Located in Southern California, the naval city of San Diego offers abundant opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts and those interested in a healthy lifestyle. In addition to numerous sports events and recreational activities, which include golf, boating, hiking and sport fishing, there are plenty of strange and wonderful attractions for the intrepid to discover. Look for mud caves, midget houses and unusual flora, and spend the night at the zoo.
Unusual Flora
Among the usual swaying palms, eucalyptus and oak canopies of California, San Diego offers the intrepid hiker the chance to catch 60-foot ferns and ferns that grow without roots in the soil in Fern Canyon, the largest bamboo collection in the US at Quail Gardens and a meditation garden run by monks at the Self Realization Fellowship Ashram and Meditation Garden where you will also find koi ponds and Swami’s surfing spot.
Mud Caves
San Diego’s Big Mud Cave in the southern half of the Anza Borrego Desert is well-known, but the other 22 mud caves and canyons are not. Squeeze through the entrance of Dip Slope Cave and spot bats in Bat Cave, have fun finding Serpentine Cave and the well-named Hidden Cave, and see if you can fit into Tight Cave. These are some of the strangest and most extensive mud cave formations in the world.
Midget Houses
Try to uncover the legend of the midget houses at La Jolla, a mystery that continues to confound and lead people to wander up Mount Soledad looking for miniature homes. An article in the Daily Aztec appeared to place them on the steep slopes of Hillside Drive, where four cottages are subjected to an optical illusion that makes them seem suitable for Munchkins, but other rumors persist, which can lead to some detective fun.
Weird Walks
There is nothing strange about walking, but when the walk is to discover the gas lamps of Victorian San Diego and the marketing secrets of the Stingaree nightclub and restaurant, things get a little odder. Other peculiar tours in San Diego are the walks around the haunted Whaley House Museum and a tour of the igloo-shaped ovens and tiny bungalow homes of Little Italy.
Wild Animals
Many cities have a zoo they are proud of, but San Diego is so proud it lets you stay the night. Zoo sleepovers involve camping out in a tent, and you can opt for an extreme sleepover whereby teams compete in zoo activities led by Dr. Zoolittle, a spooky sleepover on Halloween or a Critter Campout for adults.
Floating Museum
Float on one of the city’s most fascinating museums, the USS Midway Museum, aboard the longest serving Navy aircraft carrier. There are interactive exhibitions to suit all ages, an Ejection Seat Theater and three flight simulators that will get the adrenaline flowing as you live the life of an aviator and roll, somersault, loop and spin.
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