Fall's San Diego Charm

For a Courtyard it was a little bit expensive, but convenience-wise it was a 10! This was one of Courtyard's refreshed properties, and it was very nice. It was a little more exquisite then standard. The check-in was very smooth. They have at least three agents working there 24/7. The lobby is very warm and welcoming and offers free coffee and cookies to enjoy. There is a fireplace there as well. There are two computers equipped with Internet access and printing services. There is small cafe with a breakfast buffet, and for lunch and dinner a la carte items go up to $15 tops. The rooms offer high-speed Internet access, with a "printme" server, where you can print from your room and request for the staff to deliver it to your room free of charge. The bathrooms are standard and rooms are refreshed but a tad small! During weekdays USA Today is offered complimentary right under your door.

There is a pool on the property grounds, but it is very small. There is secure parking at the property, however, is not complimentary. Guests pay $12 per night to receive a permit that must be displayed on the windshield. In terms of convenience, it is right off the highway. It is also just 2 blocks from the center of Old Town, and all the great restaurants and sights are minutes, if not seconds, away. The only other thing: is that if you're lucky, you get a room facing beautiful, quiet old town. If that side gets full, your view is of one of the busiest highways in Southern California. It is very noisy, and smelly, but you get to see the airport. We were the lucky ones and got the Old Town view, indicating that the hotel wasn't that full. I would normally rate a courtyard a 2 or a 3. For convenience it gets bumped up. The fact its "refurbished" bumps it up as well. However, because it charges for parking that should be complimentary, I brought it down to a strong 4!

Let me start out by saying that we are big fans of the Panda Express chains. Once we found out that only in five cities in California have Panda Inn, and that we were going to one of them (San Diego), we were really excited. Panda Inn is the parent of Panda Express. It is quite luxurious and superb. If you think Panda Express is good, wait till you try this. The menu is greatly expanded over the traditional Panda Express menu. I had lemon chicken, which was zesty and delicous. The scent is very powerful, as a variety of ingredients and special spices were used. The lemon chicken was simply delicous. They offer many kinds of rice and noodles to accompany the main course. They offer traditional Chinese beer--Tsing Tao. What really caught my attention is the fortune cookies. They are not like the ones in any other Chinese restaurant. They were softer, and they were entirely glazed! Delicious! I highly recommend this place and would love to dine here again! It is on the 5th floor of the Horton Plaza.

Fred's Mexican was the first restaurant we stepped foot after arriving in San Diego. It was great! Even thouhg the food they serve is not authentic Mexican, it is instead a mix of American, and Mexican. We had burgers that were with salsa and guacamole, which was really interesting but good. They have tons of margaritas and many beers you can think of. They serve alcohol beverages in huge jugs which look very funny. The staff is young and very hip. The manager was great, he went by from table to table, chatted with everyone. There's also a an African Grey that adds to the cheer by squawking and screaming. Highly recommended and right in the heart of Old Town.

The San Diego Zoo was the most beautiful zoo I have ever seen, coming in in front off Taronga Zoo in Sydney. This zoo has the most species of any zoo in North America. To name a few, they have koalas and pandas. The zoo itself is huge! There are trolleys/buses that take you around the zoo because it is so huge! But you can walk! There's also a cable car ride that gives you an aerial view. It also has one of the largest bird habitats. It has macaws and cockatoos to name a few. The zoo is a must (# 1 on your to-do list) if you're in the San Diego area and requires a couple of hours to see the entire zoo. A sister attraction, the Wild Animal Park near Escondido, CA, is also an add-on option, though I cannot comment on that, as I have not been there (I can only blame it on time!). I recommend buying the all-inclusive package, which will cost about $30 per person, but it includes unlimited trolley rides and unlimited cable car rides. The San Diego Zoo has a children's zoo and numerous restaurants spread out. I give this attraction five stars, and still it might not be enough. If you're done with the zoo, still have some time, and are eager to see some other attraction nearby, check out Balboa Park, as described in my other part of the San Diego journal.