Visiting San Diego, California, USA

Currency: US Dollar $
Electricity: 120V 60Hz
Electric Plug Details: Type A and Type B North American plugs

San Diego, with a population of over 1.2 million residents, is the second-largest city in California and the ninth largest city in the United States.  The city is located along the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the United States, 125 miles (200 km) south of Los Angeles and 16 miles (25 km) north of Tijuana which is the closest Mexican City.

History
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed in what is now San Diego Bay and claimed the area for Spain on September 28, 1542. He named the port San Miguel, in honor of St. Michael the Arch Angel whose feast day was the 29th.  Cabrillo National Monument commemorates the arrival of the Portuguese explorer and provides spectacular views of San Diego's harbor and coast line.  At the time of Cabrillo’s landing the native population of the San Diego area (estimated at 20,000) included Luiseño, Cahuilla, Cupeño, Kumeyaay, Northern Diegueño Indian groups. The city kept the name San Miguel until Sebastian Vizcaino sailed into the bay on November 10th 1602 and renamed it San Diego for San Diego de Alcala (St. Didicus). 

Climate
Temperatures vary little throughout the year. Summer, also known as the dry period, lasts from May to October. Temperatures are mild to warm with average highs of 70–78 °F (21 - 26 °C) and lows of 55–66 °F (13 - 19 °C).

Economy
San Diego's biggest industries are manufacturing, the military, and tourism. Military bases in San Diego include U.S. Navy ports, Marine Corps bases, and Coast Guard stations.

Tourism
San Diego houses many tourist attractions, such as the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, Belmont amusement park and the nearby San Diego Wild Animal Park and Legoland California. San Diego's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Spanish missions and Balboa Park. Cuisine in San Diego is diverse, and includes Mexican-American, European-American and Asian-American cuisine.

Top 5 things to do in San Diego

With over 70 miles of sand and sea stretching from Oceanside at the north of the County, to Imperial Beach close to the Mexican border, San Diego has more than 33 beaches, each with its own personality.  Popular beach stops include Encinitas, La Jolla Reefs, Del Mar Beaches, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Coronado.

Downtown´s historic Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego´s most electrifying and eclectic entertainment hub featuring more than 80 nightclubs, restaurants, theaters and galleries.

The world famous San Diego Zoo is home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals representing more than 800 species and subspecies.  The zoo is extremely active in conservation and species-preservation efforts and visitors can view exotic animals in habitat environments throughout the 100-acre grounds.

Balboa Park covers 1,200 acres and it's only minutes away from downtown San Diego. The Park has over 85 cultural and recreational organizations, including fifteen museums ranging from art to science to air and space to natural history and anthropology.

In addition to catching some waves surfing, sports enthusiasts visiting San Diego can watch an American League Baseball game (San Diego Padres play in Petco Park) or a National Football League game (San Diego Chargers play in Qualcomm Stadium).

Sources for further information
San Diego Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (http://www.sandiego.org/)
The City of San Diego (http://www.sandiego.gov/)
Wikipedia San Diego (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego)
San Diego.com (http://www.sandiego.com/)
Balboa Park (http://www.balboapark.org/)
San Diego Zoo (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/)