Ah, August! Pride season is over, Comic-Con is all wrapped up, tourists are flocking to America’s Finest City and the locals are usually heading out of town for their own vacation.
Yet the concept of a staycation, the idea of vacationing in your own hometown, is gaining popularity. Some experts say it is because of the rising gas costs, the challenges of air travel, confusion of naming your own hotel prices or just not wanting to pack up the other half along with the dogs to travel across the country.
Regardless of the reason, if you choose to stay and play in San Diego, then there are endless ways to be a tourist in your own back yard.
“I’m always amazed at how many people who live here that have never been to any of the places that tourists come here to see,” said Debbi Sturch, a self-proclaimed vacation diva. “And there are fabulous things to do here.”
To help guide you through all your options, just sit back, relax and keep reading …
Take a tour
One of the best ways to be a tourist in your own city is to take a tour.
“If you don’t do anything else, do a city tour,” Sturch recommends.
The first choice is the Old Town Trolley (trolleytours.com). A very LGBT-friendly organization – they participate in Pride and are members of the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA) – the Trolley offers two-hour day trips.
“As a San Diego resident, I assure you that Old Town Trolley Tours is the best way to see the city,” David Thornton, general manager of Old Town Trolley, has said. “The tour is also designed so that you can hop on and off and explore on your own at any time.”
“It’s actually kind of fun,” Sturch said. “Especially when you live here, it’s fun to listen to what the tourists are hearing – and see it from their point.”
Of course, when the subject of “tours” comes up, wine tours are always part of the conversation. The ever-popular Temecula wine tours, however, would not qualify as a true staycation, since that would mean leaving town. But there’s no need for San Diego wine loving staycationers to fret.
“San Diego’s North County is among the finest varietal grape-growing regions in the Western United States,” claims the San Diego Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (sandiego.org). “The region boasts a variety of vineyards, from larger wineries that feature guided tours and full gift shops to small family-run places.”
To be safe, travel with a designated driver or rent a limo service that specializes in wine tours.
For some of the most breathtaking views of any tour, consider a hot air balloon ride. With a few companies in town, Skysurfer Balloon Company (sandiegohotairballoons.com) is very welcoming to the LGBT community.
Conni von Zweck of Skysurfer says her pilots offer one-hour sunset champagne rides. Their balloons hold up to 16 people and can travel as high as 3,500 feet – depending on the weather conditions – and you can see “for miles,” she said. “It’s a magnificent panoramic view.”
Be a tourist
America’s Finest City also has America’s finest zoos. Two of them, in fact. In the heart of Balboa Park is the San Diego Zoo (sandiegozoo.org), home to more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals. To the north is the Zoo’s Safari Park, the largest animal park in the world. Both are a true adventure, drawing more than 5 million visitors each year – both tourists and the local natives.
Here’s a staycation tip: To save money, purchase a Zoo Membership. There are several options to pick, and you’ll save a ton if you visit the parks a few times a year.
Surrounding the San Diego Zoo is Balboa Park. Of course, everyone knows about Balboa Park – or so they think. With 18 museums, nine performing arts centers, eight attractions (not including the Zoo) and 19 gardens, there is always a surprise here and there.
The Park even caters to staycationers. San Diego residents can enjoy free admission to several park locations on a rotating basis on the first four Tuesdays of the month (with ID).
Another staycation tip: Purchase Passport to Balboa Park at the Visitor’s Center and receive one-time admission coupons to 14 museums. It’s a 50 percent saving, and the coupon booklet is valid for seven consecutive days.
SeaWorld (seaworldparks.com) is another one of San Diego’s leading tourist attractions and one of the most popular marine-life parks in the world. SeaWorld is known for spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions, aquariums, rides, beautiful landscaping, dining facilities and education programs for all ages. And of course, Shamu!
An often overlooked attraction is the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla (aquarium.ucsd.edu). For a fraction of the cost of other larger destinations, the Aquarium is a full-day nautical excursion. See more than 5,000 specimens in exhibits like the Hall of Fishes, Shark Reef and Tide Pool Plaza.
Sand in your toes
This is an easy one. Just head west. San Diego’s beaches are some of the best in the world, offering something for everyone.
The most well-known beach, not only with staycationers but also with tourists across the globe, is Black’s Beach. Formally known as Torrey Pines City Beach and Torrey Pines State Beach, Black’s is a two-mile sandy beach located at the base of 300 foot cliffs. It’s not famous for what it has, but what it doesn’t have: clothes. Although not officially sanctioned, it’s a nude beach.
South of Black’s Beach is Belmont Park (belmontpark.com) in Mission Beach. Although it is not a nude beach, there are still plenty of hot guys and girls to gawk at. There is also a roller coaster, some arcades, miniature golf, shops, restaurants, bars and more. The paved boardwalk between the attractions and the beach spans several miles from South Mission Beach all the way north to Pacific Beach.
Other great beaches? Oh, where do we start? Swami’s in Encinitas is a funky place, attracting die-hard surfers to the cool neighborhood of Encinitas. Watch the sea lions at La Jolla Cove or head to La Jolla Shores for more people watching. Ocean Beach has one of the best dog beaches for you and your best friend. Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach are fun to explore at low tide, and a great place to catch a sunset. Don’t forget the sandy shores of Coronado Island; it is magnificent just outside the Hotel Del Coronado.
The list can go on and on. Just head west.
Sail away
For the pirate in all of us, there are some great opportunities to go past the beach and get on the water. “Even if you just take the water ferry to Coronado,” Sturch said. The 15-minute ride from San Diego Marina to Coronado Island by either Flagship (flagshipsd.com) or San Diego Harbor Excursions (sdhe.com) is less than $10 each way. “It’s fun, especially in the summer.”
San Diego Harbor Excursions, the host of many LGBT dance cruises, also provides an endless array of water tours, dining cruises and charter events.
If you want a more personalized adventure on the high seas, contact Keith Ericson (keithericson.com), a skipper with the GSDBA. He will captain a private yacht for you and your friends on a three-hour tour (insert Gilligan’s Island joke here) or an extended multi-day trip.
“For the most part, I do a relaxing boat cruise around the bay – or pretty much anything that anyone can imagine,” Ericson said.
If the larger boats are not your vessel of choice, then cruise down to Aqua Adventures (aqua-adventures.com) and enjoy San Diego’s waters in a kayak. They offer lessons, rentals, sales and tours, including the popular evening fireworks tour.
Jennifer Klick, the company’s president, started to reach out to our community by participating in the Pride festival last month, and is now offering exclusive LGBT events.
“We have had some people come in from the festival,” she said. “I am glad people feel welcome to come in at any time.”
Across the land
If boating makes your stomach a little queasy, there are still plenty of activities to do on land. In addition to the beaches and parks, San Diego has several places to enjoy a leisure hike.
According to San Diego Trail Tramps (sandiegotrailtramps.com), a gay/bi men’s hiking group, “San Diego County is fast becoming a hiker’s paradise. From coastline beaches to inland valleys, from the mountains to the deserts that lie beyond, there are hiking adventures waiting for everyone.”
The Tramps are just one of several LGBT hiking groups in town. There is also Perfect Pace (perfectpace.com) and Great Outdoors (sandiegogreatoutdoors.com). Each group offers casual day hikes, backpacking trips and overnight trips.
Check out San Diego Hikers (sandiegohikers.com) for ideas to venture out on your own. The non-profit site lists the top 10 hikes. The County of San Diego also has a new, comprehensive trail brochure, Experience San Diego County Trails, available for download (sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/hikes.html)
“We offer one of the most diverse trail systems in the nation. Some trails offer simple strolls along placid streams; others take you over rugged mountains and isolated valleys,” according to the Web site.
For a more urban stroll, you can also take a city walking tour. Pick a neighborhood and just stroll around. For a guided walk – and to make sure you don’t get lost – there are plenty of walking tour companies in San Diego. Some feature history, art, dining and even coffee. Just type “San Diego Walking Tours” in your online search to review your options.
Destination hotels
While a true staycation does not involve extensive traveling or overnight accommodation, there are a few local resorts that are great getaways. Stay for just a night and not have to worry about making the bed in the morning, or plan a whole week.
At the top of everyone’s list, of course, is the Inn at the Park (formerly Park Manor Suites, parkmanorsuites.com). This historic hotel sits right next to Balboa Park and boasts some amazing views of San Diego’s downtown and its harbor.
“Ed Delehanty and his staff have consistently hosted the LGBT and business community at this historic property for many years,” the GSDBA has said.
Other ideal resorts include Hotel del Coronado (hoteldel.com), The Dana on Mission Bay (thedana.com), W Hotel in downtown (thewsandiegohotel.com) and The Sofia Hotel (thesofiahotel.com). Sturch adds Porto Vista in Little Italy to the list, too (portovistasd.com).
“It’s great to be able to wake up and see the San Diego harbor out your window. Plus, you’re in walking distance to a zillion fabulous restaurants and shops, and the trolley is real close to take you anywhere you want to go,” Sturch said. “They are doing great things to get people to notice them. It’s not super fancy; it’s just comfortable.”
A few resorts are going beyond just being friendly, and going out of their way to invite the LGBT community to come and stay.
Preferred Hotels just launched a worldwide campaign, called Preferred Pride, uniting many of its LGBT-friendly properties. This includes the new Se San Diego Hotel in downtown San Diego (sesandiego.com).
“Preferred Pride … was created to unite Preferred’s diverse community of independent hoteliers around the world who are committed to the LGBT community,” said Rick Stiffler of Preferred Hotel Group. “It is a global initiative that enables hoteliers to learn about and better understand the needs and preferences of the LGBT traveler.”
Loews Coronado Bay Resort (loewshotels.com/coronadobay) not only caters to the LGBT community, but also has special deals for San Diego staycationers. Starting next month, for two months, Loews is hosting Sunday Funday where “locals only” can enjoy the hotel amenities for $20 a day, plus discounts on food and spa services.
“Our location makes Loews Coronado Bay Resort a natural travel spot for our LGBT community,” said Adam Martindale, director of food and beverage. “In addition, our diverse team members are welcoming and knowledgeable about what’s going on in our community.”
Among its many activities, Loews hosts a Friends of Dorothy mixer each Thursday at Bar Mistral, 6-7:30 p.m.
One more hotel to consider is Manchester Grand Hyatt (manchestergrand.hyatt.com). Yes, you read correctly – and before you run to grab your picket signs, the LGBT boycott is over. The LGBT-unfriendly owner, Doug Manchester, sold the property a few months ago and the new owners, Host Hotels, have been busy partnering and aligning with the LGBT community.
“Hyatt and Host are very gay-friendly companies,” said Kelly Commerford, director of marketing. The hotel recently collected 4,000 pounds of food for Mama’s Kitchen and, “We were Rainbow sponsors of LGBT Pride, getting the word out that we are under new management.”
The Manchester (the sale deal says they still need to keep the name) is offering a special Stay More Save More package that offers 30 percent off each night for a three-night minimum stay.
More, please …
In addition to this story – which is covering just a handful of choices – there are several places to assist with your LGBT-friendly staycation plans.
Sturch, for example, is just one of hundreds of member businesses with the Greater San Diego Business Association (GSDBA). While the GSDBA is more well-known as a business networking group, it is using its unique perspective to provide the same service to travelers. Last month, the organization launched Greater San Diego Gay Travel (gsdgt.org).
“There was no good resource – local resource – for traveling to San Diego,” said Sue Sneeringer, GSDBA operations manager, referring to various travel sites that have small or outdated San Diego sections. “Nothing was home grown.”
Also, whenever you do search out a hotel, check to see if they are LGBT-friendly properties. TAG Approved (tagapproved.com) and IGLTA members (iglta.org) are great places to check for accommodating accommodations.
Do you have a great staycation idea? Send a note to editor@lgbtweekly.jeffjungblut.com and we’ll add your idea to this story online.
