San Diego

With its bustling Gaslamp Quarter downtown and hip Little Italy restaurants, all in close range of the famous San Diego Zoo and the 17 museums of Balboa Park, there’s a lot to keep visitors busy in this city. And that’s even before you factor in San Diego’s waterfront, its majestic Star of India—the oldest operable tall-masted ship in the world—and its many fabulous beaches. Take a whale watching tour or explore its vast naval fleets from a harbor tour; visit the historical center of Old Town; take a tour of San Diego’s missions; and head to the stunning cliffs and tide pools of Cabrillo National Monument where the first European set foot in California in 1542.