By Sandra Galm
Columnist
Centrally located to all of the area’s major attractions, Sunland Resorts’ San Diego RV Resort is the place to stay if you like accessibility. This spacious 178-site park is convenient to almost anywhere you’d want to go in San Diego, and is a short two blocks to the San Diego Trolley (Green Line) from the resort’s office.
Amenities include large sites with concrete pads, shady palm trees, and a recently remodeled front office with a large sparkling pool, which has been newly-heated to accommodate year-round swimmers. There is a fitness room and a clubhouse with a TV lounge and billiard table available for guests, as well as recently renovated, clean tile restrooms and shower facilities, and two well-placed laundry rooms. All sites have full hook-ups, Internet/wireless access, and select spaces have cable TV. The resort is family and pet-friendly. Taxi service, as well as rental cars can be obtained from this location. The management is happy to provide detailed maps to most locations for shopping and services, and the resort offers discount tickets to popular area attractions.
San Diego RV Resort’s premier placement makes it the ideal location to serve as a base for exploring surrounding events and attractions, and the trolley can make this a pleasant, carefree experience if you are in a rig without a car. Three connected trolley lines, the Orange, Blue and Green Lines can deliver you conveniently, within minutes, to many popular attractions around town. Some destinations and events which are “trolley-friendly” include:
The city of La Mesa’s annual Oktoberfest, the first full weekend in October, is one of the most popular annual fall events, attracting crowds numbering in excess of 150,000. This weekend-long celebration of all things German transforms downtown La Mesa into one big, raucous block-party featuring hundreds of street vendors, music, dancing, authentic food and a beer garden. In December, La Mesa revs up again with their annual Old-Fashioned Christmas Village featuring an outdoor market, carolers, marching bands, street entertainers, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a special appearance by Santa Claus. During the rest of the year, downtown La Mesa is a treasure hunter’s delight. The four-block-long “village” area is a trove of eclectic antique stores, specialty shops and interesting places to eat. There’s even an old railway depot to explore next to the trolley stop (The San Diego Railroad Museum’s La Mesa Depot). La Mesa is definitely worth a look.
For sports fans, what could be easier than a trolley commute to downtown PETCO Park to watch the Padres play baseball or to Qualcomm Stadium to catch the football action with the San Diego Chargers? The trolley drops you practically at the entrance to both stadiums. The Padres’ season runs from March to October; and the Chargers play at home from September to the end of December. Check their Web sites for scheduled dates and times.
Old Town State Historic Park, at the end of the Green Trolley Line, is the perfect getaway for history buffs and people who want to learn more about the story of San Diego. The park represents San Diego’s Hispanic legacy from 1821 to 1872, and marks the site of the first Spanish settlement established in California. Most structures are wooden buildings or adobe brick throughout the 12-acre, six-block park featuring Mexican heritage in the décor, food, and ambiance. Living history docents, in costume, are out and about in the park to answer questions or point the way to historical structures such as a one-room schoolhouse; a stable with antique carriages; an authentic hacienda (La Casa de Estudillo) built around a courtyard; a blacksmith shop; and San Diego’s first newspaper office, and more.
From Old Town State Historic Park, visitors can hop on an Old Town Trolley Tour at 4010 Twiggs Street for a two-hour fully narrated excursion covering more than 100 points of interest throughout the city. Riders have convenient “on and off” privileges from any stop on the line, to do their own exploring.
The historic heart of the city, located in downtown San Diego, is the Gaslamp Quarter, a 16½ -block area containing buildings that are outstanding examples of Victorian architecture, many with historic status. Founded in 1867, it houses a plethora of trendy restaurants, clubs and shops. Walk two blocks south from the trolley stop (Orange Line) at Fifth Avenue and C Street, and you’re there. It’s THE place to be after 5 p.m. if you like lively nightlife.
The USS Midway/San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum is located at Navy Pier on San Diego Bay at the downtown waterfront. Opened in June of 2004, the museum salutes the many members of the military who served aboard her, and highlights San Diego’s rich Navy heritage. The USS Midway was part of the US Naval fleet for 47 years from 1945 to 1991, and housed more than 200,000 sailors during her service, longer than any other aircraft carrier in the fleet. The museum has more than 40 exhibits and displays and is a great way to spend a relaxing day.
One of the most popular attractions in downtown San Diego is Seaport Village, a collection of shops and restaurants situated next to San Diego Bay. Plans are progressing to renovate the seven acres adjoining it, the former home of the San Diego Police Headquarters, to make it into a bazaar-type, market-place similar to Bazaar del Mundo in Old Town. The estimated opening is late 2006.
Finally, two more fascinating San Diego destinations that are easily accessible by trolley are Little Italy, an Italian enclave, and Horton Plaza, San Diego’s premier shopping and entertainment center which opened in 1985. Horton Plaza is well-known for its eclectic, colorful, multi-level design.
As you can see, you need not be a slave to snarled traffic, crowded freeways, and parking meters when you can ride the San Diego Trolley to many of the main tourist destinations in the city. The friendly staff at San Diego RV Resort will be happy to instruct you on how to get around on the system, or visit the Metropolitan Transit System Web site for directions.
