs; and more.
Also new at the San Diego Zoo, four new animal habitats have been added to the “Journey into Africa” tram tour at the zoo’s Wild Animal Park. The tour route now includes a five-acre flamingo exhibit where more than 150 flamingos reside; a 20,800-square foot habitat for a variety of cranes, geese and storks; a 20,800-square foot habitat for steenbok, duiker and Soemerring’s gazelle; and a five-acre rocky desert habitat for Somali wild ass and Barbary sheep. (www.sandiegozoo.org)
Tour News
San Diego Sky Tours is a new sightseeing tour company that offers visitors the chance to see San Diego from the air. Departing from Montgomery Airport in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood, the company provides 30-minute or one hour aerial sightseeing tours on a six-passenger Cessna airplane. Guests can choose from four different tour options: The SoCal Classic, The San Diego Flyer, Sunset Escape, and The North County Medley. (www.sandiegoskytours.com)
Also new to the area is Jogging Tours, which offers tourists a chance to see some of the city’s popular sights and scenic beauty on the run. Guests can choose from four tour options that vary in setting, length, level of difficulty, and cost. The options are: a 6.1-mile Coronado tour; 8.4-mile Downtown tour; 3.5-mile Old Town State Historic Park tour; and 10-mile Uptown Footbridge tour. Each tour is let by a trained runner who explains the history and key landmarks along each route. Jogging Tours are offered daily and can be customized upon request. (www.sandiegojoggingtours.com)
Ivan Stewart’s Electric Bike Center recently opened in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. Guests can rent electric bikes to explore the city. The Bike Center offers two-hour, half-day and full-day rental packages that include an electric bike, helmet and lock. (www.iselectricbikecenter.com)
Hotel & Restaurant News
The Cosmopolitan Hotel opens this month. It is situated in Old Town State Historic Park in a building that dates back to 1827 and was home to one of San Diego’s earliest settlers. The property’s three-year, multi-million dollar restoration has created 10 guestrooms, an indoor and outdoor restaurant and several meeting rooms for special occasions. (www.fiestadereyes.com)
A $20 million project at the Best Western Island Palms Hotel & Marina on Shelter Island added 72 guestrooms and 60 suites to the property, as well as 6,500-square feet of new waterfront meeting and event space. The hotel restaurant, Blue Wave Bar & Grill, was also renovated, as were two pool areas with bay views. (www.islandpalms.com)
The Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort began Phase One of a three-phase, $4.5 million renovation to its 61 guestrooms, meeting space, exterior and lobby, slated for completion this month. Upon completion, rooms will feature granite walk-in showers, flat screen TVs, upgraded amenities and more. Phase Two, which will include renovations to the lobby area, is slated for completion in October, and Phase Three, which will see upgrades to the landscape and exterior, should be completed in spring 2011. (www.carlsbadinn.com)
In July, Searsucker, a new restaurant from Chef Brian Malarkey, will open in downtown San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. The restaurant will feature New American Classic cuisine made from local, sustainable and house-made ingredients. The restaurant will offer a laid-back atmosphere with bar and lounge, exhibition kitchen and chef’s table for cooking demonstrations and entertainment. (www.searsucker.com)
Also in the Gaslamp Quarter, The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant, opened earlier this month. (www.meltingpot.com)
Airline News
JetBlue adds a second daily flight between San Diego and Boston on May 1.
Year-round service between San Diego and St. Louis began May 9, on Southwest Airlines.
Seasonal flights between San Diego and Atlanta and Milwaukee launched on May 27 on airTran.
Delta is set to begin year-round service between San Diego and Honolulu on June 3, while Hawaiian Airlines begins seasonal flights from Maui on June 18.
Year-round service from Maui also is slated to begin on Oct. 1 with Alaska Airlines. The airline will also launch year-round service between San Diego and Puerto Vallarta on Nov. 12.
Canadians can fly year-round from Toronto to San Diego, beginning June 17 on Air Canada.
For more on San Diego, visit www.sandiego.org.
