By Kevin Wilkerson, San Diego Blogger & Resident
Everyone who lives in San Diego should have copy of the book 100 Things to Do In San Diego Before You Die Third Edition by third generation San Diegan David Swanson. I state this for an obvious reason.
It is that, if placed in a prominent position in your house or apartment, it will be an instant conversation starter for visitors. Locals will thumb through it to see how many things they do or to check its worthiness while visitors will inquire about it, then pick it up and get ideas of things to do in the city.
As a local, I did the former. And I got the first one right off the bat – going to eat at Puesto – and thought that checking off other things in the book would be a layup. But that did not turn out to be the case because the next place I had been to is #10, Stone Brewing (the book is divided into sections of Food and Drink, Music and Entertainment, Sports and Recreation, Culture and History and Shopping and Fashion). Clearly, I have not explored as many places in my five years here as I thought.
But okay, restaurants are one thing (and it does not include bars, which is clearly a PubClub.com priority here), so I checked on some other things and found many I had done and several I have not to this point. I have been, for example, to a Padres game (#48) but not to the Carlsbad Flower Fields (#47). I have ridden a bike along the Mission Beach Boardwalk (#49), ridden the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster (#61), taken the ferry to Coronado Island and been to the Hotel del Coronado (#84 and #78 respectively), been to the birthplace of San Diego and indeed all of California (Old Town, #85), been to the San Diego Zoo (#48), seen the holiday boat parade known as the Parade of Lights (#53) and done dozens of other events and activities mentioned in the book.
Yet the book has many more things that I have not done in San Diego. For cxample, I have not gone whale watching (#68), checked out the hand glider port in Torrey Pines (#69 and ironically just before reading this book a friend new to town texted me to tell me he just went for the first time and highly suggested it), been inside Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave (#110), done a grunion run (#82) and have not stripped to my birthday suit at Black’s Beach (#73).
So Kevbeaux, when it comes to San Diego, there’s still so much to be done. Thank goodness, I have 100 Things to Do In San Diego Before You Die Third Edition to guide me.
The book retails for $18, and is available wherever books are sold and on the publisher Reedy Press website. It is part of a whole series of 100 Things books in various cities, including California’s Sonoma County wine country, Indianapolis and North and South Carolina.
“As a third generation San Diegan I am fortunate to know my hometown inside and out,” Swanson stated. “I grew up dong the activities that are now part of any standard visitor’s agenda – the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, Sea World, the museums of Balboa Park, the beaches – but as an adult I’ve had the chance to watch the city’s growth as it matured into a world-class destination.
“Since 1995, I’ve been a full-time travel writer, published in outlets ranging from the Los Angeles Times to the Miami Herald and from National Geographic Traveler to Travel + Leisure magazines. It’s my fortune to be able to explore amazing cities and countries around the world but it has also provided me the perspective to recognize what’s wonderful about coming home.”
This article was written by a San Diego local with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
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