Point Loma Heights (San Diego, Ramona, Borrego Springs: coupons, 2013, renting)

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

My family and I will be visitng San Diego on vacation for the first time this summer. We are renting a condo in Point Loma Heights. Can anyone tell me anything about this neighborhood? Is it relatively safe? Good distance from the main attractions in San Diego? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[RosieSD]

Will you have a car? If so, Point Loma will be very convenient. It's 10 minutes to downtown, and very close to most of the popular tourist sites in San Diego. If you won't have a car, you'll need to rely on buses and uber to get around so it may be a little less convenient, but it's close enough to everything that it won't be a hassle.

If you will have a car, be sure to drive out to the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma - great view and some interesting tidepools to explore at low tide. Liberty Station, a historic naval base that has been converted to stores and restaurants, is also in Point Loma, and has some good places to eat and one of our many breweries. Also in Point Loma is Sunset Cliffs, which is "the" spot to watch the sunset in San Diego, but don't get too close to the edge of the cliffs; every year a number of tourists (and locals) fall and get injured/die taking photos of the sunset.

If you like Italian food, there's a nice italian restaurant in Point Loma called the Venetian. It's not fancy (more of a locals place) but the food is good, the service friendly, and the prices are right compared to a lot of San Diego places.

Most of Point Loma is perfectly safe and a nice, upscale area. There is a little pocket at the edge of Point Loma going north on Rosecrans Blvd. around Midway Blvd. that has some homeless folks and a few strip clubs, but it is not a dangerous area; it's just a bit seedy, but nothing to worry about at all.

Depending on the actual address where you'll be staying, you may get some airplane noise, as Point Loma is right under the take off flight path of Linbergh Field. You might want to double check with the person you're renting from about whether the airport noise is an issue. However, the planes stop taking off in the evening (I think at 11 p.m.) and you'll be out and about during the day, so it may not be a problem even if you are under the flight path.

If you haven't seen the San Diego tourism board site, it is a good place to get information about things to see and do, and they have some discount coupons and special offers that can come in handy. Here is the link: https://www.sandiego.org/

Have a great trip!

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Thank you very much! Yes, we will be renting a car so we will be able to drive to all of the points you mentioned. Can you tell me if there is beach access near that area?

I'm looking for good food recommendations in the area, so thank you very much. We will be sure to check out teh Venetian. I'm very excited to visit your breweries. I saw Stone has a restaurant/brewpub not far from our condo.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

Thank you very much! Yes, we will be renting a car so we will be able to drive to all of the points you mentioned. Can you tell me if there is beach access near that area?

I'm looking for good food recommendations in the area, so thank you very much. We will be sure to check out teh Venetian. I'm very excited to visit your breweries. I saw Stone has a restaurant/brewpub not far from our condo.

Closest sandy beach is Ocean Beach.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

Closest sandy beach is Ocean Beach.

And, just a few minutes farther away are Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, and then the beaches in La Jolla. Don't miss Torrey Pines State Park in La Jolla; its filled with rare pine trees that only grow there and on a small island off the coast. https://torreypine.org/

The San Diego tourism website has a page that will show you what the beaches are like in that area (click on "Coastal Communities" to see others). Here's the link: https://www.sandiego.org/explore/coa...y-beaches.aspx

They also have a page just for Point Loma with a couple of videos that will give you a quick look at the area. Here's the link:

https://www.sandiego.org/explore/coa...er-island.aspx

Stone Brewery is in Liberty Station, which also has the new public market. Liberty Station | San Diego, California You'll also be close to Ballast Point, which is in Little Italy, about 10 minutes away from Point Loma. Here's an article about some of the other breweries in San Diego County (note: they are spread out throughout the county):
San Diego's Top 10 Breweries | San Diego Reader

Also, if you are in Balboa Park, stop in at Panama 66 (Panama66) which serves craft beers from many breweries in town. Balboa Park is very easy to get to from Point Loma, and is definitely worth a visit. You could spend a day there, between the zoo, the museums, and just walking around. Balboa Park | A landscape of Arts and Culture

We also have wineries in San Diego. If you'd like to see some of San Diego's mountains and back country (recommended!), it's a beautiful drive up through Ramona and over to Julian and then back through Cuyamaca State Park. It will give you a different side of the San Diego area. We're more than just beaches!

http://www.ramonavalleyvineyards.com/

http://www.visitjulian.com/

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=667

Enjoy!

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Thank you so much for the input. There are an overwhelming number of things we have to see, so this helps us narrow it down.

I definitely want to get out towards the mountain/deset side of things since that (to me) is as or more beautiful than the ocean. Coming from flat Michigan the mountains hold a lot of appeal to us. The parks look amazing and I will definitely want to hit those as well.

[oddstray]

If you go as far as the desert, don't miss the sculptures: Galleta Meadows Estate

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Then skip all that and head up to big bear or even further north where the BIG mountains with the giant redwoods live.

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

How far of a drive is it to the desert?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

How far of a drive is it to the desert?

It depends on the route you take and where you are headed, but it is an easy day trip Anza Borrego State Park.

Allow about two hours each way, as you will definitely want to stop and take some pictures. You will see some of the mountains along the way.

Here are some useful websites:

Anza-Borrego State Park - Planning Your Desert Trip

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Visitor Center - DesertUSA

Anza-Borrego Desert SP

However, if you'll be here in the summer months, the desert won't be at it's best -- it will be very hot. That said, while you won't be able to do much hiking in the summer, you can certainly still drive through and oogle at the scenery. It is definitely worth seeing any time of year (although, again, you won't be hiking in the summer).

If you do head out there, you might aim for the Anza Borrego Visitor's Center in Borrego Springs as a destination point; they're good at helping you figure out where to go from there, and the bathrooms are always open.

Bring snacks and plenty of water, and fill up your tank before you leave Point Loma. Borrego Springs is the only town with real services within the Park. There are a couple of decent hotels in Borrego Springs, should you want to make it an overnight (the desert can be beautiful at night in the summer --- cooler with loads of stars. Ask at the visitor's center where they would recommend going for star gazing; they also sometimes offer night walks during the full moon).

If it's foggy or cold in Point Loma, it's a good bet it will be warmer and sunny in Borrego Springs.