The historic aircraft carrier, USS Midway Museum moored in Broadway Pier in San Diego.
SHM Converge 2024 is just around the corner, taking place from April 12 to 15. While noting down the sessions you wish to attend and catching up with friends and colleagues (see our editorial board’s recommendations), remember to also enjoy the beautiful city of San Diego.
San Diego is known as the birthplace of California, as it was the first location in the western U.S. where Europeans set foot, specifically Point Loma. It’s also the birthplace of the California burrito, which includes French fries and carne asada. The city is home to Comic-Con, the world’s largest comics and pop culture event, and the U.S. Navy, with the largest concentration of naval vessels in the country.
San Diego has more small farms than any other city in the U.S., with over 7,000, and it’s also the nation’s top producer of avocados. With over 70 miles of coastline, it’s located about 20 miles from the Mexican border and 120 miles south of Los Angeles.
See the city
A hop-on hop-off trolley tour is an easy way to explore San Diego. The trolleys run every 30 minutes and stop at 11 locations, including popular tourist destinations like Old Town State Historic Park, San Diego Zoo, USS Midway, and the historic Gaslamp Quarter.
The USS Midway Museum, which is located just a six-minute drive or one-mile walk from the Convention Center, is home to the longest-serving aircraft carrier that’s permanently moored at San Diego’s Embarcadero. This ship served in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm before becoming the largest museum dedicated to aircraft carriers and naval aviation.
Visitors can take a self-guided tour to see more than 30 restored aircraft, the gallery, brig, crew quarters, and other exhibits.
Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter, right across the street from the Convention Center, is a 16-block area that has 94 historic buildings, more than 100 restaurants, bars, breweries, and entertainment venues, and a mix of more than 80 boutiques, art galleries, artisan shops, and more.
Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, is only an eight-minute walk from the Convention Center.
Mission Beach has a two-mile-long boardwalk and is home to Belmont Park, the famous beachfront amusement park featuring the Giant Dipper, a wooden rollercoaster on the list of National Historic Landmarks.
Old Town San Diego, considered the birthplace of California, is a mile-long stretch of preserved or reconstructed shops and houses on the grounds of the first European settlement in the area. Visitors can visit Casa de Estudillo, one of the oldest surviving adobe buildings, and the Junipero Serra Museum, in Presidio Park, one of the most familiar landmarks in San Diego.
The Hotel del Coronado, the largest wooden structure in the U.S., is located on Coronado Island, reachable through the iconic Coronado Bridge. The bridge opened in 1969 during the city’s bicentennial and the first person to drive across it was then-Governor, Ronald Reagan. You can catch the Coronado Ferry at the Convention Center and be on the island in minutes.
The Geisel Library at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla has the largest collection of Theodor Geisel’s (Dr. Seuss’s) work. The author was a longtime resident of La Jolla
and it’s said that “Whoville” was inspired by the town. Another famous former La Jolla resident was Dr. Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine.
The Lily Pond at Balboa Park
Balboa Park, which is around a 10-minute drive from the Convention Center, is one of the top 10 parks in the U.S., according to Trip Advisor. It is home to the San Diego Zoo, the Botanical Building, nearly 30 museums and cultural centers, and myriad gardens. This city park is bigger than Central Park in New York, spanning 1,200 acres. You’ll also find the San Diego Natural History Museum, the oldest scientific institution in Southern California, as well as the San Diego Air & Space Museum on the grounds. The San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park showcases works by famous artists such as El Greco, Murillo, Goya, Zurbaran, Van Dyck, Rubens, Frans Hals, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Otto Dix, and more.
San Diego’s Little Italy covers more than 48 square blocks, making it the largest Little Italy in the U.S. It’s also one of the oldest areas of the city. Visitors can find shops, restaurants, and even recipes. In Amici Park, there are sculptures of tables with red and white tablecloths. Each table has a food sculpture and a plaque with a recipe in raised lettering. The installation, “A Recipe for Friendship,” was created by Nina Karavasiles in 2001 and invites people to take rubbings of the recipes.
Penguins in the San Diego Zoo
Between December and April, visitors to San Diego can go whale watching and catch a glimpse of the California Gray Whale as it passes by on its way from Alaska to Baja.
San Diego Zoo is world-famous and was founded by a physician, Harry M. Wedgeworth. It’s one of the first zoos to have cageless exhibits. The city is also home to the largest oceanographic museum in the U.S., the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
Enjoy the food
San Diego is known as one of the best cities for foodies. It’s a mix of locally inspired flavors, including many farm-to-table options, fresh seafood, traditional Mexican dishes, and everything in between. The city and its surrounding county are also home to more than 140 breweries and distilleries and more than 100 wineries.
• Harney Sushi— touted as San Diego’s premier sushi bar and restaurant
• Bali Hai— Hawaiian-themed restaurant with bay views
• The Old Spaghetti Factory— in the middle of the Gaslamp District, still family-owned and operated, and every entrée is one of three courses
• Coastera— upscale, modern, fusion Mexican, with bay views
• Tacos El Gordo— Tijuana-style street tacos on handmade corn tortillas
• Puesto at the Headquarters— first-generation Mexican American family business that started with tacos made with blue corn tortillas
• Lou & Mickey’s— directly across the street from the Convention Center, steaks, seafood
• Trattoria Don Pietro— Sicilian-style cuisine, pastas, pizzas, and desserts
• Callie— an East Village destination restaurant featuring Cali-Mediterranean food, including house-made pita and hummus, local seafood, and pasta
• Nobu— founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro, this chain is known for its Japanese dishes crafted with Peruvian ingredients (inside the Hard Rock Hotel)
• Hodad’s— local iconic burger joints now run by third-generation family members
• Lucha Libre— a fast-casual Mexican restaurant with a Mexican professional wrestling theme
• Breakfast Republic— serving American classics like shrimp and grits and s’mores French toast, along with organic kombucha and local craft beer
• Crack Shack— local eatery known for its fried chicken sandwich
• Donut Bar— award-winning, artisanal donuts including Big Poppa Tart, The Homer, Chocolate Euphoria, and more
• Snooze AM Eatery— breakfast made with responsibly sourced ingredients; the menu includes everything from eggs and pancakes to tofu scrambles, Buddha bowls, and bloody Mary’s
• Dae Jang Keum— cook-your-own Korean BBQ
• Sushi Ota— recognized as one of San Diego’s best sushi places (reservations recommended)
• Kansas City Barbecue— movie buffs will appreciate this place— it’s where Maverick and Goose sang “Great Balls of Fire” in the movie “Top Gun”, which was filmed in San Diego