Romantic San Diego

San Diego is a beautiful city on the Southern California coast known for its ideal climate, miles of beaches and location on the Mexican border. It has a rich heritage built around sailing and is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. One of the top family travel spots in the country, San Diego also is well known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, being home to a SeaWorld theme park and the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.

Visitors to the city can also enjoy activities from whale watching to scuba diving to rock climbing, or visit one of its many notes sites, including Balboa Park, the Old Globe theater, Legoland, the nearby resort town of La Jolla, the San Diego Maritime Museum or Old Town, with its preserved buildings and icons of the Spanish heritage of San Diego.

Ivy Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel offering a truly unique entertainment experience. Centrally located in downtown San Diegos vibrant Gaslamp Quarter District, its just minutes from the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, beaches, and the San Diego International Airport. Beneath a classic yet refined fa?ade, Ivy Hotel reveals a sensual revelry that delights all of the senses. Fantasy and desire come to life at Envy Nightclub, a chic hotspot with VIP bottle service and seductive performances by costumed dancers. Eden Rooftop Bar is a stunning urban oasis featuring a pool, sundeck, private cabanas, fire pit, outdoor lounge, and breathtaking views of the San Diego skyline. At the hotel?s signature Quarter Kitchen restaurant, Executive Chef Damon Gordon serves exotic-inspired cuisine from his contemporary exhibition kitchen. Dine in the dramatic Main Dining Room, entertain in the open-air Atrium, or reserve the ultra-exclusive Wine Cellar for up to eight guests. Daily Ivy Enticements-complimentary activities for guests- include wine tastings, cooking demos, cocktail mixology, fashion trend shows, pole dancing lessons, and more. Every hotel room features a 42 inch Sony flat screen TV, high-speed Internet access, Korres bath amenities, plush bathrobes, full in-room bar, CD/stereo/music player docking station, luxurious bedding package, and blackout drapes. For the ultimate indulgence, book one of three specialty suites: the Cabana Suite, the Sweet Suite, or the Star Suite. Ivy Hotel embodies sophisticated graciousness and California cool; its style and personal service will surpass your expectations.

MCASD Downtown has a large permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photography, video, film, and installation. MCASD is an established patron of art has helped many mid-career artists. Over the years it has built an extensive collection of minimalist, pop, conceptual, installation, Latin American, and Californian art. MCASD's La Jolla location is also worth a visit for its collection of fine art and breathtaking ocean views.

Part of the National Park Service, Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma Lighthouse offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city of San Diego and far beyond. It was erected in honor of Captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the west coast. Also on the site is the original lighthouse, which was replaced in 1891 by the one that still steers vessels away from shore. Tidepools delight young and old, history buffs enjoy the museum, and hiking enthusiasts are challenged by the trails. Gift shop and snacks are available.

A romantic evening is in store at this homey, yet tastefully decorated small restaurant in an unassuming part of San Diego. Candlelight flickers bathe you with soft light as you sit at your white linen table set with silver and fine crystal. Al fresco dining on the garden patio is also available. Live piano music on weekends lends even more romance to this setting, as do the embers in the fireplace. The cuisine is strictly Italian. Also offered is a full bar, offering over 40 wines by the glass.

Can’t get to Venice, Italy this year? Try a romantic gondola ride in Coronado, instead.

Enter Modus Supper Club to be enticed by the dim lights focused on the stylish decor. And like this alluring ambiance, the food won't let you down. Prepared with the finest of local farm ingredients, the chefs present traditional European dishes with great elan. The bar boasts of imported boutique spirits and innovative cocktails mixed by their very own 'Cocktail Guru'. If thats not enough, go healthy with the freshly prepared organic juices. Late nights with Groove Junkies and popular DJ's and host of other events makes this place a hot-spot for party animals.

Top off an evening on the town with the lightest, most memorable sweets. The delicacies change everyday but you have not lived until you have had the Creme Brule. Of course, you can always opt for the legendary brownies or whatever the fresh-baked cake specials happen to be. All in all, if you end your evening here, you are guaranteed sweet dreams.

Vibrant, eclectic, and endlessly entertaining, the Gaslamp Quarter covers more than 16 city blocks of downtown San Diego, with hundreds of specialty shops and dozens of trendy restaurants, bars and avant-garde playhouses. Most of the shops keep late hours, so delightful shopping, drinking, and dining can occur virtually simultaneously. Cutting-edge women's fashions elbow up against exclusive art galleries, while nearby is a hardware store founded more than 100 years ago. The San Diego Convention Center is just steps away from the Gaslamp, and during major conventions the flow of souvenir-hunting attendees floods the area. For an upscale shopping mall experience, the adjacent Horton Plaza offers major department stores and a hundred or so mall shops set in an architecturally amusing maze of bridges, stairways, and intricately tiled walls. If you have just a few hours to devote to shopping - or San Diego itself - spend the time and the money here. Credit card acceptance varies by business.

Stingaree is a Goliath of a night spot. The ground floor is a proper restaurant/nightclub, replete with a full dinner menu and a full dance floor. The bar is famous for its extensive wine list and specialty cocktails (including the "Berry Manilow"). The food menu is awash in French, Italian and Mediterranean influences, all served with a dash of Californian flair, and always full of the freshest local and seasonal ingredients. Choose from small plates like the seafood "Menage a Trois," or no-nonsense entrees like Lobster Linguine. Up one flight of stairs is the Mezzanine, a more intimate lounge-style area where revelers can sip drinks and survey the action down below. Keep heading skyward and you'll find yourself on the Rooftop Oasis with a fire pit by your side and a cool breeze in your hair. See website for menus, wine list, happy hour info, event calendar, online reservations and more.

Take a leisurely walk from the Gaslamp Quarter or Horton Plaza and escape the madness of the city for awhile. Stroll down miles of cobblestone paths taking in the greenery, ponds and fountains as you make your way around 54 one-of-a-kind shops, 13 casual dining eateries and four fine-dining restaurants. Unsurpassed views of the bay, its ships and the San Diego-Coronado Bridge surround the park. Complete with a carousel dating from the 1890s, this is a sight you will not want to miss. A monthly calender features live music featuring blues, jazz, country and swing bands as well as cast performers and artisans.

San Diegans of Italian ancestry are working hard to restore and revitalize this seaside district just off downtown San Diego and the results are fabulous. Visitors will enjoy the plethora of Italian markets and bakeries, may watch a game of bolla at the local park or light a candle at the Our Lady of the Rosary Church where Italian fishermen of San Diego's once-massive tuna fleet used to seek blessings. In October, a three-day festival brings 50,000 visitors to the area. Credit card acceptance varies.