The ninth largest city in the United States and second largest in California, San Diego offers vacationers all the advantages of a sprawling urban environment coupled with an outdoor lifestyle that focuses on enriching the mind and body. Visitors seeking diverse San Diego attractions and events will not be disappointed. Largely accessible by bicycle, the downtown San Diego area is home to enough cultural venues, restaurants and San Diego sightseeing opportunities to keep even the most discerning of travelers occupied.
 
The San Diego park system is quite extensive and Balboa Park may be the most notable. Here visitors will find several San Diego museums, including the Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Man and the Museum of Photography Arts. The Museum of Contemporary Art is near San Diego downtown in La Jolla. An affluent seaside community beside the Pacific Ocean, La Jolla is about twelve miles north of downtown San Diego.
 
The world-famous San Diego Zoo is also in Balboa Park. The Zoo is one of only a few places in world where animal enthusiasts can see the giant panda in a zoo environment. In total, more than 4,000 animals call the San Diego Zoo home.
 
San Diego sports also figure prominently in this beachside city. From the Padres and the San Diego Chargers to the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, plus the myriad of college and developmental league teams and games, sporting events are happening here every season of the year.
 
San Diego weather generally hovers around 70 degrees, providing a perfect climate for outdoor activity. Be it bicycling, beach volleyball or just long walks in the sunshine, a San Diego vacation offers inspiration for the mind and rejuvenation for the spirit.