Where to stay? Which part of town. Where to dine. What to do.
Thanks in advance
if you're looking for a different experience (more relaxed and subdued) check out the Rancho Bernardo Inn. Rates can be reasonable in the off-season (about a half hour from Qualcomm)We love it it.
Just as a heads-up... if you don't want to eat at one of the Inn's restaurants, but don't want to travel all the way to Downtown or the coast for dinner, there aren't very many good dining options in the Rancho Bernardo area.
There are a few good places in Escondido, which is about 10 minutes north of the RB Inn. Two good places in Escondido are Vintana and Vincent's.
We stayed at the Springhill Suites bayfront, basically across the street from the Midway and the Coronado ferry, and loved the location. We walked everywhere from Little Italy to the convention center to to the airport (on a morning jog, it’s just two miles away.). I loved being able to look out over the water with my morning coffee. The Midway is good, Balboa Park is worth checking out, particularly the Timken Art Museum which is free. The zoo is, wait for it, $54. We skipped it.
We thought the Gaslamp district was horrifying. Very glad we did not stay there.
Be sure and check out the Intruder, honoring Mike McCormick , ND class of 1968
Hotels may be tight and/or expensive.
Harbor and Gaslamp/PetCo Park areas are very Hotel rich and tourist friendly
I personally like Little Italy. Great food and nightlife, if that’s your thing.
If you don’t want to be in the city and have money to burn, head for LaJolla or Del Mar. The Estancia (ND family ownership ties with Trinitas cellars), and Lodge at Torrey Pines are both great.
but nothing can come close to Kidney Week. Nephrologists gone wild.
One of my nephrologist colleagues told me that at their meeting a few years ago, their keynote speaker for the conference was George Lopez.
He apparently has a history of getting a kidney transplant ( his wife at the time was the donor, they apparently have since divorced).
I would be interested in seeing the juxtaposition of his comedy style paired with a bunch of buttoned up nephrologists.