California - 5 Hr Layover at SAN July 4, Suggestions?

Hi, I'm on a MR on July 4 and will find myself with around 5 hours to kill at SAN around midday. Any suggestions about things to do not too far from the airport? I can rent a car if necessary (have a few free rental day certificates from Hertz) and am willing to travel within a 25-mile radius of SAN on our side of the border :D .

Even if we're talking about a looooong luxurious lunch/brunch, that would be fine with me. I'd appreciate advice from the locals who know! Thanks in advance.

Hi, I'm on a MR on July 4 and will find myself with around 5 hours to kill at SAN around midday. Any suggestions about things to do not too far from the airport? I can rent a car if necessary (have a few free rental day certificates from Hertz) and am willing to travel within a 25-mile radius of SAN on our side of the border :D .

Even if we're talking about a looooong luxurious lunch/brunch, that would be fine with me. I'd appreciate advice from the locals who know! Thanks in advance.

1. Take a taxi to Seaport Village (maybe $10-12 max), less than 10 mins. It's a tourist area but its on the water with some nice views of Coronado Island, easy to navigate around the shops and restaurants on foot. It's designed with sort of a Cape Cod-like architecture style so you may feel right at home (BOS, right?)

From there hop on the San Diego trolley and get off at Fifth Ave/Gaslamp District. Walk up Fifth Ave and choose from one of the many, many restaurants to have lunch. Plenty of them with patios to enjoy the sun.

Taxi back to the airport.

or

2. Rent a car/take a taxi to the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. Walk around the place a bit (built right on the ocean, place is a national historical landmark and the backdrop for the movie Some Like It Hot), have a drink overlooking the beach. Either have a very nice (but expensive) lunch right there at the Hotel Del or stroll off the grounds to another restaurant in Coronado.

or

3. Take a taxi to Old Town San Diego (again, probably $10 max) for really good Mexican food. Some shops too but finding a nice patio with an excellent margarita and a muy autentico lunch should be the goal.

Hope this helps and enjoy your (short) time in America's Finest City!

Have lunch at Island Prime (http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/cohnrestaurants/islandprime.php), on the water with a spectacular view of the San Diego shoreline. It's near walking distance from the airport. I think you could take a shuttle to the Sheraton Shelter Island and walk from there.

Good food, great view. Book in advance and sit on their patio.

Seaport Village is good, The Midway Museum, Little Italy, Horton Plaza, Gaslamp, Petco. All are just a short trip from SAN. If you do get a car, a trip to La Jolla, Mission Beach, etc. Better ideas if we knew more of stuff that interests you.

Not that much time with TSA, but:
1) take taxi, drop you off at gaslamp (from 5th & Broadway south to L), find a place you like,Blue Point, Dakotas, Whiskey Girl, etc.

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/search/restaurants/?neighborhood=25&page=1
then take a cab back (if you walk to the south end can get a cab at the hyatt or marriot)

2) take taxi, tell them broadway ferry to coronardo, which leaves hourly.
spend time at the del, and surrounding area.

http://www.sdhe.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.html

Super recs, thanks everyone! Now I'm weighing the Gaslamp district vs. a long lunch at the C Level bar at Island Prime vs. la comida autentica de Old Town...I'm now spoiled for choice :D

If anyone else has further thoughts, please do post.

Just realized you said July 4th. The Gaslamp/Embarcadero area may be VERY crowded depending on what time you go as there are a couple different firework displays along the water. If you pick a restaurant, especially with a view, you may want to call now to see if you can even get in. Worse case you can roam Gaslamp and choose from many restaurants and watering holes. Listing here. (http://www.gaslamp.org/directory/dining.html)

Not as classy as some of the other suggestions but the really super cheap way kill a long layover would be to walk out to the street in front of the airport (Harbor Drive) and catch the 923 bus to Ocean Beach, get off on Newport Ave and walk 2 blocks to the beach. No place high class but there plenty of beach area type restaurants along Newport Ave. to get lunch. Same way back to the airport. It's only a 15 minute or so ride each way but note the 923 only runs once an hour on holidays. $2 fare.


http://transit.511sd.com/Services/SDMTSRoutePDFs/923.pdf

If you're a history buff, the USS Midway is hosting a one-day showing of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th (info here (http://www.midway.org/site/pp.asp?c=eeIGLLOrGpF&b=3038957)).

The Midway is on the bay and it's a straight shot from the airport on Harbor Blvd (map which includes the airport is here (http://maps.yahoo.com/map?q1=1000%20W.%20Broadway%2092101%20us&mag=5&ard=1#mvt=m&lat=32.715894&lon=-117.171746&mag=5&zoom=14&q1=1000%20W.%20Broadway%2092101%20us)).

It would make a nice (and safe) walk if you wanted to stroll over there from the airport.

If you're a history buff, the USS Midway is hosting a one-day showing of an original copy of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th (info here (http://www.midway.org/site/pp.asp?c=eeIGLLOrGpF&b=3038957)).

The Midway is on the bay and it's a straight shot from the airport on Harbor Blvd (map which includes the airport is here (http://maps.yahoo.com/map?q1=1000%20W.%20Broadway%2092101%20us&mag=5&ard=1#mvt=m&lat=32.715894&lon=-117.171746&mag=5&zoom=14&q1=1000%20W.%20Broadway%2092101%20us)).

It would make a nice (and safe) walk if you wanted to stroll over there from the airport.

This is a great suggestion, thanks! Except for my having a rather gimpy left leg, which would make a 2 to 3 mile walk to USS Midway (and who knows what kind of combination of gangways, stairs and threshholds once there) a bit of a trial. And I've seen the Declaration in DC, so I might have to pass...but a great idea for others on the 4th.

Right now I'm leaning towards a stroll (or depending on my leg, a hobble) from SAN over to Island Prime. I called today and the C Level bar on the 4th is serving lunch, both solid and liquid :D

I personally like the zoo and wild animal park. A couple hours at either are pretty nice and relaxing.

Have lunch at Island Prime (http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/cohnrestaurants/islandprime.php), on the water with a spectacular view of the San Diego shoreline. It's near walking distance from the airport. I think you could take a shuttle to the Sheraton Shelter Island and walk from there.

And that is exactly what I did. A pleasant walk from SAN to the island, and then to Island Prime where I had some killer apps (the tuna stack was spicy but spectacular) and a flight of Sauvignon Blancs, then I caught some rays outside and made my way to the next plane. I wish I could have stayed for the fireworks, but seeing multiple displays that night in Southern CA and AZ from 31,000 ft more than made up for it :)

Thanks to all for the suggestions, and I'll come back to SAN and try more of them out!

I personally like the zoo and wild animal park. A couple hours at either are pretty nice and relaxing.

Hmm, I would never call San Diego Zoo a "relaxing" place :) It is a ZOO ! Balboa park would be my suggestion.

OOPS, did I miss the date! 4th of July, you probably meant 2008!!! Might be fun for someone else with 5 hours to burn at SAN!!!

San Diego zoo, and eat at Albert's! Have the flat iron steak. Away from most of the "kiddies" that make it a zoo. The zoo bus inside will take you around about 70% of the zoo animals (again without the impact of most of the "kiddies". It is $10.50, or less when combined with entry. Alberts is a sitdown oasis in the zoo. From the tour bus, go up the moving sidewalk to get up to the level for the elevator to Alberts. Stroll down thru Monkey Trails afterwards for a nice walk (elevator also available) off of lunch. Full bar. Transport, entry, lunch, adds up to a fair amount of money for just killing time, but nice if you enjoy fantastic zoos and feel good about helping endangered species. Parking is free.

I do not suggest the WAP, it is too far away (Escondido) and too hilly and too large for such a short visit from the AP. No real nice places to eat, parking and entry will set you back about $40, with tram. It is a fantastic place, just not for your situation...IMHO