San Diego in spring: splendors aplenty in a favorite American city

San Diego in spring is a sight to behold -- with blue skies, feathery clouds and a dinner or lunch cruise aboard Hornblower.

"To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough."
                                                --Edna St. Vincent Millay


STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

Cookie and Keller welcome spring aboard Hornblower.

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

SAN DIEGO offers many pleasures from world class theater to water sport and fine dining. Its year-round beauty is a huge plus, and it's at its finest in spring.
Chief among San Diego's attractions for this Rocky Mountain girl is the gorgeous climate. Dry warm weather makes San Diego a "most desired" city. The beauty peaks now when many of our annual 30 million visitors call.

Water and the nearby ocean provide sport,
beauty, fine dining, viewing and fishing.

So whether whale watching with Hornblower or enjoying a dinner cruise in November, hiking among desert flowers in March, relishing  summer's bloom bonanza in June, balmy ocean breezes in July or holiday cheer in December, there is no "bad time" to visit San Diego. "America's finest city" deserves its moniker.

San Diego is abloom.

IT IS HOME to a large sport-fishing fleet, a major ball park, state-of-the-art cruise terminal, train travel and airport and many fine theaters including the world renowned La Jolla Playhouse, which sends productions to Broadway, recently its Tony winning "Come From Away." "Diana," a stunning new musical by the creators of "Memphis" is selling out. Another brilliant play, "A Jewish Joke," was developed by San Diego's inventive Roustabouts Theatre Co. and brilliant actor Phil Johnson. It opens soon off-Broadway, directed by North Coast Repertory Theatre's gifted artistic director, David Ellenstein.

San Diego's sunsets are legendary,
 here above La Jolla.

Camp Pendleton and its Marine Corps base bring money and people to the region and San Diego is homeport to a huge Pacific Navy fleet. Balboa Park offers a 1,200-acre urban oasis with welcoming parks, natural vegetation zones, green belts, gardens, and walking paths. It houses a variety of world-class museums, theaters, and the famous San Diego Zoo.

Balboa Park dates back to 1915-1917, built for the
Panama-California Exposition and the canal opening.

La Jolla Shores beckons to tourists from around the world,
here two youngsters from the Bay Area at play.

ALTHOUGH we're only 1.3 million, San Diego boasts an abundance of lively neighborhoods and attractions:  Gaslamp Quarter, La Jolla, Little Italy, Pacific Beach, Liberty Station and the impressive fleet of the Maritime Museum with impressive historic vessels, a submarine and the enormous USS Midway Museum. Find ethnic restaurants, fine dining, street food, craft beers, buskers and distinct flavors -- from Carlsbad and Del Mar to the north to Point Loma, North Park and Old Town farther south.
ORIGINALLY named San Miguel, San Diego was discovered in 1542 by European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who has a lovely lighthouse named after him.The gorgeous bay and San Diego were given that name in 1602. European settlement in San Diego County began in 1769 with Mission San Diego de Alcala. From 1821 to 1848, we belonged to Mexico until in 1850, after the U.S.-Mexican War when we became a state. The connection endures,  through San Diego's immediacy to Mexico.

Legoland beckons Cookie, her niece
Amarylla, left, and kids Peny and James.

We share an international border and Tijuana and San Diego are an international metropolitan area where visitors, including cruisers, travel south to enjoy luxury spas, beachfront resorts, golf courses, festivals, celebrations,

One can catch the Coaster in San Diego 
and take the train north to Seattle.

colorful neighborhoods, and nightlife. Sports teams, even with the Padres gone north, are part of life here as is world famous Legoland, a huge family theme park. Add to that attractive mix research, manufacturing, biotechnology (Qualcomm and more) and world class medical centers -- including Scripps Green Hospital, where Keller received his liver transplant nearly two years ago.

Palm Springs offers a beautiful, relaxing or invigorating get-away.

UP NEXT: Palm Springs has long been a haunt of the rich and famous. Come with us to see where Frank Sinatra and Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Loretta Young and many others escaped the pressures of Hollywood.  Come with us to visit this picturesque city in the Sonoran Desert of southern California, known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses and spas. We'll visit the famous Tram and stars' homes with abundant examples of midcentury-modern architecture. Meanwhile, explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh look at travel, the arts, family, health and nature.